the daydream fund challenge thread

choille

lostinrates - sorry to hear that you have health/pain problems. Good for you working through them.

I clip just one wing on the hens when I'm keeping them penned. Young roosters soon start getting aggressive & also tough. The younger the better, if you are planning on eating them. It is best to have a cull before Winter & pop them in the freezer. Sounds harsh, but it can get really problematic keeping a load of them.

All the best.

lostinrates

choille wrote: »

lostinrates -
I clip just one wing on the hens when I'm keeping them penned. Young roosters soon start getting aggressive & also tough. The younger the better, if you are planning on eating them. It is best to have a cull before Winter & pop them in the freezer. Sounds harsh, but it can get really problematic keeping a load of them.

All the best.

lol, yes, clipped, one wing on each hen. The roosters are already heading into tough stakes, about 6 months old....I'm half considering keeping one of them for my little breeding programme..

but yes, much better to kill them before they start attacking each other...much kinder IMO than the torture they are capable of inflicting on each other. We had two cochin roosters once who lived together perfectly happily...but I don't think my leg barr is as welcoming towards his sons!

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

lol, yes, clipped, one wing on each hen.

We haven't done ours yet, but I guess we would if they decided to escape. I shot a picture of a Vorwerk in flight yesterday - looks so funny. They are ridiculous birds; definitely very German in wanting everything just-so, and perfectly amicable towards the others, so long as they're in charge! They don't seem to have a pecking-order, but just function as a group. They're extremely inquisitive too.

The Silver Dorkings are more refined, but happy to perch on us to get the best food. Lovely birds, they'll eventually be largest.

The Welsummers are a bit of a wet weekend; even the original bossy one being usurped by the Vorwerks. We would sell them on, but they do make nice brown eggs......so we're told! We haven't actually had an egg yet, so it's fortunate that we don't pay for feed, bedding etc.

Had an easy day yesterday, because the land was a bit soggy. Popped Brenton bolts on the bottom of chicken house door and on the pop hole, just in case, so that's like Fort Knox now. Must get the electric fencing sorted soon though. I also put circular ventilation thingies, as used on house eaves, into the ends of the shed to give high level air change on colder nights when we'd need to shut the window vents. Very timely, as we had -4C last night. Not even November yet!

Did a bit more dowsing too, and seem to be able to locate quite accurately the run off and its branches for our smaller septic tank. The 160mm water main, which I feared might pass under our barn is actually well clear too, though we will have to watch for it when putting on new gateposts to the lane later.....Er, looking at finances, much later! :rotfl:

Lotus-eater

stitching_witch wrote: »

I'm a bit cross with myself as yesterday morning I finally got some paid sewing jobs to do then I took a chunk off the top of my finger with an axe. It's not really serious, but throbbing and awkward to do anything with it strapped up! Silly stitchy

I was in the middle of pruning a tree the other day and got my thumb in the way of the saw (stupidly I wasn't wearing gloves) I saw an awful lot of bone sticking out before running inside and running it under the tap, at which point I almost fainted from the pain. Ouch!
I can just about move my thumb again now, but I really need to get something in to clean these sort of wounds properly, what should I get? I was lucky this time because it didn't get infected.
Also I bound it up tight for a week or so and I got away without stitches or hospital.
Next time I will wear gloves! Idiot

rhiwfield

Good grief! Is anyone not injured? This is turning into ER!

Lir, you seem to disprove it but I dont think willpower alone is enough to get you through serious illness

Lotus Eater, I keep a bottle of antispetic and use diluted to bathe fresh wounds but sometimes use red wine instead. One gulp for me, one drop for the cut Personally, if there was bone showing, I'd be along to A&E. A few months back I updated my tetanus jabs after several garden mishaps, couldnt remember if I had had the lifetime dose. My aching arm probably meant that I had!

Cold last night and ground is well frozen. But with another day of sun forecast will be off to the beach again with DW. She's busy knitting again as she comes off the strong painkillers, a good sign she's on the mend. Half term, so a break from the college run and an extra half hour in bed

Just seen a treecreeper on the honeysuckle, rare for me to get such a good look at one

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

We haven't done ours yet, but I guess we would if they decided to escape. I shot a picture of a Vorwerk in flight yesterday - looks so funny. They are ridiculous birds; definitely very German in wanting everything just-so, and perfectly amicable towards the others, so long as they're in charge! They don't seem to have a pecking-order, but just function as a group. They're extremely inquisitive too.

The Silver Dorkings are more refined, but happy to perch on us to get the best food. Lovely birds, they'll eventually be largest.

The Welsummers are a bit of a wet weekend; even the original bossy one being usurped by the Vorwerks. We would sell them on, but they do make nice brown eggs......so we're told! We haven't actually had an egg yet, so it's fortunate that we don't pay for feed, bedding etc.

Had an easy day yesterday, because the land was a bit soggy. Popped Brenton bolts on the bottom of chicken house door and on the pop hole, just in case, so that's like Fort Knox now. Must get the electric fencing sorted soon though. I also put circular ventilation thingies, as used on house eaves, into the ends of the shed to give high level air change on colder nights when we'd need to shut the window vents. Very timely, as we had -4C last night. Not even November yet!

Did a bit more dowsing too, and seem to be able to locate quite accurately the run off and its branches for our smaller septic tank. The 160mm water main, which I feared might pass under our barn is actually well clear too, though we will have to watch for it when putting on new gateposts to the lane later.....Er, looking at finances, much later! :rotfl:

kno the ''later'' feeling well . We've mnaged to avoid clipping for years. My cochins cannot fly at all, they are just too heavy, and to be honest I'm somewhat surprised some of my cochin crosses can get airborne. I do not like clipping when it can be avoided because I like to give them as much chance to get away from predators, such is the nature of our free rangers, but I think this lot will be alright.

I love ''doggy'' chickens, who are curious and involved and into everything. Interesting about the welsummers. I was thinking of a few of them....for my egg colour breeding stuff...but I think I might get another french wheaten maran instead. TBH I'm not that close to any of my marans, they are all sweet but rather distant, but one of the crosses is one of my favourite girls. If I had more hours in the day she would certainly be being clicker trained..:o

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

I love ''doggy'' chickens, who are curious and involved and into everything.

That's a great term for them!

I just like to see them flying, and the Vorwerks, being into everything and scared they might miss out, often fly to get where they need to be, pronto.

Off to the farm shop in a minute. The folk who caused us to grow so many unwanted tomatoes are moving on, so I'm taking some peppers in + a few chillies to re-establish contact.

Not sure about those chillies! Last night, fried some up with onions,or rather I tried to, but the pungent fumes in the kitchen caused me to abandon the whole thing. Had to open all the windows and doors....Anyone know what I'm doing wrong. Couldn't stop coughing & sneezing!:(

alfie_1

choille wrote: »

It would have to be rough camping - showers? We don't even have one of those!

Dry toilet would be a home made one. We used to live with one - used to use humanure, but that's another story.

I don't know how I'd do with the gorge being here - quite dangerous unless you know the ground & are sober I expect! OH has gone a bit muttering............

why not advertise as a help/exchange week/weekend?? get them to help on site in lieu of rent! a few hours work a day could help you more than dosh? and the thought of having a "herd" of hunky leather clad bikers roaming round makes me want to camp there myself!! as for showers why not rig up a sq tent with a shower unit from an old caravan [battery run] with a drum of water. also use a chemical loo from same [ can pick up old caravan for a few pounds/free...] you could use carcass for storage. as stated a camp fire is a def. get the BIKERS on side and they will see you alright.

alfie_1

talking of CHOOKS... mine have suddenly stopped laying!! or something is eating them?? no broken shells so a bit of a mystery. they have a 20'x10' pen with large shed. but are free range during the day to roam the garden and woods. they all go back for bed b4 dark. [pen is used and theyre not let out if im away so my son doesnt forget to lock em in !] iv put a china egg in thier box to try and encourage them now...we will see.
MABEL is a wimp!! she slowly came out of her house this morning grunting...she doesnt like the cold!!
cant decide wether to rug up the horse yet.. he doesnt like it but hes a rescued thoroughbred and doesnt hold his weight without it.
the mini shetlands are just FAT !! starting to break in one to drive this week so may join your list of injuries....
the dogs are on the sofa by the fire, the cats are on the fire hearth!! what wimps...im the only silly sod still out in the cold!!
AND its not as cold here, im sure, as the rest of the country!!
take care all

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

cant decide wether to rug up the horse yet.. he doesnt like it but hes a rescued thoroughbred and doesnt hold his weight without it.

Most of ours are rugged now, but only in light and medium weights....could he have a lightweight on when its wet ..enough to keep his coat dry, able to fluff up and keep him warm so on dry days he could be without? TBH, I'd take rugs off today..its pretty out (I'm only a short hour from NF) and dry, but ours moved on to new grass today and I might not get them back this evening while they nosh:o;). One of ours is always rugless. Bets thing for warmth IMO is ad lib forage.


Do your chooks get any light or are they moulting...we've got three in moult ATM...so fewer eggs. I haven't started with morning lights yet but don't reckon we're far off it now. I'm making my list of what new stick to get for the incubator next year. I'm definitely getting some guinea fowl, but can't decide how many (I'll buy eggs to ''cook'' here) also had an unusual request for raising some unusual birds for meat, but not sure it will take off, and then might be left with a lot of birds that aren't useful for eggs and might taste yucky...not sure whether to give that a spin or not.