My eco solution to rat problems

[Valkyrie]

Well we have been here almost 18 months.  In that time we had our veggie patch fenced off, grew veggies - most were great.  Some didn't do anything and the winds and rain were a constant thorn in our side.  The apples had a rest year and so did the plums, so hoping for a good year if Mother Nature gets her act together and plays nicely instead of throwing a strop.  While the walnut tree wasn't as laden, there was still a nice crop and the squirrels were absent until we'd collected enough, then OH decided it was OK to share from then on.  

We added Muscovy ducks in September and have fingers crossed for eggs soon and we were told February for that.   

The immense amount of potatoes grown were stored in the garage, but the mice have chomped their way through - which is probably helpful seeing as OH was diagnosed as being borderline diabetic so not eating carbs now.  A lot were given to the children and I have the occasional spud, but mostly am trying to follow OH's new regime.  Which altogether isn't a bad thing - we have substituted celeriac which I had grown too many of.  Maybe it was a premonition!  We have field voles.  The little monkeys have been eating the celeariac from the outside down leaving little goblets around the edges.  Still plenty left though!  

Planning was submitted but we need to have an eco survey to make sure we aren't disturbing roosting bats.  The garage and workshop leaks so much that any bat attempting to roost will likely have constant colonic irrigation.  Or blown to smithereens as the roof isn't particularly nailed down that well!  The surveyor first plonked a new barn (to go in the field) right on top of the trees in the corner.  Nope!  Next we had it plonked on the orchard!  ARGHHHH!  So we went and measured ourselves and are filling in the agricultural application at the moment - with our own measurements.  A tad frustrating as we need the barn to house the junk/treasured items!!!  from the garage while the building work is done on the house!  I see no longarm machine in the near future!  Will be lucky if I get one next year! 

On the plus side OH and I went to a smallholding tour at Jack Smellie's place - never realised she wrote for the magazine I read until later.  I'm not the most observant person!  We really liked her set-up with the animals all happily living together.  That's where we acquired the Musvovies - OH loves his duckies!  After that OH is now happy to have alpacas, more so since we lost Goldie to the fox - and a couple of sheep!  I'm considering the longwools - I do like the Dartmoor Greyface and the Devon and Cornwall longwools - seeing as they were bred for this environment!  

I have a fair few wild chickens too - pheasant hens that come up and beg for food - they cheep and I'm powerless to resist!

DS came in early September and mowed paths in the field - he was told to be creative!  We can now see his paths on the new updated Google satellite pictures!  DD got engaged in late September and is getting married in November.  

Apart from the bad weather - we still love it here, the pros outweigh the cons and we know we haven't made a mistake by coming here.  I'm now brainwashing OH for a cat/kitten/puppy (both) but he said no to a rough collie.  We'll see about that!  I think he wants feral cats while I want a lappy catty!  Something to keep me company when he goes off galivanting around the world.  He's already organising a holiday with his cousin in Cape Town!  Oh puppypuppypuppy . . . . guard dog!    So the dreaming never stops!

[Blackrocksrock]

Brilliant update - you are really living the dream and things seem to be falling into place.   Look forward to seeing photos of the alpacas and sheep too once you get them.

Fingers crossed to the building.   You have achieved so much in 18 months

 

[Patricia W]

I’m so pleased it’s all going well.  I’m green with envy.... 

[The Dogmother]

That all sounds lovely Val - M&M and I will have to make a trip down there!

[Valkyrie]

Thank you Blackie and Patricia.

You'll be welcome DM and MM - just ignore the pub carpets!  Actually it is really good quality Brussels weave - it still looks like a pub carpet!    Can't see the dirt though - has it's bonuses!  I'll need a while to spring clean before you come - tis a bit messy!  Not quite sure how, but there are muddy fingerprints on the wall - can only think that was me with my gloves!  Well, it has been christened for sure!

Our friends across the way are lambing in April - DD has bagged the weekend!  I think number one son might like to have a go - I'm hoping she'll take the place on one day.  She has the veggie growing bug and always wanted a menagerie!  I think she'd do fine.  Number one son prefers the wildlife.  

Today we had our first duck egg!  Prime suspect is Daisy who has been nest hunting for some time - although I did put boxes in with lots of straw which turned out to be nasty scary things and none of them wanted to go to bed until I took them out!  Egg found in the doorway!  I do feel sorry for the ducks, they were raised with all sorts of animals and when they want to say hello and be friends with the chickens, the chickens yell and run away.  Same for next door's cat!    On a plus side the chickens are going about in one big flock, which is super for me - I don't worry as much.

[soapdragon]

It sounds wonderful but it's clear that you have both worked like doodah to make it so and I take my hat off to you for that. Very much looking forward to hearing further updates!

Quote

 

Don't know where that quote box came from - doh!

Edited February 10, 2020 by soapdragon
Dimwittedness

[Valkyrie]

Mwah Soapy! 

[The Dogmother]

...... and absolutely NO cleaning up for a visit; I certainly don't stand on ceremony!

[Valkyrie]

🤗

[Minnie&Moose]

You've managed lots of stuff in a short time Valkyrie - I'm impressed - it's taken us longer to do much less.  I love the sound of a road trip - and pub carpets are my favourite!

[Valkyrie]

Well I doubt building work will start this year so if you come this year, you can stroke it as much as you like - er if we haven't worn patches from practicing dance moves!  He's doing a Backstreet Boys number and 5,6,7,8 and I've been doing Saturday Night Fever (Brooklyn Shuffle) with the Time Warp (again and again and again . . .  ) but I have plenty of anti-bac soap and gel afterwards - goodness knows what's in that carpet even if the old Dyson tried to suck the whole thing up from the floorboards!

[Beantree]

As you say Valkyrie, the fact that the pro's outweigh the con's makes it the right decision. Everywhere has con's and we did a careful analysis before we bought this place. Unfortunately we didn't appreciate just how bad the land was, although that wouldn't have stopped us buying it, so our 2 ½ years has been repairing stuff and weeding. Anyone seeing it would wonder what we had done with our time, so no visible progress at all. We've only just arrived at the stage of improvement, with a list of fairly inexpensive projects which should make it a far more problem-free place to live. Our compost heap is now in full production and it shouldn't be long before we have the best grazing around here; we had a 5 year plan which seems to be working.

We have a field vole problem as well; they ate the leeks, carrots and beetroot and we daren't let the dog into the veggie plot as she'd destroy it. If you find out how to catch them please let us know. Our weather isn't that great either, but for different reasons. It does get far too hot and dry meaning nothing can be done outside for months. We're now giving thought to growing next year; our Charlotte and Spunta potatoes won't be repeated.

[Valkyrie]

Well I've seen a kestrel hovering over the veg patch!  Also next door's cat has caught one during the summer - he trotted along with me!  Sadly he doesn't appear when the weather is bad and sometimes he's not around when I do go down the end.  The buzzard likes perching on the power line post so has a good view of any rodents - bunnies preferably but for opportunist moments it's an ideal perch.

It sounds like you are set to romp away now.  A five year plan is good.  But the heat isn't an issue for us!  I don't do very well when it's hot, so anything outside gets done either early in the morning or in the evening.  Or chill out under the shade in the orchard with the chickens - and now the ducks!  The ducks are now exploring their new estate and have been right down the far end of the field before coming back again.  Nice to see them waddling along.

I'm in the process of writing pointers of what I feel we should have done when we first moved in, and if anything needs changing.  Mainly I'm happy with the way it is, but I would have stopped the farmer with his sheep coming because that set us back quite a lot.  I'd also have planted hedging and still someone is sticking their head in the sand and avoiding all progress in that quarter.  I'm getting the paddocks fenced while he's away - or will attempt to!  At the same time I'll get them to reinforce all the fences around - don't want alpacas disappearing over the bank!  I'll also have temporary fencing set back for hedging and trees, plus wildlife plants.  We need to reinforce the bank too as the bunnies have made a tunnel and we can see through to the other side!

One of the cons was rubbish internet.  It's still rubbish and I have no mobile phone signal at all.  But a short while ago we lost phone and internet - so did the rest of the village.  It seemed another village was affected too.  Some fellow was happily trundling along in his tractor trimming the hedges.  He also trimmed the phone lines!  OH had been away and it happened the day he returned, so trying to report the fault was a pain too.  He did manage to get his father via his mobile so he could report it for us.  But as he got a bit confused, OH managed to call BT while hanging out of the window upstairs!  So we waited a couple of days and nothing.  Went down the pub and discovered everyone was out, although the landlord complained to BT that he had 3 lines and needed it repaired for business, so he was sorted the following day.  Except he didn't have all the lines.  BT insisted all were fixed.  So he rang his own number and got a lady in the next village - she phone her number and got someone else!  So all the lines were crossed!  We eventually got ours back some 11 days later!  It was actually quite pleasant - I really got stuck into sorting the sewing room!  Our landlady had a hip replacement just after Christmas and before New Year, so no food down the pub for at least 2 months - I gather she's getting fidgety as she loves cooking! 

So the pub is the source of all sorts of gossip and wonderful food, although each plate is piled high enough to feed an army - and the starters are the same!  

[Valkyrie]

Barn planning update.  After lengthy chats with the surveyor he rang the council to query one of the questions which basically refers to livestock as commercial businesses and the containment and disposal of slurry.  He was unable to speak to the guy advising him, but spoke to someone else who promptly told him the form was wrong and he should be filling in form xyz - his response was that was the very form we completed first and was rejected!  So he emailed the person to clarify what the heck was going on and that we need to be informed better rather than go around in costly circles!  Well it is funny, but frustrating at the same time!

[Ursula123]

Valkyrie which planning department do you fall under?

[Valkyrie]

Good question.  All were submitted at the same time, but were told the barn comes under agricultural dept and should be applied for separately.  So they did.  Now it's come back as wrong and should have been submitted with the normal planning - with the kitchen extension and the replacement of the workshop (but adding an extra half floor) so I think the house is still being worked on - as yet heard nothing on that front.

I'm thinking Exeter CC.