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Poultry & Waterfowl / Re: Goslings and danger from predatory birds
« Last post by JFW67 on June 15, 2026, 06:57:00 pm »Thanks Rupert.
Recent Posts
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Wildlife / Re: Swallows 2026
« Last post by chrismahon on June 15, 2026, 08:46:24 am »Against my better judgement we allowed a pair to nest in the garage this year, for the first time. Counted 4 eggs but they had 6 chicks which are rapidly reaching fledging time. The sky is full of them at the moment- parents with young, so the adults in the garage are struggling to catch enough to feed theirs.
The garage has an uninsulated steel roof. To stop the chicks from frying with the heat from the panels (have measured 56C) I went up with planks to protect the area over the nest from direct sunlight. Seems to have worked, although they still overheat in the afternoon.
Hopefully they will have gone in a week and I can go back to working in there. It's the arc welding is the biggest problem, but the adults get very agitated if we just walk in to fetch gardening tools.
The garage has an uninsulated steel roof. To stop the chicks from frying with the heat from the panels (have measured 56C) I went up with planks to protect the area over the nest from direct sunlight. Seems to have worked, although they still overheat in the afternoon.
Hopefully they will have gone in a week and I can go back to working in there. It's the arc welding is the biggest problem, but the adults get very agitated if we just walk in to fetch gardening tools.
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Poultry & Waterfowl / Re: 14 years and five months
« Last post by chrismahon on June 15, 2026, 08:38:54 am »A good age that and testament the the environment and care she was kept in and given. Oldest we've had was just over 12; one of our Wyandottes brought over from England. We had Dutch neighbours who bought bantams with them they had hatched there and the last died at over 16, which at the time we believed was a record. She had a deformed beak which prevented her from picking up pellets so she was hand fed dog food!
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Wildlife / Re: Swallows 2026
« Last post by Rupert the bear on June 14, 2026, 05:07:17 pm »We have chicks !
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Poultry & Waterfowl / Re: 14 years and five months
« Last post by Rosemary on June 14, 2026, 10:19:51 am »That's pretty remarkable. The oldest hen we ever had was Blossom, a wee broon hybrid, who got to eight.
What a lovely life she had
What a lovely life she had
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Poultry & Waterfowl / 14 years and five months
« Last post by Rupert the bear on June 13, 2026, 09:08:07 pm »I know its a fact of life that they die at some time. This morning I let the birds out for breakfast , all present and correct , collect eggs all normal apart from our black and white bantam, she is out and eating and amenable to a tickle. I go back two hours later for the late layers eggs and find her head under wing in the nesting box passed away.
Looking back in the register She was the oldest bird We incubated , She hatched 11th January 2012, The last one of her brood died over a year ago.
Looking back in the register She was the oldest bird We incubated , She hatched 11th January 2012, The last one of her brood died over a year ago.
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Poultry & Waterfowl / Re: Goslings and danger from predatory birds
« Last post by Rupert the bear on June 13, 2026, 08:57:27 pm »Difficult to answer, have lost full size birds to buzards th thing we did was make reguges out of a yard square boards on foot high legs that they can get under, I have seen them used a few times , but it depends how many and how quickly they get to them .
I used to bemoan covids that would steal the poultry food* and occasional egg , but they will mob and see of birds of prey.
* Now the ducks and chickens are fed under supervision and left over goat pellets / feed used a decoy feed
I used to bemoan covids that would steal the poultry food* and occasional egg , but they will mob and see of birds of prey.
* Now the ducks and chickens are fed under supervision and left over goat pellets / feed used a decoy feed
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Poultry & Waterfowl / Goslings and danger from predatory birds
« Last post by JFW67 on June 12, 2026, 12:11:57 pm »I’ve eight goslings at 3 1/2 weeks old.
They are getting big for the enclosed run I have, previously used for hen chicks, and I’m wondering at what age they become safe from bird attack.
Buzzards are our local predator in the sky.
Our chickens free range and we’ve never lost any to sky predators.
John.
They are getting big for the enclosed run I have, previously used for hen chicks, and I’m wondering at what age they become safe from bird attack.
Buzzards are our local predator in the sky.
Our chickens free range and we’ve never lost any to sky predators.
John.
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Coffee Lounge / Re: Homemade washing powder/liquid?
« Last post by Lesley Silvester on June 11, 2026, 10:17:30 pm »Have a look on https://www.ouroilyhouse.com/ You'll find some great recipes for all sorts of useful things.
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Marketplace / F.S. Courturnix Quail (Scottish Borders)
« Last post by shankendfarming on June 11, 2026, 09:30:28 pm »Courturnix quail.
15 available
Hens and roos
Laying well .
Hawick
PM for more information
15 available
Hens and roos
Laying well .
Hawick
PM for more information