Daydream thread continues.....

Rummer

rozeepozee wrote: »

I think we were separated at birth Rums

I think you may be right!

rozeepozee

Itismehonest wrote: »

Watch the kite if you get chickens, rozee. The buzzards here would occasionally finish off some of our baby chicks
Badgers, too, have a habit of taking the bodies & leaving the heads behind.
Remember that what you encourage now may not be exactly what you want to encourage in the future.

I once watched horrified as a peregrine murdered a rook outside my study window. It caught it in mid flight, brought it down & proceeded to peck a hole exactly where the rooks heart was. It was all done with clinical precision & absolute spite (the rooks had been dive-bombing the falcon to keep it away from the rookery). It wouldn't even stop when I ran out after it yelling.
When it was sure the rook was dead the peregrine just flew off & left us to clear up the mess. Nature red in tooth & claw _pale_.

There are so many kites round here, Itsme, I'm not sure how I would discourage them...? When we first arrived I was slack jawed, craning my neck at fence posts as this "eagle" sat and surveyed. Now, I realise that they're everywhere.... He's been close to the garden once, before the bird table, when the girsl were little and running about the deck. So close, I thought he was coming for a look at them :rotfl:

Recently, he's sitting in the trees in the woodland strip perhaps 150 yards away. I don't know yet if it's the same one or if there are a few. I know their eyesight is meant to be amazing, so I'm sure if I can see him, he can see me.

As far as any poultry is concerned, I'd love them to free range and there's plenty cover, but OH has promised to build a huge covered run, tall enough for the kids to walk in, so if there are many losses, maybe we'll have to settle for limited freedom....?

Itismehonest

Yes, it's all a matter of compromise as far as living with nature is concerned, rozee.
We don't have many kites here although we used too see them on odd occasions shortly after they were reintroduced. Haven't seen one in a few years now, though.

rozeepozee

Itismehonest wrote: »

Yes, it's all a matter of compromise as far as living with nature is concerned, rozee.
We don't have many kites here although we used too see them on odd occasions shortly after they were reintroduced. Haven't seen one in a few years now, though.

They are amazing birds and possibly worth any carnage...

alfie_1

itsme.....it wasnt where the bait is put that concerns me it is the DEAD BODIES..... as LIR said she has feral cats there,owls etc plus her pupwup.

although a kite taking a rook seems callous...its nature. and the kite prob left it cos ie.. your sat having been served your dinner when someone runs in yelling "fire"...do you carry on eating or get the hell out of there ?

Rummer

I called to find out about joining the local allotment waiting list but I didn't really get anywhere as the person I need to speak to was unavailable. At least though I am taking a step in the right direction.

We are never going to be in the position to have a small holding unless we win the lottery (fingers crossed :rotfl:) however we can achieve miniature greatness by making the most of our plot here, getting an allotment to grow more and if the time is right keep chickens.

Too much time would be wasted if I held out for something that is unlikely to happen and that my OH doesn't really want. So I am going to make my own mini day dream come true in a more inventive way

Davesnave

We get loads of buzzards here, plus a few hawks. The crows are pretty formidable as well.

When there are young birds present, we string lines across the pen and attach a few old CDs which flash in the wind.

Our main problem was keeping the crows out of the feeder tunnel, but once we realised they wouldn't walk between 'curtains' we had them beaten! The hens don't mind.

I drained down the outdoor taps tonight. If the cold weather is breaking on Thursday, I may get away without needing to supply the sheep by watering can.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

another bitterly cold night/morning here...I cant seem to function properly in cold weather, or hot weather when it comes to it:rotfl:

Alfie... I am getting LOADS of sweet peppers, red, green and red ones, and the piggies dont like them:mad:, soooooo If I roasted them in a bit of olive oil do you think piggies will like them then? or what can I do to make them eat them:D got a bootfull of fruit, veg and bread all for £3.50 pitty you wernt coming down soon Alfie, as you could go home with a van full for mabel ( and yourself;))

rhiwfield

Cold it is! Going to a preview this morning in a mostly unheated auction room so its on with the long johns.

lostinrates

Lovely...cold and DRY. Dry cold i can cope with.....no mud, hurrah!

Have put the horses on the small weedy bit of rough ground between the road and the Cake. It looks a terrible mess there and once they have eaten the 'standing hay' we can strim and tidy up. I have just realised I haven't booked our hedges in. They look very gappy.


Heating people back later to day, and joiner in doing the window and door fittings.....some of them, but not all as when we started opening boxes we found that the ironmongery company have sent the wrong fittings. I am too flat and disillusioned with everything build related to be furious today, so I had a forbidden coffee, to give energy to any later rants.