Spring jobs

[worms]

Spring? Up here in Narnia we've still got snow on the ground...

Yes, last night I needed to use a five foot pry bar to free a bag of sand which had frozen solid to a concrete slab. The sand didn't thaw overnight in the house and I now have it thawing by the Rayburn to use later...

 

[JoceAndChris]

The snowdrops are looking good though.

Such beautiful pictures, I didn't realise you had water on your property. :mrgreen: Winter aconite too? We have it here as well, so cheery. I heard tell that the Wild Flower Association have forecast an excellent Spring for flowers, with many things blooming together that would not normally do so because of the late start.

Ilona - I did enjoy Lewis and Wood, and your caligraphy wallpaper. I think you've had a lucky escape. He could have insisted on this:

I can't believe they painted your mullions. Murderers.

Pford, well done on all your painting, can't wait to see it all when it's complete. And do tell us all about Toby and how he does your floor!!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Spring? Up here in Narnia we've still got snow on the ground...

Yes, last night I needed to use a five foot pry bar to free a bag of sand which had frozen solid to a concrete slab. The sand didn't thaw overnight in the house and I now have it thawing by the Rayburn to use later...

Serve you right for living in the frozen North. Just kidding - bet it's beautiful up there.

 

[Flyfisher]

Rats, however, have become a large and time consuming problem here,

I wonder if your chooks could be encouraged to deal with the rats themselves: http://news.bbc.co.uk./1/hi/england/8548564.stm?ls

 

[essexbearhunter]

* With the imminent demise of Peerless in Dec 2008 Hayter did announce a hydrostatic (automatic rather than manual gearbox) version. Hydrostat versions normally have a price-premium of £100 - £150 because they remove the need to stop & select a new gear (there is no synchro-mesh on most lawnmower transmissions). However, this version (134E) was only listed for 2009 and neither Hayters nor Briggs & Stratton give a part number -or any other info - for the hydrostat box...so probably better avoid that version.

UPDATE 4/3/2010:
The Dealer area of the Hayter website is as out of date as the public area.
Hayter are currently shipping only hydrostat versions of the M10/30 and ONLY hydrostats.

Whilst Peerless (the manufacturer of the manual gearbox) is alive and well, it is currently supplying only Spare Parts rather than complete gearboxes/transaxles. Until that changes it is unlikely that the manual version will reappear.

Current list price is £1,428.89 inc VAT

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Pford, take note of the 3 websites re dining tables . My PM's are slow to leave my outbox, but i have replied to you.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks essexbearhunter for the update!

I wonder if your chooks could be encouraged to deal with the rats themselves: http://news.bbc.co.uk./1/hi/england/8548564.stm?ls

Oh, what a wonderful story, and a wonderful bird. Some cocks are extremely aggressive, I can believe it could happen. The Old English Game Bird has a fearsome reputation. My breeder has had to eat a few that were too dangerous to be around. However, the Orpington is a gentle giant - Harrowby is too laid back for such fighting, bullied in fact. Polly Peachum has pecked a hole in his comb. He lets me rub antiseptic cream on it every night, the sweetie.

Last night this big pair of rat ears kept appearing above the hole, and then disappearing when I approached, as if it was taunting me! I'm going to shut the chickens away, excavate under the shed, lay poison throughout the tunnels, and dig the earth back over.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Last night this big pair of rat ears kept appearing above the hole, and then disappearing when I approached, as if it was taunting me! I'm going to shut the chickens away, excavate under the shed, lay poison throughout the tunnels, and dig the earth back over.

Joce - I've told you many a-time in Another Place that you need to deal with these rodents through the use of high explosives. Please see FlyFisher at the end of class for surplus supplies of saltpetre and sulphur.

Oh, and before you light the fuse, please make sure your smoke alarm is working. You have got a smoke alarm, haven't you?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Look, I like a nice big explosion as much as anyone but

1) It would be a pain to blow up the chicken shed
2) It would be unfortunate if the explosion hit the adjoining garage
3) I'm not sure dynamite is allowed when the land borders a public footpath

And, yes, I have ONE smoke alarm, balanced on a light fitting.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Oooh that is one more than me then. I took the batteries out of ours about 12 years ago.

 

[Flyfisher]

Last night this big pair of rat ears kept appearing above the hole, and then disappearing when I approached, as if it was taunting me!

Have you thought about taunting it back with an air-rifle?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Sooo tempting, but wouldn't the pellets go through the hen-house?

 

[worms]

Sooo tempting, but wouldn't the pellets go through the hen-house?

only if you missed!

Actually, I seem to recall that back in March last year you had a better offer:

Dad says if I keep a ferret he will show me his old Gloucestershire tricks

Ferrets are good for rats, too!

 

[Flyfisher]

Exactly!

But seriously, it's good to think about where the pellet might go if you miss. Shooting towards a footpath is not a good idea for that very reason. Shooting downwards from a slightly elevated position is generally a good idea if possible. Missed shots then tend to go into the ground, although be wary of richochets.

Also, try a test shot at a piece of wood of the same type/thickness as the hen-house to see what will happen. It may or may not go through, depending on the type of pellet, range and power of the rifle.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Look, I like a nice big explosion as much as anyone but

1) It would be a pain to blow up the chicken shed
2) It would be unfortunate if the explosion hit the adjoining garage
3) I'm not sure dynamite is allowed when the land borders a public footpath

And, yes, I have ONE smoke alarm, balanced on a light fitting.

Fantastic news Joce. We'll all sleep more easily tonight. Can I just check though is it functional???

Oooh that is one more than me then. I took the batteries out of ours about 12 years ago.

EEEK! Carole. Please fit the battery back in ! PLEASE.

 

[JoceAndChris]

You are all so sweet.

Worms- what a memory - my Dad did offer ferret training, but I've heard a fair number of horror stories on the chicken forum about people's rat -eating ferrets killing their hens, and too many stories of rat-eating dogs springing on chickens as well - and who could forget Sredni Vashtar? http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/sk-vashtar.html - the most sinister of all ferrets!

FF, thanks for the shooting advice, like much that I do, enthusiasm and vigour is let down by accuracy - I couldn't trust myself. Chris is a great shot though. In summer we'll sit out there with beer and shoot rats.

 

[worms]

I know we have strayed onto this topic in the past but if you really want to understand rats, you should read this book: "Rats, Mice and People: Rodent Biology and Management" available to download for free from here: http://www.aciar.gov.au/publication/MN096

In particular, the papers on neophobic behaviour (p 155) and dispersal (p165) (both from download chapter 2) give such an insight into why we can never really beat rat biology.

Ok, I'll take the anorak off now!

 

[jocelyn plummer]

There is some excellent advice in this weeks Field Magazine. Check out the front cover.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Ok will do Robin.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Back to rats.

Joce - I told you blowing up the buggers was the answer:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8549681.stm

:lol: :lol: :lol: