The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Doveling

Mrs Stepford - we've just ordered the Peover unit off this website. 
                http://www.rushtonpetandpoultry.co.uk/poultry.html
Planning on getting just three bantams  so they have plenty of space.
We're going to do a deep litter base so it can be kept on concrete slab in the winter. Then we'll move it around on the grass during the better months.
You can sometimes get a good deal on an Eglu on the bay of E which don't take up much room .HTH 

RAS

square_bear said:

I also, have 2 sacks of potatoes.
I've been buying cartons of juice and the Christmas drinks (while on offer) for the past few weeks.
I believe that apples can last a while if stored properly.

Having seen what mice can do to a tetrapack, albeit St Kilda ones, just lost some apples  to  mice and knowing what rats do to potatoes and other starchy veggies, I'd recommend that these are in secure spaces. Somewhere where they can't climb up the shed wall, or eat through the sack. Maybe an old dustbin with the lid securely fastened?

Regarding apples it depends on variety. They are not my favourites but Golden Delicious were chosen for "Le Crunch" because they store better than any other variety. Way through into May if the spring is cool. As do many of the other supermarket varieties descended  GD. 

MingVase

Doveling I kept my hens on the deep litter system too, found it very good and easy to manage.

DryTheRain

Hello all, been lurking for a while, hope it’s ok to join in again

Read a gloomy article about impending issues at ports and the supply of fresh fruit and veg. I’d been working on the assumption that more ‘exotic’ warm weather produce, like bananas or red peppers, would be worst affected, but it appears spuds and onions could become scarce too.  

This really frit me as onions are such a staple, and let’s face it no-one wants to risk being in a supermarket scrum in the middle of a pandemic!  So I’m wondering about hanging some up in the old immersion heater cupboard in my flat, would they last long enough in there to get through a few weeks of disruption?  

Also read somewhere in the article’s comments that old tights could be used for this purpose, be v.interested to hear if anyone’s tried it x

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/17/british-government-food-shortage-uk-fresh-europe-ports-storage-space?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

thriftwizard

I think onions need to be kept cool & light, or they sprout, whereas spuds prefer to be cool & dark. I buy onions by the small net (10Kg) from our local market & they keep well in our conservatory, as do our own home-grown ones. I know not everyone's lucky enough to have one, but that's the sort of conditions that they keep well in; spuds live out in the garage in sturdy brown paper sacks, where it's dark & cool but frost-free. An allotment shed might work well for those, if big enough, and there are certainly strings of onions visible in the windows of some of the sheds on our allotment site.

jk0

Evening all. I hope you are all managing to keep cheerful under lockdown.

I know we aren't meant to ask about health matters here, but I'm getting a bit desperate. I am getting an awful pain in my left arm every night. Last night I seemed to wake about every hour with it. I move it a bit, and the pain subsides. I did not even do any work yesterday. (Slim fit male 55.)

Any thoughts?

Nargleblast

The obvious answer will be to contact your GP surgery or alternatively ring the NHS 111 line, or maybe go on to their website. Firstly though establish when the pain first started, is it just at night or does it happen other times, what is the nature of the pain (eg sharp, heavy, burning, tingling), does the pain go anywhere else, what makes it worse, what makes it better....these are questions you may be asked. It is probably something very minor, but it is worth getting it checked out because a) it's worrying you and b) it is not a normal thing to happen. Don't think you're wasting anyone's time, that's what they're there for.

euronorris

The location of that pain *could* indicate a serious issue. Or it might not be. But none of us are able to diagnose you on here. I would strongly recommend that you seek medical attention asap so thag it can be assessed by a medical practitioner.

Onebrokelady

thriftwizard said:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-national-prevention-zone-declared  Details here, Onebrokelady. We had no warning at all, apart from a couple of tiny articles in the news on Thursday morning. I have managed to put the polytunnel up again, so my bantams are now safely under cover; the new cover arrived on Saturday but the weather was too awful to even try to put it up, until yesterday. Luckily they don't seem to mind being confined;  they have bark chips & straw on the floor to dig around in, it's light, warmer & drier than being outside, though well-ventilated, I've put a chair and some pots & old footballs & things in there to play "King of the Castle" and "oooh what's this" and both the coops are raised up off the ground so they have the full 2m x 3m floor area between the 5 of them. As 1m sq is the recommended stocking density for large fowl, and they're about a quarter of the size (though twice the characters) that's actually plenty of space for them and means we still have a little bit of garden left! 

Thanks for the info,I suppose covid has knocked all the other news out of the spotlight,it's in an area not too far from me though so a lot more coverage would have been nice 🙄your Polly tunnel sound perfect for them,mine usually free range in the  garden so are now stuck in a 6ft by 3ft run,good job I only have two now 

MrsCD

I saw my first non-forum mention of avian flu today in Boots when collecting prescriptions. There was an A4 paper on the wall explaining that their foods with free range eggs would not be classed as free range for a while, but there was no danger to people! That particular shop doesn't sell food though!!!