Coffee's ready...

[hooadefender]

well just went out to the coop to check on the girls 2 of my barred rocks are acrobats almost 3 weeks old and already roosing about 4 ft up lol but i do have a very jealouse wyandot she has to be the first one picked up and she wants to be put on the roost lol funny lil 1/2 fuzz balls

 

[quercus21]

Good morning people,

Now being served: India Monsoon Malibar - this morning ground, fresh homemade bread and eggs.

I hope this finds everyone doing good and enjoying their spring. It's been cloudy with over cast skies the last couple of days. Our little rat and her entourage is coming home tonight and spending the weekend. We are going to have a full house tomorrow evening. Our oldest rat will be stopping over for supper and the better half is in her glory. The garden and seedlings are doing good. 50 meaties are on order for a mid May delivery.

Karl: congratulations with your daughter.

hooadefender: sounds like the comedy show is starting for you.

Enjoy your day and weekend

 

[chics in the sun]

move Probably year to 18 mths.  I would like sooner but DW has different Idea's.  Small victory in the Chicken Saga.  The Mayors office called and is going to try to get the laws changed. doubt it will be in time for me but may help others.
My youngest just informed us she is moving from Maine to Bradenton Florida. anyone know the chicken laws there.
Paradise: Glad the wedding went well and you got to dress the bride that was special. Sounds like a wonderful time..

Bradenton is just 30 minutes south of me. I know a breeder down that way, I will send him a PM and find out, as I don't know if he lives within the city or outside it. My SIL is down there, and it is a lovely area for raising a family.

Paradise, it sounds like you had a wonderful trip to Louisianna. I know the show you are talking about, but I haven't watched it enough to know his name.
I have been very busy with reorganizing my house after BF's crazy wife called two weeks ago and told BF to come get his youngest daughter- she was 'done' with dealing with her. So she has moved in and we are all adjusting. I'm just glad she is with us and in a much better situation now. We've had some meltdowns and battles, but she's getting the hang of having boundaries and expectations in exchange for adults who treat her with kindness and respect her.
Oesdog, hope you are okay. Quercus and Gargoyle, I gain wait just reading your posts. And that coffee sounds wonderful!

 

[Gargoyle]

Bought materials for the coop extension today. This wills serve first as a nursery for three new chicks in a couple weeks, (where they and the two "old" girls can see each other without intermingling), then I'll open a door to combine it with the existing run and give them all a larger space. In the future I can close the door again to make a chicken hospital/chicken prison/quarantine space. Existing run and coop is 8'x 20', this adds another 8' x 8'.

Ground was prepped last week (digging, cutting roots, pulled out a big root with my truck). Found a bunch of 8' steel channel (like fence posts but bigger and wider, predrilled or punches with holes to bolt to 2x4 studs). We'll put them in concrete, dig a trench for a concrete perimeter. Menards had chain link on sale this week- $47 for 50 feet x 4 feet, 11-1/2 gauge. That will be laid across the bottom and bent down into the trench before pouring concrete, then covered with 3 to 6 inches of dirt. That should keep predators from digging up from underneath and shouldn't rust through for 15 or 20 years. We'll also wrap that around the framing, to cover the first 4' up from the ground, and then wrap everything with hardware cloth. It will get a new exterior person door. A few weeks ago I picked up corrugated clear fiberglass panels on sale, (about $14 each), those will form the roof with welded fencing wire underneath (in case anyone eats through the fiberglass).

Then we'll come up with a small coop to put inside, maybe 5' wide and 3' high on stilts, I'm not sure yet. I think we can keep it around $300 or $350 total for materials.

 

[oesdog]

Don't be too quiet; check in with us whenever you can. Meantime, here's a nice caffe macchiato (similar to cappuccino, but less milk, just steamed a bit but not foamed as much) and a pastry. Enjoy!

News from the oes
I am back someone mentioned I got a coffee waiting for me!!!!!!! Ooooooh lovely and I do like those iky gooy things hope that is chocolate though!! - please be chocolate drops????!!!!!!!!!!

Well Tunisia is hot and sunny but Ireland is raining and overcast and yuky looking. How different the weather makes you feel?????? We are tired and don;t seem to have a lot of energy today. But we had a great week and lots of fun. We played french bowles a lot and basically didn;t do much but fight our way through the madinas. We've been to Tunisia before so didn;t want to go on the "trips" because we already did most of them. I think it will take a long time for the Tourist industry to recover and move forward. It is quite sad really as Tunisia is a beautiful country with much to offer. However it is also a very dirty country with loads of rubbish everywhere. No one seems to want to pick it up ??????? I certainly wouldn't go into the sea there. Some folk did but once you walked up the beach past the willow screans - you get a whole different perspective. I said to Dh - can't understand it??? I mean if you filled your bath tub and then put a splash of oil, dash of sewrage and a few old plastic bags in then topped it off with a few old rusty cans and sprinkling of glass and some cammel poop would you then get in it??????? NO - so why on earth would you do it abroad in the sea off the beaches in Tunisia covered in all manor of trash???? Yet still folk water skied and swam??? Not for me I can tell you! I wont get into sea water unless there are loads of live fishes in it and it is clean and clear!!!!! I loved Majorca and Furtaventura for that reason and did swim in the sea there!!! I fear though that it is too close to countries like Tunisia and that the whole area in the Med will be contaminated? I noticed last time I was over when we did coach tours etc that even in the small villages it is almost like they just open their back doors and throw the rubbish in the yard????? Loads of wast and all plastic and cans???? Quite sad really. Tunisia needs BIN MEN!!!!!!!!

Oes -

 

[Gargoyle]

OES, those are raisins, not chocolates.

A friend is visiting from Maui- he told me they banned plastic garbage bags a year or two ago, those bags are illegal now (there are plastic bags for other things, yo just don't get a dozen each time you buy groceries). The result was immediate, the island is MUCH cleaner, the bags used to blow around, collect against fences, etc.; people are very happy with the change.

 

[oesdog]

Hi folks -
Just popping in for a chat!
It is a shame that Tunisia is so bad. I like to have handy plastic bags - they are good for bin liners and especially for Dannys pads, ( His don;t fit in those nice little baby dyper bags you get!) but so many folk don't re-use plastic bags or dispose of them properly and they just dump them. They don;t seem to understand that they take many many years to degrade and often cause problems to farm animals and wildlife as well as being an eyesore! It would be good if someone invented a bag that would degrade - I also think incontinance pads cause so many problems too. In tunisia we were shocked at the number of dirty dumped dypers everywhere? I feel giulty that I still have to use plastic pads for Dan. When my children were babies I always used Terry towling but you simply cannot do that on an adult. I am not sure how they will change what they are at in Tunisia but I hope they do it soon before they drown in garbage!!! I just think how sad that all that trash is ending up in the Med???? How the water round Majorca is so clear I will never know? Tunisia isn;t that far from there.

Anyhow big topic for another day with a very large lattie I think.

I am very tired right now - thought the break would do me good but things are pretty full on here. Dad took a fall of course while I was away. - Told Dh that would happen - he can be quite manipulative. I think it is quite sad really as I am just as accessable in Tunisia as I am here in Ireland to him via the Skype or phone. Even if I was here he couldn't have me anymmore than he does already. He will be fine but life as a single person is going to be hard to adjust to after over 50 yrs of being part of a couple. I was glad I went away for a bit and was able to zone out - recharge and do daft things for a few days. My Dr was very insistant on my need for time out! I guess I am having to be a bit selfish and look after my own health and needs at times! That may involve a significant amount of Coffee and other beverages!

Oes

 

[rngrbill]

Oes. thought you might be interest. This is where I get my incontinence supplies including washable/reusable pads. http://www.allegromedical.com/incontinence-c525/bedpads-and-sheeting-c3659.html hope it helps with Danny.

 

[oesdog]

Oes. thought you might be interest. This is where I get my incontinence supplies including washable/reusable pads. http://www.allegromedical.com/incontinence-c525/bedpads-and-sheeting-c3659.html hope it helps with Danny.

Thanks for that though Dans pads are thankfully provided by the state - so we don;t get a choice in where we get them from or what they are made out of. I just try to dispose of them in as safe a way as possible. I don;t understand parents of small babies who change their kids in parks etc and just dump a dirty nappy on the ground and drive off???? Never could figure that out??? In tunisia it seemed to be "the norm".

Oes

 

[Gargoyle]

A friend is visiting and building an addition to my coop. We wanted a new section for several reasons- an isolation area for new chicks, to quarantine them while letting them and the old girls see and get used to each other, until they are ready to move in together. It can also serve as a possible future chicken hospital/chicken prison if needed; and it gives more area that can be opened to the existing run, to expand their playground.

The existing run is on a concrete pad, I wanted some real dirt with weeds and grass for them to play in, so the new run will add about 70 s.f. of dirt. First is a layer of 11.5 gauge chain link fence, topped with hardware cloth, so no predators can dig up from underground. The concrete footings go down a foot, the the predators need to first dig under that, and then they'll hit the chain link. Most people bury hardware cloth, but I expect the hardware cloth will rust out in a few years. I expect the chain link should last 15 years or more. Plus, it was on sale, same price as hardware cloth! There will be about 5 or 6 inches of dirt over the chain link.

Landscape timbers were also on sale, less than $2 each, so those will forum the bulk of the construction, including a log cabin coop.

I'll either put together a page or start a thread in the coop construction forum, maybe over the weekend, but in the meantime I've uploaded some progress photos, and the album is linked in my signature below.