The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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I hadn't used my vision insurance's yearly spectacles allowance, so I popped into the optometrist's and ordered myself a pair of glasses specifically for night driving.

I may be able to venture out after sundown soon.
 
rascal said:
27 to 29 over the weekend deg c that is. Picking raspberries:)

Russ
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It's 27°C here now. Due 29°C but unless those clouds actually turn up I think we'll have the first +30°C of the season. We're due ⛈ (90% chance of 10-20mm rain), but my understanding was that a fundamental requirement were ⛅ and we don't have any. (yep I know it could be later but peak probability was given as midday and we've just passed that...)
 
Got myself a coffee grinder (which I will mostly use to grind spices) and a tea infuser
nc_ohc=CRqm9GpJyrUAX_iLxfA&_nc_ht=scontent.flis8-2.jpg
 
just spent the morning catching and weighing all of our chickens.

every 3 months you're meant to worm your chickens, just like cats & dogs (and all farm animals)... we don't really both any more because we've only once in 5 years seen any worms in their poop. but the girls have a round of upset tums which meant last week was catching and trimming and washing all of them, literally a short back and sides :whistling: and as a precaution, we decided to worm (or should that be de-worm?) them this weekend.
you're meant to not feed them for 24hrs beforehand & 3 hrs after due to it making them sick (as in vomit). we just go with not feeding them overnight, so 12 hrs, removing all food (but not their water) from the chook house and turning off the automatic door so they are kept in. easier to catch...

the pet shop would only let me buy 1 bottle of 100 tablets. I don't like the stuff that goes in their water because they can drink from other sources (which mine do) and wild birds drink from their water, plus it means keeping term in until all water is drunk and if a girl target likes drinking the water, she'll get more than she should etc...

so, its catch, and weigh and then calculate, and force feed x many tablets down the throat of the chook, make sure she swallows each tablet and then release after a quick health check (eyes, ears, break length, toenails and so on)....

great way to work out first thing on a Sunday! 1½hrs to do 17 birds... some of my girls are overweight...

does anyone know how you put a free-range chook on a diet? over ⅓rd of my flock needs to not catch so many bugs, literally, lol
 
argh..... what ?
76552

this is December. This is Australia. Summer has started. we had 28°C last week.

and at 7pm it's only just in double digits...
(this is my personal weather station) . this morning was cold enough at 8.3°C.

76553

rascal this is what my veg&fruit has to put up with!
 
Good news regarding the eldest stepson's situation.

He can stay where he is until January, saving us one extra moving expedition.

And, more importantly: from Dec 10 on we WILL finally have a curator. The final meeting about the care division with the Curator has been held last week. The curator is now officially stepson's legal guardian, making him the first person to be contacted in case any decision regarding stepson must be made. Second in line is his mother, who accepted to become his mentor. Which is ironic as she has not done anything in the past, and is now two days in and already complaining about the amount of work. This while my husband used to do both the curator's and her tasks.
So, my husband is soon free of the weight of 24/7 care that has absorbed most of his free time for the past 20 years. I am really curious to see how he will change in the face of this. I am sure he will become happier for it.

As for stepson, we'll slowly try to get a different bond with him now we're free to visit him as we please without the burden of caregiving.
Currently we're not going because he has headlice and refuses to do anything about it, so we're awaiting a decision made for him where he will be taken care of and de liced. When he's free of the lice we'll visit him.

(I have psoriasis on my scalp under my hair, and extremely thick hair. Having headlice means I would have to shave it all off and live with a headscarf for a long time because my psoriasis is extremely unpleasant to look at. And anti lice shampoo can't be used on the open wounds of my psoriasis. So hopefully we won't get it through his mother either)
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
just spent the morning catching and weighing all of our chickens.

every 3 months you're meant to worm your chickens, just like cats & dogs (and all farm animals)... we don't really both any more because we've only once in 5 years seen any worms in their poop. but the girls have a round of upset tums which meant last week was catching and trimming and washing all of them, literally a short back and sides :whistling: and as a precaution, we decided to worm (or should that be de-worm?) them this weekend.
you're meant to not feed them for 24hrs beforehand & 3 hrs after due to it making them sick (as in vomit). we just go with not feeding them overnight, so 12 hrs, removing all food (but not their water) from the chook house and turning off the automatic door so they are kept in. easier to catch...

the pet shop would only let me buy 1 bottle of 100 tablets. I don't like the stuff that goes in their water because they can drink from other sources (which mine do) and wild birds drink from their water, plus it means keeping term in until all water is drunk and if a girl target likes drinking the water, she'll get more than she should etc...

so, its catch, and weigh and then calculate, and force feed x many tablets down the throat of the chook, make sure she swallows each tablet and then release after a quick health check (eyes, ears, break length, toenails and so on)....

great way to work out first thing on a Sunday! 1½hrs to do 17 birds... some of my girls are overweight...

does anyone know how you put a free-range chook on a diet? over ⅓rd of my flock needs to not catch so many bugs, literally, lol
Click to expand...

Last time I handled a chicken was to lob its head off for a neighbor who hadn't dressed 1 before. Over 20 years ago.

Russ
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
argh..... what ?
View attachment 76552

this is December. This is Australia. Summer has started. we had 28°C last week.

and at 7pm it's only just in double digits...
(this is my personal weather station) . this morning was cold enough at 8.3°C.

View attachment 76553

rascal this is what my veg&fruit has to put up with!
Click to expand...

Same here today after 2 days at 30 deg it turned southerly last night, down to 10 deg here as well. I was actually enjoying the cold I sat outside at 11pm enjoying the rain.
We have similar patterns down under.

Russ
 
rascal said:
Last time I handled a chicken was to lob its head off
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Sadly we had to euthanise one this weekend. Never had a case of fly strike before & seriously don't want one again. Every girl has had to have a "short back & sides" cut to ensure she's clean and reduce the chances of it happening again.

I know our landlord has lost several sheep to it this year already. I guess it's going to bea bad season for it. Wet, damp & humid. (when its not cold, damp & humid that is).
 
It was 80F/27C on Sunday, and only 50F/10C on Tuesday. It was 55F today. It will be back to 80F by the end of the week. This is actually very normal for Texas in the Winter.

CD
 
caseydog said:
It was 80F/27C on Sunday, and only 50F/10C on Tuesday. It was 55F today. It will be back to 80F by the end of the week. This is actually very normal for Texas in the Winter.

CD
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How do you dress for that? I mean, is it shorts and Birkenstocks one day and the jumpers, fleeces and furry lined boots the next?
 
Morning Glory said:
How do you dress for that? I mean, is it shorts and Birkenstocks one day and the jumpers, fleeces and furry lined boots the next?
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same as Australia and the +20 °C difference between start of the day, hottest part, and nightfall.

Layers that can easily be removed and thankfully in Australia at least, socks & sandels are are normal - else its shorts, proper work boots & decent socks.

My approach is a T-shirt and leggings (length dependant on temperature at the time of leaving home), topped off with a strappy dress. (more TR than CD i know but...) dress can be removed when too warm with that combination, traded with T-shirt as life warms up & finally leggings removed when at hottest part of day(no socks by now as well)... put back on as it gets cooler (both socks & leggings), T-shirt swapped with dress and finally dress back on... and there's always a cardigan and sunhat handy.

I just keep stuff handy on the backseat of the car...

At home its easier. You just keep changing... usually 3 options depending on the start of the day.
 
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