My eco solution to rat problems

[Stevie]

I haven't visited the forum for few years due to having a few personal hiccups so i thought i'd reintroduce myself since im collecting 3 hens this Saturday and can unload on you all.

Bit of history:

In 2019 i suffered atleast four strokes at 49 years old (but they wont tell me exactly how many) . I dont smoke, not overweight, wasn't stressed about anything but one negative is strokes run in my family-both sides. As one doc said "unfortunately you were destined to suffer a stroke at some point in your life". I always knew i was prone after some doc on daytime tv in the late 90's recommending taking aspirin every day if your family has history of heart attack & strokes-so i did just that. Fat lot of good it did me! 😄

Seeing a CT scan of your brain isn't nice. Strokes show up as white dots and there were many. On the night of question in hospital, they stuck a defibrillator next to me as my blood pressure went so high i was going to either have a heart attack or more strokes. I was kept in for several days till they could stabilise me and thats boring. I hate hospital.

Anyway, its left me with a number of issues. My short term memory is dire but my long term is fine and untouched. I now have a stutter and slur when speaking to the point you'd think i had been drinking, it constantly feels like i have a 3hr old dentist anaesthetic on left side of mouth. Strength on left side is diminished but i limp on right side. Im now almost deaf on left side, my hands dont work as they should so typing takes an age. My drivers licence was suspended for 4 weeks till i recovered enough and i also had to fight to get my firearms licence renewed.

Due to the meds i take, my tolerance to alcohol is tiny-3 pints max and i've had it but looking on the positive im a cheap date.🍺

In a twist of fate, my previous hens all died of old age during the time i took off work for recovery so but im getting three ex-layers on Saturday so the Eglu is finally coming out of retirement. 

This post isn't for sympathy. Just getting few things off my chest.

[HarrisonFamily]

Sounds like you have had a tough few years - I really hope your new girls settle in quickly and help on your road to recovery - I am not on any medication and cannot drink 3 pints so even a cheaper date 🤣

[Daphne]

If I had 3 pints I'd be asleep!

Welcome back, you've been through a very tough time, it must have been super difficult for you, so well done on coming out the other side and good luck on the next stage.  The forum is super quiet, I think many people have migrated to FB or elsewhere.

I no longer have any chooks as I moved abroad, and it took a long time to get over not having them, but I am now happy to dip in and out of other people's chicken stories and help if I can.  I think getting some more girls will be a great thing for you, they provide such a focal point for enjoyment as well as any eggs.  Good luck with them!

 

[Beantree]

Sounds like you've had a tough draw @Stevie, but I'm sure more chickens will give you some positive focus. As Daphne says, it's very quiet here now, but pleasant. I personally won't be doing Facebook.

Like the others, 3 pints of beer would be far too much for me. It's not the alcohol content, but the volume of heavy fizzy liquid. Now 3 pints of white wine would be a different matter.

You are fortunate to get your firearms licence back, although I don't see why you shouldn't in the UK. Here you need a Doctor's signature and official stamp on your clay pigeon shooting licence every year (€65 with obligatory insurance). I've just changed my Doctor and the new lad is sending me jumping through hoops to get it. 3 days of blood pressure monitoring (machine was €34), a full fasting blood test (for everything) and then an eyesight test. I had my blood test today and collect the results tomorrow; hope they are OK. Then another appointment for his analysis as to wether or not I am fit to shoot. To make it worse he has a French dialect I really struggle to understand, which of course annoys him because he has to repeat everything. Apart from some long lasting side effects from the 3rd Covid jab (Moderna), I think I'm OK?

[Daphne]

I sincerely hope so BT.  I know you have to pass a medical every year in France if you belong to a running club or cycling club for example.  I have to have a medical every 5 years to renew my driving licence over the age of 50 I think.  The first time it consisted of a conversation along the lines of height/weight/do you wear glasses (no checking) and a BP test.  I had another one recently, an online consultation, which was the same Qs plus an eyesight test with me one end of the dining table and the computer at the other, with no BP checking!  

My OH developed high BP, very unexpectedly a couple of years ago, coupled with DVT, we still have no idea if one caused the other or not.  He was completely not in the usual demographic for DVT, young and fit as a regular cyclist, and no flights taken, and after a couple of years of treatment it has disappeared to the extent scans now show his bad leg is indistinguishable for his good leg.  However, the fact that something happened completely out of the blue I guess shows none of us can take things for granted.  My OH has a regular cholesterol check as well because of the DVT.  Last time the results showed he was high, this was at the pharmacy.  He couldn't understand it as he had lost weight and was on a very healthy diet over the long term because of the DVT.  He got it rechecked at a proper lab, and it showed he was better than normal, so just be aware these things aren't always gospel.  I think they have the proper analytical labs in France as well?

 

[Beantree]

Well i collected the blood test results from the laboratory and searched for the ones underlined @Daphne, because they are the ones outside 'normal' limits. So I could be becoming diabetic, I might be developing kidney problems and the same for the liver. So putting it all into context I looked at the results from a re-test of 2019 (the first one wasn't good) which my last doctor said were OK. Todays results are miles better in all respects, so on that basis I am healthier now than 4 years ago, despite the Moderna side effects. Cholesterol is fine, so all this red meat and butter is fine for me, well us actually, because we both eat the same and we've both had the same test. Just need to book an appointment with the Doctor now and get my 'ball trap' licence signed, the whole point of going to him in the first place, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.

[Stevie]

On 4/20/2023 at 7:05 PM, Beantree said:

Sounds like you've had a tough draw @Stevie, but I'm sure more chickens will give you some positive focus. As Daphne says, it's very quiet here now, but pleasant. I personally won't be doing Facebook.

Like the others, 3 pints of beer would be far too much for me. It's not the alcohol content, but the volume of heavy fizzy liquid. Now 3 pints of white wine would be a different matter.

You are fortunate to get your firearms licence back, although I don't see why firearms shouldn't in the UK. Here you need a Doctor's signature and official stamp on your clay pigeon shooting licence every year (€65 with obligatory insurance). I've just changed my Doctor and the new lad is sending me jumping through hoops to get it. 3 days of blood pressure monitoring (machine was €34), a full fasting blood test (for everything) and then an eyesight test. I had my blood test today and collect the results tomorrow; hope they are OK. Then another appointment for his analysis as to wether or not I am fit to shoot. To make it worse he has a French dialect I really struggle to understand, which of course annoys him because he has to repeat everything. Apart from some long lasting side effects from the 3rd Covid jab (Moderna), I think I'm OK?

I do understand why they questioned my suitability to continue owning firearms. For 10 years i worked for my local gun club on the committee doing admin stuff so im aware of much stuff which many wouldn't ever see. Strokes can sometimes change a personality-for worse. Often, people have depression/mental health issues after suffering a stroke and that isnt a good combination with guns. Fortunately, i've always lived with the half glass full motto so apart from the limping,reduced strength, brain farts etc i got off lightly.

Anyway,i collected three ex-batts today and they're settling in ok. They're a bit bald as you'd expect but they're drinking, eating dandelion leaves and having a good scratch.

[Luvachicken]

I'm sure your chickens will help you feel better @Stevie.

They are a great source of entertainment and relaxation - unless they are making a racket like mine do.

I wouldn't be able to drink 3 pints either - I'd need a wee after the first one 

[Stevie]

On 4/24/2023 at 6:25 PM, Luvachicken said:

 

I wouldn't be able to drink 3 pints either - I'd need a wee after the first one 

My bladder is also being investigated too. I miss my yoof and being able to sink pint after pint and only have a hangover to deal with.😄

[Ursula123]

I could drink 3 pints of cider but that’s growing up in the West Country for you.

Thanks for the insight into ball-trap ( clay pigeon ) beantree it was something I was going to look into this year as there is one held in my valley however not sure Dr would pass me fit as I fell 8 weeks ago and broke the top of my arm and I’m still in a sling. Due another X-ray this afternoon as my physio sent 100% sure it’s healed.

[Beantree]

You can get all the info on the FFBT web site @Ursula123. Not to be confused with the FFT who just cover all the Olympic shooting disciplines. Annoyingly for me, France covers trap far more than sporting, so the opposite to UK. Something that didn't occur to me is there not being French equivalents to English Skeet and English Sporting, so no introduction level. They do have DTL though as a starter for Universal Trench, which is the majority of clay shooting in France.

New regulations have come into force for shotgun owners, in fact all firearm holders. Basically a brand new registration system to try and tackle the huge number of unregistered ones. Despite mine being registered with the local authority, in September I must register it with the National system. Haven't bothered to find more details yet.