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Thread: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

  1. Link to Post #81
    Scotland Avalon Member Ewan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Just a little update. There are two pups here now and 10 chickens, 9 pullets, one of which has just started laying, and a handsome rooster just a year old. I felt obliged to name the rooster, not sure why, I'm calling him Hannibal. The dogs are cross spaniel/pointer.

    Three ducks will be arriving next weekend, purchased from a local guy that has thirty of them!

    Lots of seeds planted and an early tomato that we started indoors but is now transplanted to the polytunnel is showing small fruits already!


    The Boss, Hannibal.


    He's always watching over them.


    The pups are sisters and have been named Brownie and Scamp

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    Belgium Avalon Member Johan (Keyholder)'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Congrats on the progress you have made the past year Ewan!
    It is impressive and it can be an example, for all of us.

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  5. Link to Post #83
    Scotland Avalon Member Ewan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Quote Posted by Johan (Keyholder) (here)
    Congrats on the progress you have made the past year Ewan!
    It is impressive and it can be an example, for all of us.
    Believe me I really have not done that much. If I was ten years younger and twenty years fitter there would have been a lot more accomplished. (8 months tomorrow since moving in ).

    But thank you sincerely for the encouraging praise.

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    United States Avalon Member wondering's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Ewan, I have been oblivious to this thread until today. Wow, I am so happy for you but also awed by the amount of work it must take...beautiful land, gorgeous animals and the tunnel is so impressive. I can almost smell the morning air. Many blessings on your new home and the many years ahead. thanks for sharing your new lifestyle!

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    Vanuatu On Sabbatical
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Quote Posted by Ewan (here)
    Old fireplace removed and rebuilt, it was a pretty ugly thing.
    I went for a fresh but still rustic look.


    The Original Fireplace


    Fireplace Removal


    Nearly There


    Rebuild Begins


    New Fireplace


    All Done

    Looking great.

    Did you do the fireplace yourself?

    Cheers,
    Szymon

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    Scotland Avalon Member Ewan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Quote Posted by Szymon (here)


    Looking great.

    Did you do the fireplace yourself?

    Cheers,
    Szymon
    Thank you.
    Everything but fitting the stove.

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  13. Link to Post #87
    Scotland Avalon Member Ewan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Sadder update.

    Of the nine egg-layers there are only 3 left. Cutting a long story short it appears to have been a weasel with the first three kills. Judging by the puncture marks in the neck the front canines were less half an inch apart. Every local had their own theory and each appeared adamant, it was a pine marten, a ferret, a mink, a fox. Nobody initially came up with weasel, but the farmer (72) that lives but 200m away on the opposite side of the road suggested weasel as soon as he heard about it. That very afternoon I saw one darting from overgrown cover across an open space to more cover. The youngest also saw him/her but didn't know what it was.

    I borrowed a catch and release trap (ferret/mink size) and baited it, four days with no success. Fifth day I moved it to a new location and put a chicken wing, (supermarket bought), in as bait. Next day the bait was gone and the trap hadn't fired. Whatever took it was either too light for the trigger or too crafty - or simply hopped over it.

    Desperation measures called for I went and got two rat traps. They are viscious contraptions and I wasn't exactly happy about using them but it seemed to be a 'needs must' situation. Given that the dogs could trigger them I placed them on top of an old stone wall at the edge of the property underneath some low branches. (Hoping I didn't catch a crow or a magpie, wouldn't be a chicken as they are now inside a chicken wire enclosure and limited to a small run). Early that evening I cautiously approached a point where I knew I could see the trap - lo and behold an immature rat happily feeding on chicken from the side of the trap where it was in no danger of touching the trigger. I decided to give up at this point.

    Since I had caged the hens there had been no more kills anyway, all the deaths had occurred with hens finding places to lay out, (ie: not in the coop). One week fast forward and one morning three dead chickens and this time there was no doubt who the culprit was. The little brown dog aka 'Brownie'. She had wriggled under a portion of the fence. That was just yesterday. Dogs are now chained up on the back porch. Chickens are penned in. Freedoms gone for both.

    Everyone in lockdown.

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  15. Link to Post #88
    Australia Moderator Harmony's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    It's so difficult when these kind of things happen, and love both parties of such an unfortunate event. I hope you can find a solution Ewan, maybe a good strong mobile chicken run?

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    Avalon Member norman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Geese are a lot hardier than hens. They stick up for themselves very well.

    A broody hen will sit on and hatch a (fertile)Goose egg or two, if you are lucky enough to have both available at the same time.
    ..................................................my first language is TYPO..............................................

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    UK Avalon Member Matthew's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    I live in suburbia and I don't know about things like chickens. But I heard some dogs can be good chicken guards with training.


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    Great Britain Avalon Member Mari's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Geese can make excellent 'guard dogs', that's quite well known. I knew someone who lived in Wales who had a couple of ferocious pet turkeys - there was no way of getting past them when they were on duty.

    Geese can be trained to guard livestock:


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  23. Link to Post #92
    Scotland Avalon Member Ewan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pooling resources and knowledge: An alternative escape. UK.

    Everything going well here in waterlogged Ireland. It has been a wet summer and well into a wet autumn. Not ideal growing conditions, especially for the farmers and turf bogs so prevalent here in this region.

    The potatoes flourished outside, as did the outdoor onions. Weather apparently good for them.

    Meanwhile, inside the polytunnel. Two crops already harvested of cherry tomatoes, onions, and verious salad plants. Still growing are zuchinni/courgette, cabbage, beefsteak tomatoe and various Thia Herb such as Basil and Lemongrass - also some ginger just coming on nicely.




    The first bed built.



    A more expansive view.



    Mostly Thai Herbs, some others.




    Over a three inch diameter on these hefty fruits.





    Self explanatory

    --------------------------------
    --------------------------------

    Now, on the subject of Zuchinni/Courgettes. Learn the hard way, learn for life. I don't know if this would apply to outdoor grown plants in sunnier climes but inside the polytunnel in this high humidity year I lost quite a lot of veg to some kind of mould. I discovered that if I did not pinch of the flower as it started to wilt it would cling to the end of the fruit and go rotten. That rot spread to the fruit itself causing the mould.




    Full Flower



    This is the point to pinch the flower off, actually earlier if possible.



    A young fruit just about to blossom.



    The result. That bread knife has a 9" blade!

    If you want to see a larger image here is link to gallery.

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