Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
The shame of it.......
As one of the volunteers with the British Hen Welfare Trust, I usually help out at the farm with the actual re-homing side of things, but now that I have been allowed to drive again, I have also been helping to collect the ex-battery hens, which lead to my embarrassing Sunday morning.
Chatting away with the others in the car (thought I would start early with the excuse’s), let’s just say I didn’t give the muddy field my full attention and promptly got stuck. That’s fine I thought, I drove myself into this mess, I can reverse myself back out of it, nothing to worry about………
This plan worked fine for a couple of feet, until that was the end of that, still undefeated (only in my own mind, obviously!), it was forward once more, with a change of direction this time, but once more, I was stuck again and there I stayed.
Thankfully, being a farm there was a handy tractor available to rescue idiots that don’t pay attention to what they are driving over and fit road tyres to their Discovery because they are quieter and get an extra nought point something miles per gallon!!
So, the tractor arrives, but she tells me their towrope is out in the delivery van as that got stuck the day before and she was carrying a length of that blue polypropylene rope, now my knowledge of that is limited to finding it nearly impossible to tie a knot in it, but I didn’t feel it was really going to end well trying to pull a Discovery and a trailer.
Thankfully, due to this great site, I remembered I had an unused strap for just such a purpose, although I had assumed, I would be using it to do the recovering, but beggars can’t be choosers, so that was that and we were free!!
The next hour or so was spent loading around 400 chickens between our Redruth group and Liskeard, as they were also there.
Having been amazed to have not fallen over in the mud, it was then time to consider how to get out of the field, this time with 197 chickens literally in tow. Having given it my fullest attention this time, and with the ability to gain a little more speed coming from the other direction, we sailed out, so at least there was some cold comfort.
Perhaps I should now confess to the lowest part of my embarrassing morning, which doesn’t even include letting a chicken escape (it was later caught by more competent members of the team), and what I feel may get me removed from this forum……
It is the fact I have not mentioned the vehicle pulling the Liskeard trailer, was a Nissan X-Trail, which made it into and out of the field unaided……… although technically, I didn’t see it cross the field on the way in, but given there was no tractor present until I arrived, I think we can draw our own conclusions…………
In addition to this, on the drive home from the farm, I seem to have broken my Discovery as well. The steering now seems much heavier (new rack fitted last year), and what I can only describe as having a lumpy feel to it, being part assisted and part not. It is especially noticeable with the self centering, as this seems to have been mostly lost and what there is feels very odd, almost only working in stages.
There were no massive lumps of mud on it, nor did it become grounded, or stuck in ruts, it wasn’t even stuck that deeply and the front recover point was used. The wheels were completely covered in a thin layer of mud, which dried on the drive home, but this has subsequently been washed off, with no improvement and whilst not the best person to be looking underneath any car, there doesn’t appear to be anything out of place and it all looks surprisingly clean (both before and after the wash).
Despite these adventures, my wife and I are now partly responsible for running the Redruth group, so as you can clearly see, they are desperate for volunteers!!
As a final point, I should just add, this particular farm wasn’t a battery farm, and was probably about the best a farm could be, being run by a farmer that never sends any of her girls to slaughter (or just gases them), like many of the farms and she even donates them to the BHWT as well and just as importantly, she can drive a tractor!!Andy
26th Mar 2019 2:15 pm
Oswiperus D3 Decade
Member Since: 02 Apr 2010
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
Posts: 1590
Sounds like you had a fun day!
I suspect the UJ on the lower steering is partially seized. Used to be reasonably price years ago but now quite expensive.
Edit: I searched D3 Parts but I'm certain D4 is the same part.Stu
2016 D4 Landmark current
2022 Defender D300 SE Gone
D4 2014 XS Commercial - Gone
D4 2016 hse lux montalcino red - Gone
D3 2005 se java black - current
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D2 1999 TD5 E white - current
26th Mar 2019 3:49 pm
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Does sound like a good day The yoke was on you and you'll living that down for years to come
But well done you for donating your time to BHWT Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
Luckily even I could see the funny side of it (and usually I’m a miserable so and so), and as no harm was done, other than to my pride I can laugh about it, even if one on my passengers owns a 90 and a 110!
So it was still a good day, even after getting up at 4:30 and not getting home until 17:00 it was nice to do some good for a change.
Thank you so much for that Oswiperus, I shall investigate Andy
A couple of years ago at a very soggy military vehicle show (at which an Army Oshkosh lorry got stuck in the mud) a brand new FFRR came to a halt in the mud. A P38 RR just drove round it and carried on - tyres, tyres & tyres...
Re-homing? In a car? I've seen Chicken Run and it didn't involve 4WD.
Hen welfare? That's a bit sexist: is there a British Cock Welfare Trust and, if so, can I join?
26th Mar 2019 8:54 pm
cable
Member Since: 08 Jul 2012
Location: bristol
Posts: 174
Try giving the UJ joint a good soaking of WD40.
Good work with the fowls.
26th Mar 2019 10:20 pm
Fitzy73
Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
Quote:
Re-homing? In a car? I've seen Chicken Run and it didn't involve 4WD.
Hen welfare? That's a bit sexist: is there a British Cock Welfare Trust and, if so, can I join?
These hens like their creature comforts! Well an Ifor Williams trailer.
As for the Cock Welfare Trust, one of my more humorous colleagues did enquire as to whether I am now a big cock in the chicken world and I’m not overly sure he was joking!
My Michelin tyres certainly didn’t help, but they did get me out unaided
Thanks very much cable, and I shall give that a go, as I could ideally do without spending more money on it just now Andy
26th Mar 2019 10:37 pm
IndusD4
Member Since: 01 Dec 2011
Location: Sydney, NSW
Posts: 308
No need to be embarrassed that an X-Trail could get through, they are the best part of 1,000kg lighter.2016 D4 TDV6 Corris Grey
IIDTool BT
27th Mar 2019 11:20 am
Fitzy73
Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
I’m all for that as an extra excuse, thank you very much Andy
27th Mar 2019 8:00 pm
carbore
Member Since: 06 Apr 2016
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 545
Hello from Camborne. I really need to get some chickens one day, sadly I work away a lot so didn't do it in the past, but now the kids are getting older/more useful......Disco 3: Lotus Elise S1: Ferguson T20: Audi A2
29th Mar 2019 4:29 pm
Fitzy73
Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
Hello carbore, greetings from Redruth.
They are certainly entertaining and great fun to have around, although if you have a beautiful garden, you can forget about keeping that! I’m sure the kids would love them and that is a popular reason for people getting them, as well as the more obvious one of simply rescuing them.
The BHWT website is a good place to start for information, if you do decide to go ahead. Redruth re-homing take place in Carharrack, near the site of the old Carharrack Animals Feed store, usually we have about 9 or 10 re-homings a year, so you should never have to wait too long.Andy
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The yoke was on you and you'll living that down for years to come 
