flowerbug
Garden Master
Shame my mother didn't teach me planting :/ now im total amateur
Best wishes ! to U and ur family !
we all started the same.
AMKuska's 2019 Garden Thread
- Thread starter AMKuska
- Start date
we all started the same.
digitS'
Garden Master
My mother knew something about gardening. Mostly, that it can be a lot of work.
Her mother was a Gardener with a capital "G." Maybe Mom was a little pleased with my efforts. I know that she enjoyed looking out the window into the backyard .
Dad one year told her that he was too busy for a garden. If she wanted fresh food, she would have to take care of it herself. She said, "well, put it closer to the house!" So, he plowed some ground behind the guest house. Mom planted only cantaloupe.
I learned something from that: priorities. Be sure to plant what you most want.
Steve
Her mother was a Gardener with a capital "G."
Maybe Mom was a little pleased with my efforts. I know that she enjoyed looking out the window into the backyard .Dad one year told her that he was too busy for a garden. If she wanted fresh food, she would have to take care of it herself. She said, "well, put it closer to the house!" So, he plowed some ground behind the guest house. Mom planted only cantaloupe.
I learned something from that: priorities. Be sure to plant what you most want
.Steve
ducks4you
Garden Master
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2009
- Messages
- 11,769
- Reaction score
- 15,574
- Points
- 417
Definitely. My family wants only tomatoes and okra. They may get more this year.
flowerbug
Garden Master
My mother knew something about gardening. Mostly, that it can be a lot of work.
Her mother was a Gardener with a capital "G."
Dad one year told her that he was too busy for a garden. If she wanted fresh food, she would have to take care of it herself. She said, "well, put it closer to the house!" So, he plowed some ground behind the guest house. Mom planted only cantaloupe.
I learned something from that: priorities. Be sure to plant what you most want
Steve
putting it closer to the house means it gets seen and taken care of more and more chance to chase off varmints (human and otherwise) if needed. not too close, don't want to block the light.
always plant what you like to eat, but also try different things here or there as you may find some surprises.
- Thread starter
- #75
AMKuska
Garden Master
My husband put in new lights in the grow tent today, and tomorrow we will go over there to pot up plants and freshen everything up. One of my plants even has flowers!
Unfortunately my son's rooster, Darkness, was killed by a predator. What ever it is pulled it through the fencing. This is the 5th-6th chicken to die, from 2 different predators at least. We thought they were all from a hawk, but even after fencing off the tiny 3 inch gap it slithered through, another predator is now grabbing through the fence. We've wrapped chicken wire around part of the fence, but what ever got him reached through the fence we haven't repaired yet.
My neighbor came over to let me know one of her chickens got in our yard, and we had a merry chase catching it. Hardly had we got back to our rental house letting me know the chicken she'd just put in the coop was missing--but there was a whole pile of feathers.
I came to look since she is new to chickens, and there was blood on the feathers. I told her she'd probably lost the chicken, and went home while they grieved their pet.
The next morning, I woke up to hear "BAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK" under my bedroom window.
That crafty little chicken somehow escaped, missing pretty much every single feather off of it's booty, but otherwise unscathed. I believe the celebrations of "Righty's" return is still going as I type this.
Unfortunately my son's rooster, Darkness, was killed by a predator. What ever it is pulled it through the fencing. This is the 5th-6th chicken to die, from 2 different predators at least. We thought they were all from a hawk, but even after fencing off the tiny 3 inch gap it slithered through, another predator is now grabbing through the fence. We've wrapped chicken wire around part of the fence, but what ever got him reached through the fence we haven't repaired yet.
My neighbor came over to let me know one of her chickens got in our yard, and we had a merry chase catching it. Hardly had we got back to our rental house letting me know the chicken she'd just put in the coop was missing--but there was a whole pile of feathers.
I came to look since she is new to chickens, and there was blood on the feathers. I told her she'd probably lost the chicken, and went home while they grieved their pet.
The next morning, I woke up to hear "BAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK" under my bedroom window.
That crafty little chicken somehow escaped, missing pretty much every single feather off of it's booty, but otherwise unscathed. I believe the celebrations of "Righty's" return is still going as I type this.
baymule
Garden Master
I am glad Righty returned, sometimes it is not such a happy outcome. Yesterday I had two guineas go over the fence to a real brushy, green briar choked patch on neighbor's land. The dummies ran up and down the fence all day, wanting back in. Dumb birds-they flew over the fence to get out, they durn sure can fly back over the fence to get back in. Guess I'll find out this morning if they made it or not. I couldn't get to them where they were and wasn't going to rip myself to shreds to try a futile rescue.
flowerbug
Garden Master
i hope you can get that fence fixed! owch!
Ridgerunner
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,229
- Reaction score
- 10,064
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
Not all predators read the book and act like they are supposed to, but I'd guess a raccoon pulled the rooster through the fence, sounds like them. I don't like raccoons.
I'd guess a canine for the one that was semi- plucked. Some dogs like to play with a chicken, not trying to kill it but they often kill chickens just by playing. Maybe a fox or coyote tried and missed but dog is highest on my list. If the feather shaft came out clean Righty should grow the missing feathers back fairly soon but if a bit of the shaft is still there she won't regrow that feather until she molts.
I'd guess a canine for the one that was semi- plucked. Some dogs like to play with a chicken, not trying to kill it but they often kill chickens just by playing. Maybe a fox or coyote tried and missed but dog is highest on my list. If the feather shaft came out clean Righty should grow the missing feathers back fairly soon but if a bit of the shaft is still there she won't regrow that feather until she molts.
- Thread starter
- #79
AMKuska
Garden Master
I don't like raccoons either. I watched one pull the head off a favorite chicken just a year or so ago. The attacks are always during the day though, and what ever it is doesn't alarm our dogs.
I don't think it was a dog attacking Righty. We are in a neighborhood with fully fenced backyards. The attack occurred while Kathy was home and going in and out of the house. I'm sure she would have noticed a dog in her backyard.
I don't think it was a dog attacking Righty. We are in a neighborhood with fully fenced backyards. The attack occurred while Kathy was home and going in and out of the house. I'm sure she would have noticed a dog in her backyard.
ducks4you
Garden Master
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2009
- Messages
- 11,769
- Reaction score
- 15,574
- Points
- 417
I know that it makes chicken keeping more expensive, but we chicken owners need to consider what kind of materials we use to house the run. I prefer dog kennel panels. I have priced the ones I use for the 12' x 30' run to be about $700, but I got them free. 2 of them are a little bit banged up. If you want them used, keep looking for them for sale. A lot of people change their minds about them or lose their outside dog and will sell for less than cost of new.
If there were bears near my chickens would be toast, but the coywolves can't get in to the chain link fencing OR those really nice ones that look like large hardware cloth. Even though my 2 dogs are in the house, I would be alerted if any predators came into the yard at night and I would still have the dogs in the morning.
I lost one of my hens this winter bc my (now 65 lb) puppy, Eva, played with one and injured her. Sorry, but the puppy is more important than the hen. Neighbors dogs love chicken just as much as we do and are often the chicken killers if they run.
Chicken wire enclosures are about as good as a deadbolt lock on your door in a ghetto against chicken loving predators.
If there were bears near my chickens would be toast, but the coywolves can't get in to the chain link fencing OR those really nice ones that look like large hardware cloth. Even though my 2 dogs are in the house, I would be alerted if any predators came into the yard at night and I would still have the dogs in the morning.
I lost one of my hens this winter bc my (now 65 lb) puppy, Eva, played with one and injured her. Sorry, but the puppy is more important than the hen. Neighbors dogs love chicken just as much as we do and are often the chicken killers if they run.
Chicken wire enclosures are about as good as a deadbolt lock on your door in a ghetto against chicken loving predators.
Last edited:
