Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

Davesnave

Total Marans count is still 3, as one conked or was squashed. The last two eggs will be taken out if nothing's happened by tomorrow morning.

These birds look like they may be autosexing, as we have both dark and light. If that's the case, it means a commercial breeder has been messing with the genes, so they won't be true Marans. Could be bad or good. The seller said they were "extra-productive birds," which raised my suspicions.

Yes, I want to see your chicken house, Alex! The one we're currently using was expensive, but now we have to re-locate it, I'm glad it's modular and nothing is nailed together.

Alexelisey

Good morning all!

From this:


via this:


to this:


This part of the garden was completely bare when we were having the house viewings.

And finally a little video:


Dave I think it would probably take 5 or 6 birds, the perch inside is 36" (I still work in imperial some of the time!). Now it's just a case of waiting and seeing if they use the nestbox straight away.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

a bit more hacked off the house yesterday.. its soooo hot, cant do much..

COOLTRIKERCHICK

as I haven't done hardly any planting this year:cool:

I was thinking of getting these off the bay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200921677185?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

TBH its only me that likes greens etc, BUT I was thinking it would be chicken/pig feed/treats too

Its VERY hot already...

the weather forecast said we 'might' have some rain/showers on Wednesday... not holding my breath though

Itismehonest

The house is certainly coming along, CTC :beer:
Will you have to re-point it?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Itismehonest wrote: »

The house is certainly coming along, CTC :beer:
Will you have to re-point it?

Yes defo..

We are hacking off the front and one side. where they used concrete to render it.. the side where they rendered it is pulling away the wall:cool:

then we have to either sandblast, or use our drill with a wire brush to remove the old paint of the 2 other outer walls.. they didn't used lime based paint, so it had the same effect, not leaving the moisture escape .( if we do it slowly ourselves it will save us loads, the quote for sandblasting was between £400 -£600 per side, the wire bushes for the drill will prob cost us £100.. as will prob wear a few out)

We will employ the stone mason for one day, to come over and do a full assessment, and he did say he would show hubby how to rake out the old mortar.. with 'us' ( I mean hubby:D) doing this, this will save money, by not having the stone mason doing it..

Once the outside is done... then we will start on the inside walls etc.

And also by then we will know if we need to under pin, take down and re-build one pine end, or if it is ok, and not going to do anymore moving ( this is the end where they rendered in concrete)

edit... so there will be loads more pics, which you all will prob be fed up of lol

Itismehonest

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Yes defo..

We are hacking off the front and one side. where they used concrete to render it.. the side where they rendered it is pulling away the wall:cool:

then we have to either sandblast, or use our drill with a wire brush to remove the old paint of the 2 other outer walls.. they didn't used lime based paint, so it had the same effect, not leaving the moisture escape .( if we do it slowly ourselves it will save us loads, the quote for sandblasting was between £400 -£600 per side, the wire bushes for the drill will prob cost us £100.. as will prob wear a few out)

We will employ the stone mason for one day, to come over and do a full assessment, and he did say he would show hubby how to rake out the old mortar.. with 'us' ( I mean hubby:D) doing this, this will save money, by not having the stone mason doing it..

Once the outside is done... then we will start on the inside walls etc.

And also by then we will know if we need to under pin, take down and re-build one pine end, or if it is ok, and not going to do anymore moving ( this is the end where they rendered in concrete)

edit... so there will be loads more pics, which you all will prob be fed up of lol

Our place was rendered & painted once upon a time. Long before we came here, though.
We haven't had to do any pointing on the house ourselves, thankfully but, in some places the re-pointing is not so well done as in others.

We had some of the other buildings done. It's a fairly long & arduous process because it has to be just right not to retain water or there would be problems. It's also a b1tch on the hands. It would definitely save you money raking out some of the old pointing yourself.
The builders (also good stonemasons because they have to do so much stonework around here) hate doing re-pointing but they make a good job of it.

Forgot to ask.....
Are the walls thick? If so they could be the old-style rubble-filled walls like ours where both the outer faces are flush stonework but the centre cavity is filled with rubble. This means that the timber frame is only visible on the inside while the outside appears as all stone.
That's on the original parts, of course. As I said before, the new parts are blockwork with stone on the outside. You'd be hard pressed to see the "join", though. Everyone thinks it was all built at the same time which is exactly what we wanted them to think.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

ITSME.. yes they are thick double walled with the rubble in the middle..

It looks as though the outside walls are the least of our problems, as even though there is problems with the outside walls it does look as though the inside walls/wood etc has taken the big hit with the water/damp etc..BUT doing the outside breathable and as water tight as we can will hopefully have a huge impact on the inner walls..

TBH having the scaffolding has given us a huge boast physiologically sp? and financially, as buying the scaffolding and doing a lot of the 'donkey work' ourselves have potentially saved us thousands...

Davesnave

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Its VERY hot already...

Tell me about it! :rotfl:

Went up on the wood shed roof.... Came down again! :rotfl:
Went into the poly. It was 38c in the shade in there! Damped-down and had to retreat.:(

No more hatching, so we have 3 chicks: 2 girls + a boy...maybe!
Gave fairly negative feedback on the seller for saying they were "very dark brown" eggs, when they weren't, but said they were well packed and fertile. Didn't like doing that.

Alex, I've left a comment on your video. I think you'd get 5 or 6 average sized hens in your new house. Did you use marine ply? I ask because the ferret cage roof was so-called 'exterior' ply and it didn't last long. The pig pens here are ply, though, and they've been outside for at least 10 years.

rhiwfield

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

TBH having the scaffolding has given us a huge boast physiologically sp? and financially, as buying the scaffolding and doing a lot of the 'donkey work' ourselves have potentially saved us thousands...

That's brilliant CTC, so pleased!

Just been woken up by the Red Arrows doing a circle in V formation round my house, amazing!

Logs stacked yesterday were larch, mixed feelings about burning quality but we'll see. They do smell lovely though.