We’ve decided to start letting the hens out for a couple of hours before dark. Their egg-laying has steadily decreased since we stopped them free-ranging; some research indicated that it could be due to decreased variety in their diet. Well it’s not surprising; they have eaten practically all the insects and earthworms which were around in their pen.
We’ve been able to test the shower; obviously I have not yet rendered the walls, but that will be done before long. It’s the first “mains-connected” shower that this property has had! Obviously it’s mainly for summer use; due to the design of the thermal store, if you turn the hot water on full, it travels through the tank far too quickly to pick up much heat, so you have a cool-to-tepid shower. If you settle for a slower flow of water, you can have a very hot shower. It takes a bit of getting used to; one has to alter one’s habits slightly to suit the technology. But it’s no hardship when you remember that the water has been heated free of charge by the sun!