Greetings from Sunny Berks

[Batfink]

Thought I'd finally register and say howdy!

I live on a small holding with my wife and her family. We've presently got... alot of cows (I won't give the number as it'll be inaccurate by the end of the day due to the calving season being well underway!).

We've also got a 1/2 acre garden with several beds, a polytunnel & 2 greenhouses (curtousy of ebay!).

We're all into Sustainability in a big way. We live in a cob house, built from as many local resources as possible - sheeps fleece insultation, most of the wood is sourced from a nearby common etc, etc. We have a diesel generator (which will soon be switching to second hand catering oil (but don't tell Mr Brown ). Our intention is to fit a heat exchanger to the exhaust to help top up our hot water. We've also got a solar panel to heat hot water, with a small PV cell which powers a water pump. Furthermore we've invested in a wind turbine from ebay - although that's not up and running yet!

So that's me - just thought this is such a good resource, it seems a shame not to join!

Cheers

Alex

[ina]

Hi Alex, and welcome to the site!

Sounds like you have passed the -ish state of selfsufficiency already...

How did you use sheep's wool for insulation? That's one thing I'd love to do, too, but I find the stuff you can buy rather on the dear side. Did you "make it yourself", in true Blue Peter tradition? And if so, how???

And, as I'm quite interested in all things that say moo or baa - what kind of cows?

[Muddypause]

You've fitted all that into Berkshire? Strewth, I didn't think there was enough room between all the roads here.

You're a rare person in these parts, so welcome to the forum.

BTW, just to set your mind at ease, Mr. Brown won't mind at all about you using vegoil in a generator. It's only if you evade road fuel duty that he might start to be annoyed.

[Batfink]

Thanks folks. WRT self sufficiency, we're getting there - but are still a long way off! I'd gladly axe my job to continue with it as a permentant "career" alas, I can't see it being feasible just yet!

Wool wise, we've got a few friends who farm baa's on the Berkshire Downs. The mills will only take the white wool, so if a sheep has got a hint of brown/black in it, then the fleece is scrapped - or, in our case, bought from them quite cheap - previously it was simply discarded! I think we paid £20 for a trailer full... around 20 or 30 bin bags - it could be time for you to find a source like that Ina?

We treated it with something (although it's name escapes me!), then just lay it like standard loft insultation. We've also made a sleeve of it to fit around our hot water tank, and stuffed it where ever there is a gap which might let a draft it!

WRT cows, we've got a large selection - all for beef - mostly Hereford at present. However we're making moves to get the same robust cattle, but with more white than brown coverage. The reason behind this is that the cattle graze on the former RAF Greenham Common - now returned to common land. There's a busy road which runs through this and the brown cows regularly come a cropper - despite a 30mph speed limit. 3/4 tonne of cow does a lot of damage to a car - unfortunately the cows often come off quite badly too. We've tried a number of techinques to try and reduce the incidence of this happening - and all have failed, except trying to breed a little bit more "white" into them to increase their visibility!

[hedgewizard]

Have you considered a selective cull of motorists?

[Boots]

Or spraying your cows flouro yellow or pink! Heaven knows you have to give them a chance against these lunatics in cars. (Bike riders and cows of the world unite!)

Ina might be able to make them some bright safety jackets like the council wear... if you ask her nicely.

And there's a guy here called John, who could probably wangle some stack hats out of milk cartons or something. <---Demo cat model

Don't worry mate. She'll be right. You're in good hands here.

[Batfink]

Ina might be able to make them some bright safety jackets like the council wear... if you ask her nicely.

Strange you mention that! The Council, who are responsible for road safety etc, supplied us with some flurescent yellow ankle and collar bands which we then had to pot rivet into place. We thought it'd be a great idea - as did the council who funded it. Unfortunately the cows didn't take to kindly to these fashion accessories and they lasted for all of 3 weeks. The reminents of this "bright idea" can still be found on the common!!!

[Boots]

hmmm.

Ok. We need another plan. *furrows brow*

How a-bout... we make some cows outa recycled chook wire, egg cartons and stuff... BIG PAPER MACHE COWS, and position them at the 30 sign. Right in the middle of the road, cross ways. And at intervals down the middle of the road.

Muddy or Nev could rig up a warning MOO alarm, that on impact yells out something like "You just hit a paper mache cow you big galoot and I have your rego number! Back off buddy and Slow the heck down!"

Could work...maybe.

You could become known as the Cobb and Cow crew... and everyone would slow down because its a tourist attraction.

Blimey, I've gotta to go to bed. Delirious. This is what happens when I sit exams at midnight.

[ina]

Are they polled Herefords? Otherwise, paint the horns with fluorescent stuff... They won't be quite so easy to get rid of as the wristbands.

I remember the 6 weeks I spent in Berkshire 5 years ago - the roads WERE terrible. Although I was staying right out in the country, I felt locked in - you simply couldn't walk anywhere. My only freedom was taking the bus to Newbury on my day off and, well, go shopping... or sit in the pub.

I'd really be interested to know what you treated the wool with - something flame retardent, maybe? I could imagine there are some building regulations for that. So if the back of your mind spits out that memory, I'd be grateful.
I could get plenty of dirt wool - don't know whether they take the coloured stuff here, but there's some of that around, too. Would have to be washed, I suppose. Mmmhh, another project on my wish list.

[Andy Hamilton]

Perhaps I could ask some student friends if they have any diversion signs that were picked up from a drunken night out, or you could use your wings of purest steel and Karate to divert the traffic.

Welcome to the site mate.

[Millymollymandy]

Welcome to the site! I don't have any bright ideas about the cows. In fact I didn't know anyone grazed cows like that on common land!

My brother in law lives in Berkshire and the lasting impression I have of this county is traffic, traffic and more traffic (and good old Slough of course!) .

[Wombat]

G'Day Batfink and wlecome to the site!

Wool is fairly flame retardant anywayso I reckon it is a terrific idea. Using an othwise wasted resource. I suppose you could always spin it too

Nev

[Batfink]

Thanks for the warm welcome folks!

Pretty sure it was Borax - mixed in a relatively thick state then sprayed directly over the wool. The fleeces did require some prep first - chopping of the tatty backside bits with some scissors, spreading the fleeces out to check for any extras "clingons", spraying them, then rolling them up again and transporting them to the loft. Lay them out as normal loft insultation - another quick squirt of Borax for luck and left them alone.

It does of course come with a couple of additional benefits - the lanoline on the fleeces did wonders for the rough skin on my hands! And my scruff clothes - well the front of them - are pretty water proof now!

It's definitely a more sustainable option - although I did see Col Dick & his "not easy being green team" filling their loft with recycled denim jean loft insultation yesterday. I'm sure some sheeps wool & a bag of Borax would be a bit cheaper - even if it's not quite as thermally efficent!