Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Do you consider Glenlivet, Macallan, Glenfiddich to be proper stuff? If so, it is a lot cheaper to buy it here than to fly across the pond. The comradery would be nice though.

Well, that depends. Most Scotch whiskeys come at different cask times. 10 year old Glenlivet is okay; 12 year old is a bit better. Glenfiddich is pub whiskey. The Macallan 12 year old casked in old sherry casks is nice but a bit expensive.
If I was to pick a decent everyday single malt I would go for Islay Bowmore 12 year old

 

[Perris]

Tax for thread trash: Llyn and Bala among the bluebells

 

[Shadrach]

Warning all : this post has nothing to do with chickens, please bear with me and I will pay tax at the end.
Even though I don't have any COVID to cure I had to have more than a few strong drinks yesterday evening. ("génépi" made from a plant we harvest high in the Alps mountains).

This was due to the fact that yesterday we began demolishing the roof of the two older houses on the property, some of you may remember when I explained we had to secure them as they risked falling down. We hired someone to do the job of rebuilding the wall and the rooves but we're helping with demolition (and also have had to bring all the materials in, as the last 300 meters can not be accessed by car.)

I feel so sad that they will never look like this anymore, but we had no choice, either to put them down or repair with modern materials. The lower house just below is the one we live in, so we couldn't risk them tumbling down.

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A little tax that cheered me up this morning : the bantam couple dustbathing with the Ex-batts. Their relationships are evolving slowly toward more peaceful interactions .
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Let me know when the roofs are done and I'll move in.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

@ManueB - I won't find your posts discussing separating Theo to give the girls a break, but I wanted to share what we do with our cockerel Merle: at breakfast and dinner, he's closed out of the coop so he can redirect his energies when his testosterone is highest. Otherwise he gets too frisky and the girls don't eat well. We did this with Stilton last spring in the mornings, and it worked wonders.

Merle has a food/grit/water station on the outside of the coop adjacent to where the girls eat. After he's finished dancing around the yard, he comes and calmy eats next to them through the wire, which I'm hoping will help reform his crepuscular habits once spring testosterone wanes, the way it did for young Stilty.

 

[Shadrach]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

The temperature is 69 and sunny.

Have a great day!

@Shadrach Please take care of yourself.

Covid can become worse at the drop of a hat.

Be careful.

Good job I don't wear hats then.

 

[Shadrach]

I've signed the Hawaii petition, cheered on allotment coop expansion, wished good health for Shadrach and Agatha and Vanille and Skeksis offspring, ogled ManueB's spectacular view, and so on, all without commenting. So here's tax for lurking: video of Stilton acting like a gentleman at nap time, and photos of the Stilton sandwich that's typical nowadays when he decides to dustbathe.

He's worked hard on his manners as he approaches 2 years old, and the hens have noticed. More than half now groom him.

Best believe no matter how many hens try to push her out of the way, his BFF Miss Ashley still gets the roost to his right every night. That's her in the first dustbath picture wiggling her way under a Langshan to bathe next to him. By day, they aren't always together. The birds all tend to pair off in rotating buddy groups. But Stilton keeps an eye on Ashley. The other morning, a hen pecked her on the head over a bug they found. Stilton stopped what he was doing to trot over and peck that hen on the head--no treading or arguing, just a quick peck in retribution for bothering Ashley. It was funny to see.

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I've found it takes at least 18 months for a rooster to settle down. It's lovely to watch how they behave with their favourite hens when they do settle.

 

[no fly zone]

I try not to have to kill snakes unless they are poisonous. Unfortunately we have copperhead and moccasins here. Both are aggressive.

If they are poisonous, just don't eat them.

And snakes are defensive, not aggressive.

 

[no fly zone]

Got the babies out on the back deck in the kiddie pool. They will be able to get out of this by the weekend though.

 

[bruceha2000]

If I was to pick a decent everyday single malt I would go for Islay Bowmore 12 year old

I don't know if they sell that here, I would have to look at the liquor store (package store for some of you )

We don't buy that cheap 10 year old stuff DW's current bottle is a 12 year old Glenfiddich. I don't remember what we got her mother for Christmas but it was 15 years. And no it wasn't cheap but she's worth that and much more.

 

[no fly zone]

Ok- had to put the babies in the small coop as they can already get out of the kiddie pool. They grow up so fast.