So, here we are.

truth24

Registered User
Oct 13, 2013
5,725
0
North Somerset
What a handsome little one. Can't believe he's 4 months already. Isn't it amazing how the heart expands to love each new addition. My grandson and his partner have just told me they are 'cooking' me a new great grandchild. That will be 6. Wow, that makes me feel my age, but how lovely!

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LadyA

Registered User
Oct 19, 2009
13,730
0
Ireland
Have had a lovely evening yesterday! I invited a couple, very old friends, and really interesting people, for dinner, and dau and darling baby Philip came too as her husband was away overnight. She and baby stayed the night. We had a great time chatting, and Philip charmed everyone! And the meal was even ok!
 

cragmaid

Registered User
Oct 18, 2010
7,936
0
North East England
Just showed my daughter Phillip's photograph because she was talking about a friend's baby having a full head of hair, she thought he was absolutely cuter than cute:D:D......Praise indeed, and not just because her girls were all born as bald as coots !!;);):D:D:D:D
 

LadyA

Registered User
Oct 19, 2009
13,730
0
Ireland
Well, I feel like I have made a little step forward!

I have been without hens for just over a year, since the last lot had to be despatched. They were elderly, not laying, and had got into the habit of egg eating. I've been saying I would get more, but their pen and run needed repairs and I ......just haven't! It was one of those things I just kept putting off. But yesterday, I made a start on the repairs! So, getting more hens is on the horizon. Yesterday's work also was good for me in that it involved getting out the heavy electric drill/driver, because the cordless wasn't strong enough to deal with some screws that needed to be taken out. Fifty meter extension cord, and away with me, and got it done! Yay, me! Hate power tools, which is one of the reasons I haven't done this work! :rolleyes: Then I started fixing the floor where rats had done some tunnelling under the pavers, filled in a few gaps where full paving stones wouldn't fit with some small bricks, and I'm off now to get some more of those to hopfully finish the job. Then a few repairs to the wire, and that should do it. So, hopefully, another couple of weeks, and I should be able to have hens again. It's not economically worth it to me to keep them, but there's nothing like knowing where your eggs came from, and how the hens are kept. And to be honest, taking care of them will give my day some structure. They will have to be fed, watered, and their house kept clean. Let out in the morning, early, and shut in at night. part of me doesn't want that. Doesn't want the bother. But I think it will be very good for me. And of course, very fresh organic eggs can't be beaten! So, I'm off now to get back to work, while the weather holds, as we're promised more showers later!
 

Harlech

Registered User
May 15, 2017
34
0
Not sure I can remember how to post a pic on the lappie, but will have a go. One of the last pics taken of William and I together. Was takin in May, just before he became really ill and was hospitalised for a week with aspiration pneumonia. He never really recovered from that.

LadyA - what a brave lady, the photo of you both is beautiful and shows all the love you have for William. Take your time and be kind to yourself. Someone once said that you "never get over it" but "learn to live with it" as time goes by. I think this is so true.
 

jimbo 111

Registered User
Jan 23, 2009
5,080
0
North Bucks
Well, I feel like I have made a little step forward!

I have been without hens for just over a year, since the last lot had to be despatched. They were elderly, not laying, and had got into the habit of egg eating. I've been saying I would get more, but their pen and run needed repairs and I ......just haven't! It was one of those things I just kept putting off. But yesterday, I made a start on the repairs! So, getting more hens is on the horizon. Yesterday's work also was good for me in that it involved getting out the heavy electric drill/driver, because the cordless wasn't strong enough to deal with some screws that needed to be taken out. Fifty meter extension cord, and away with me, and got it done! Yay, me! Hate power tools, which is one of the reasons I haven't done this work! :rolleyes: Then I started fixing the floor where rats had done some tunnelling under the pavers, filled in a few gaps where full paving stones wouldn't fit with some small bricks, and I'm off now to get some more of those to hopfully finish the job. Then a few repairs to the wire, and that should do it. So, hopefully, another couple of weeks, and I should be able to have hens again. It's not economically worth it to me to keep them, but there's nothing like knowing where your eggs came from, and how the hens are kept. And to be honest, taking care of them will give my day some structure. They will have to be fed, watered, and their house kept clean. Let out in the morning, early, and shut in at night. part of me doesn't want that. Doesn't want the bother. But I think it will be very good for me. And of course, very fresh organic eggs can't be beaten! So, I'm off now to get back to work, while the weather holds, as we're promised more showers later!
Hello Lady A
I feel quite envious
Your description of a days work on repairing your hen run brought back happy memories of helping my grandfather during the war when he kept both laying and
champion chickens (that's now 70+years ago) but I remember it as if it was only yesterday
Please keep me happy with news of your progress , so that I can once more revel in the happy memories of my youth and grandad's 'chickens and rabbits
He was a wonderful lnspiration to me, he bred prize chickens an rabbits .knew the ;latin names of every wild flower ,played the euphonium in a Yorkshire brass band
To the anger of my grandmother smoked a foul smelling pipe full of black twist
"Syth'y our John I want that boy to be a school master not follow in your bad habits
Amazing what recollections I have at this moment because of your chicken run
Please keep it going
Has made my day
jimbo
 

LadyA

Registered User
Oct 19, 2009
13,730
0
Ireland
My daughter was keen to keep rabbits for meat, Jimbo! I have not been so keen! I've never kept a cockerel, so don't breed chicks, I just buy replacement pullets as I need them.
Today I worked on the wire. With the bio security measures that were in place all Winter because of avian flu, I needed to make sure there were no gaps in the mesh of the run where wild birds could get in, in the event that restrictions are put in place again in the Autumn. I'm fortunate enough to have a very large, covered, run with mesh walls, so I can keep my hens under cover, while still allowing them plenty of space.
Cutting lengths from a roll of weldmesh has to be one of the most frustrating jobs, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip-bloomin-snip!! However, that bit of the job is done, and all the wire stapled into place. I'd had enough of it by then, so spent a while digging over another little bit of the veg garden. Weather permitting, when I get home from work and taking mum shopping tomorrow, I plan to get parsnips and beetroot planted. ☺
 

Jinx

Registered User
Mar 13, 2014
2,333
0
Pontypool
Wow! You've been busy LadyA, well done you. There's something comforting about hens. As a kid we had two deep litter houses with upwards of 400 hens, I don't think the novelty of egg collecting ever wore off, but I detested egg washing and grading for the packing station!