Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Presently battling a raccoon!!!
He has outsmarted my live trap twice and I caught him climbing down my chain link pen...I got a shot off but I don't think I got him. He killed a juvenile jersey giant rooster last night. Poor guy didn't go to bed with the others. We are just having the worst luck. These past few days.

I agree with danz about the coons. I had a problem with them as well as possums before I got my LGDs & now they keep them at bay. Raccoons are crafty & they will bring the whole family so if you have one you have more most likely. I have not seen one in awhile because they know now that the dogs are here & will come after them. I have no doubt we still have them around but they don't dare come in. My neighbor to the south across the road has a large pond so there is a lot of wildlife there. They only have to cross the dirt road to be at our place. Getting the LGDs was the best thing I did with having chickens & even goats & sheep. I was telling a lady that came yesterday that they're very smart, they have this inventory in their head & they know exactly what belongs here & what doesn't. They don't even let wild turkeys in or the deer because they know they don't belong. I'm sorry, I hope your luck improves soon!

It was just miserable out yesterday, there was literally no air moving & the humidity was sky high. I hate being soaked & my clothes sticking to me too, I agree HEChicken, besides my whole head gets soaked & it just pours off of me, ugh. I'm sure not looking forward to today either. We had a storm again early this morning as well. We don't really need the rain right now either. I wish it could just spread out a little more rather than rain all at once. We probably will be wishing we had some in a month or so, but so far the summer has been a wet one for us.

 

[chicken danz]

After going out and looking around I guess our storm was all noise. I didn't find hardly any evidence of rain at all. At most a 10th of an inch and that could be stretching it. I didn't even find much evidence of wind so it must have been mostly lightening and thunder. It's already miserable out there. I went to check on birds and I could see four ducklings outside of the three ducks sitting in the building. No one is giving up a nest yet so there must be more activity going on in there. I'm sure they'll be running out for food and water later today. I'm going to have to hold off feeding again today until evening. It's too hot for the birds to be eating much today. Sure am getting tired of this heat. The green beans quit producing. All of the little beans on the bushes stayed little. It's too hot for them. I guess I'll just have to plant a fall crap now. I didn't know until recently that green beans quit producing when the temps reach the 90's. I guess it's a good thing we were able to get an early crop.

 

[sharol]

After going out and looking around I guess our storm was all noise. I didn't find hardly any evidence of rain at all. At most a 10th of an inch and that could be stretching it. I didn't even find much evidence of wind so it must have been mostly lightening and thunder. It's already miserable out there. I went to check on birds and I could see four ducklings outside of the three ducks sitting in the building. No one is giving up a nest yet so there must be more activity going on in there. I'm sure they'll be running out for food and water later today. I'm going to have to hold off feeding again today until evening. It's too hot for the birds to be eating much today. Sure am getting tired of this heat. The green beans quit producing. All of the little beans on the bushes stayed little. It's too hot for them. I guess I'll just have to plant a fall crap now. I didn't know until recently that green beans quit producing when the temps reach the 90's. I guess it's a good thing we were able to get an early crop.

Love the typo (fall crap). That is exactly what I get when I plant in the fall -- crap. It never matures and just gets tilled back in.

 

[turboscooby07]

Our pit bull has taken quite a few coons without damage to her but she sleeps inside with our baby and is a big baby herself. We had a German shepherd that killed every furry critter in sight but he also decided one day to kill 14 chickens so he got rehomed far away from chickens. We just haven't got around to finding a new outside dog. We obviously need to get on that, I was up till 2 am last night trying to get that coon...tonight will be his last. The chicken coop is made of wood and nails and I doubt it would stand up to a determined raccoon but so far I see no signs of testing the siding or doors. I gotta get my new coop finished as it is very raccoon proof. I am searching for siding materials, that's all that's needed now. My wallet will not allow new siding

 

[chicken danz]

Quote: LOL exactly. I don't know how many fall gardens I have planted and caught myself wondering why. So If you have you bean plants that haven't produced yet and are still healthy will they produce when the weather cools down, or will they just die out? Anyone? I've never dealt with that before.

Our pit bull has taken quite a few coons without damage to her but she sleeps inside with our baby and is a big baby herself. We had a German shepherd that killed every furry critter in sight but he also decided one day to kill 14 chickens so he got rehomed far away from chickens. We just haven't got around to finding a new outside dog. We obviously need to get on that, I was up till 2 am last night trying to get that coon...tonight will be his last. The chicken coop is made of wood and nails and I doubt it would stand up to a determined raccoon but so far I see no signs of testing the siding or doors. I gotta get my new coop finished as it is very raccoon proof. I am searching for siding materials, that's all that's needed now. My wallet will not allow new siding

Yeah all my projects depend on money. I feel like the recycle queen but in the process I also feel like Fred Sanford.

 

[sharol]

LOL exactly. I don't know how many fall gardens I have planted and caught myself wondering why. So If you have you bean plants that haven't produced yet and are still healthy will they produce when the weather cools down, or will they just die out? Anyone? I've never dealt with that before.
Yeah all my projects depend on money. I feel like the recycle queen but in the process I also feel like Fred Sanford.

Or like the guy in that Mars movie that built a shelter out of scrap to survive, right? (I haven't seen the movie, just read about it)

 

[HEChicken]

So If you have you bean plants that haven't produced yet and are still healthy will they produce when the weather cools down, or will they just die out? Anyone? I've never dealt with that before.

Two years ago I grew some green beans for DH who does like them and I got two crops from them. I don't remember details like times or temps but I am guessing I got one crop before the summer got too hot and a second crop in the fall after it had cooled down. I just left them in the ground and they were good to go in the fall.

I also have never had much luck with fall gardens. I think you almost need to start seeds now in order for them to produce in the fall but seeds don't germinate well in July when it is so hot.

 

[sharol]

Two years ago I grew some green beans for DH who does like them and I got two crops from them. I don't remember details like times or temps but I am guessing I got one crop before the summer got too hot and a second crop in the fall after it had cooled down. I just left them in the ground and they were good to go in the fall.

I also have never had much luck with fall gardens. I think you almost need to start seeds now in order for them to produce in the fall but seeds don't germinate well in July when it is so hot.

I got one crop of peas about 5 years ago in the fall, but generally I get nothing in the fall.

My daughter has lived at altitude (Nevada and now Denver) and they have such a short growing season she is lucky to get one crop, so I guess I shouldn't gripe.

 

[Trish44]

There's nothing wrong with recycled materials, I have used them numerous times for things around here to do with my chickens. I was gifted some used wood & tin at one time & used most of it for the sheep shelter I have now. We did have to buy some OSB for the floor & siding for the outside but it still turned out pretty cheap for what we got. @turboscooby07 the siding I used on the sheep shelter was about $15 a 4x8 sheet for wood siding, so it depends on how big your coop is how much you would need.

 

[chicken danz]

Sharol came by this morning and I found another one of my huge big blue orpingtons dead. I am sure on this one it was the heat. I am so sick of this weather. I don't know what else to do. They have fans. I think the humdity is just too much for them. I sure can't stay in business with this going on. And it's much cooler in that building than it is outdoors.