Where has everyone gone?

[valeriebutterley]

Hello everyone, hope you are all well, still frozen here, are you all still covered in frost and ice?

My girls still seem to be doing well and just dying to be free, won't be too long now before they are.

In this corner of the world I don't think I have ever seen it so frozen and bitterly cold for so long without a break, frozen drinkers for well over a week now, not just the odd day. I have given them loads of treats as I think they deserve a few treats.

I'm usually pretty frugal with my own heating, but decided that was not too comfortable, and upped it, I am dreading my gas bill now.

 

[Marigold]

Our central heating broke down last Wednesday. Local firm overwhelmed with breakdowns, couldn't get to us until Thurs. teatime. He then diagnosed a faulty flame sensor, whatever that is, which was out of stock and we're still waiting for the completion of the job - and the bill. However, not too bad as he did get it going, though it sounds a bit noisy, our fingers are crossed. Meanwhile we do have a gas fire in the living room and an electric heater where else it was needed, but one forgets how quickly everything cools right down with heating off. In the 1940s i grew up in a house with one coal fire in the living room, which took ages to be lit and get warm in the morning, and no heating at all in the bedrooms or bathroom. i remember vowing to myself "When i grow up and become RICH, Im going to have a WARM BATHROOM!" Lovely frost patterns win the bedroom windows, though, and when I was ill, my Mum would light a small fire in the little grate in the bedroom. I remember the lovely patterns it made, glowing through the shadows of the fireguard on the ceiling. Do keep warm, Val, its not worth getting cold and risking your health.
I agree about the drinkers - it was -6.5C here this morning so as usual I set out with coat over dressing gown, plus hat and gloves, carrying spare drinker with liquid water. The white leghorn always seems to be up and about at 7.00, when none of the others are moving out of the coop. I wonder if she actually sleeps up on the high perch I made for her when she was being bullied as a youngster? I keep forgetting to go down after dark to check. Laying every day, though, so its her choice!
Also this week our car started flashing warning lights about the automatic brake stabilisation system, so we abandoned our journey (luckily not an urgent one) and took it in for a couple of days in intensive care - its now recovered, plus new brake pads whilst they were operating, to the tune of £820. It also had a complete set of new tyres at its MOT in November, so we hope its OK for a while. Probably getting to the age where things begin to go wrong, like me. Still, better all that than a visit to A&E at the moment!

 

[valeriebutterley]

Like me too, Marigold. Bits are not quite falling off, but sometimes I feel a bump start might be good.
My car is now nearly 17, and how much longer can it go on for?, a VW Polo, mine from day 1, and still looking quite good. It is a 1.4 petrol, so has a fair turn of speed - wish I could say the same for myself!

My girls are laying well quite well again, but some of them are now quite old ladies, and my beautiful dark Cornish game only lays a handful of eggs a year anyway, and I have 1 totally retired girl.

Hope your boiler stays fixed. I not only have the oldest car on the road, but my boiler is nearly 43, serviced every year.

 

[ColinB]

It's a bit nippy here in Powys, too. The log burner gets lit nice'n'early, the kettle goes on regularly and I swap out the girls' drinker every hour or so to keep the water unfrozen. They don't seem too bothered by their captivity and are all laying well.

However, my 15 year-old Transit van has just failed its MoT and some welding and work is required. I foresee a bill for several hundred pounds, but I've had it 12 years and it's been pretty good so far. If I can get it to 2020 I'll consider it's done its work.

Keep warm everyone.

 

[chrismahon]

Been very cold down here as well- all of France was hit by an 'arctic cold wave' they called it. Had a week of nights around -6C, with the worst at -9C. Just scraped into +2C during the days. Consequently we've had Jean-Claude, our TNN cock in at night because he seems to be developing a heart condition so his circulation isn't what it was. The two sets of Leghorn bantams were in cages inside as well, so as you can imagine the noise in the morning was bad -we have few doors in this place.

Now the noise has started outside, with several hens just coming into lay- the weather has improved quite a bit over the weekend.

Got problems with my van as well Colin. It's an 04 vauxhall Vivaro and the handbrake is sticking AGAIN. Got to get it fixed for the MOT in May and then get back here quickly because we need to start loading up to move.

Our only heating is a log burner but we've switched to compressed wood brickettes. They give out far more heat and are delivered in boxes stacked by the fire, so no cutting, splitting, moving and stacking required.

We have 15 drinkers that need to be emptied at night and filled next day and kept unfrozen, so a lot of work this time of year.

Good luck with your boiler Marigold. One thing we really miss is central heating. Fortunately our new house has it and quite a luxury it will be after 5 years keeping a wood burner going.

 

[Marigold]

Hi Val, like you, we had a very old boiler, over 35 years old, but we changed it 9 years ago for a modern condensing boiler, which has never given us any trouble apart from the one problem with the sensor last week. In the first year it saved us 30% on our gas bill compared with the previous boiler, besides coming with a much more flexible controller, enabling us to program better for usage. Also of course, its very much less polluting the the older technology. Nowadays, I believe they're even more efficient. If and when you can manage it, I would recommend changing your old boiler - I'm sure ours paid for itself within a very short time.

 

[dinosaw]

Thuringians, Game and Ko are all roosting up high in the run while the big birds prefer the houses, big softies that they are. Was the coldest day in ages here because of the wind, the car was still showing -2 at 11.30am. Have had three combi boilers and although very efficient they tend to start playing up after about 3-4 years at which point I have found that British Gas service agreement has paid for itself each time.

 

[rick]

Fed up with the cold and confinement, Blaze decided to throw caution to the wind...
and moult her eyebrows.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Morning Rick,

Hens do do quaint and unexpected things, don't they? My last years Croad Girl, Juno, has made a sudden and totally unexpected friendship with Indi, my Cornish game, if she cannot see her, she dashes around until she finds her, not too hard a job, and gives a little cluck of welcome. I think poor Indi finds this all a bit much, she is a very self contained hen, very much her own woman, not aggressive, just a bit of a loner. They have known each other all their lives, and this getting together was Juno's idea!

 

[rick]

Hi Valerie,
Blaze is a bit like that - just likes standing apart from the others in a way that you would assume that she was off colour if you didn’t know her.