Archive - Aug 2005

The chickens' new home has arrived. It took a while to put together but they seem pleased with it. They slept on the floor for the first few days but are now roosting on the perch.

Like a number of the posts on this site, this entry is intended to help others seek the information that took me an awful lot of googling to get to. The chickens have been doing black oily droppings that are somewhat pungent in smell. The question of what causes black chicken poo has been posed several times on the web but there are no definitive answers. Usually it appears to be caused by consumption of darkly coloured berries but a hunt around the ground and bushes did not reveal any culprits. The two remaning causes are not good. Firstly that it's a sign of severe malnutrition (seems unlikely). Secondly that it's blood passing through the digestive tract signifying an upper gastrointestinal bleed (melena or melaena). In view of the smell I fear the latter. Neither sound good and the literature suggests they will die within a couple of weeks.

Don't leave the dock without it
When you pack your gear bag, your checklist probably includes the usual gear and emergency equipment, mask, fins, regulator and one of those kits with a few extra o-rings, neoprene patches and regulator mouthpieces. Here are a few extra things that you can throw into your gear bag that will make your dive more comfortable, confident, and safe.

Citrus beverages
When I surface, the first thing I want to do is get the taste of ocean out of my mouth. As much as I appreciate the smell of the sea and the salty air, I'm not so enthusiastic about having it on my tongue. Water is refreshing, but I find that I can drink a few liters of bottled water and still taste the remnants of the sea in my mouth.

This weekend there was a ploughing competition in one of the fields at Rousham. There was an impressive collection of vintage tractors and ploughing machinery. We went out of curiosity with a few friends expecting to stay for a few minutes but ended up being hooked.

Our garden chairs seem to provide a comfy perch!

I thought I'd add a photo of the "parents" of Millie and Katie. There is a flock of 20 or so Barbu D'Uccle bantams that wander around on the lawn of the house at Rousham. They are predominantly Mille Fleur colouring although some are Porcelain and other colouring. Millie and Katie came from the 'clutch' produced by this flock.

Katie & Millie went for their first exploration around the garden today. They edged their way around the pots and the borders using the foliage for cover before eventually boldly strolling out on to the lawn. Katie's tail feathers aren't well developed in contrast to Millie's which seem rounded and are held more upright. Whether Katie is of a younger age I don't know. The other major difference is that Katie has the start of some quite prominent ear feathers ('muff') whereas Millie lacks these.