Eastern Tennessee Thread

[TNChick82]

Raised Garden Beds!! I so wanted to do a garden this year. I've never done one before. I heard about a program called Grow Appalachia that Scott co had got. I went and filled out a application. They had said they could help 15 to 20 families. They got over 60 applications and accepted 37. I was one of those lucky people.

I think what help me was that I wanted a raised bed and I already has some seeds. That way it could help another family that needed seeds and to have a garden tilled up. I'm super excited and can't wait to get started. Here is a link about the Grow Appalachia program: http://www.ihoneida.com/main/content/grow-appalachia-launched-locally I've already got my eye on a small walk-in green house at tractor supply. So after I start my seeds indoors. I can then move to a outdoor shelter. Then plant them. At least thats how most of my seed packets read that I need to do it.

 

[xChickiex]

Update on the pest problem, the thing came back last night and all that was seen was a dark, possibly brownish bushy tail from dads decription. No more birds injured thankfully, but it got away so will most likely be back.
If anyone wants a silkie roo let me know, I have wayy to many at the moment and some of these boys have got to go. May be selling some show/brood stock too of everything but silkies as im concentrating on only a few breeds now.

 

[Snozzle]

I found this on their web site. I hope it helps you!!

http://www.tractorsupply.com/wcssto...2011_Chick_Days_main_page_header-_-order_form

Ohh thanks, very tempting, but the minimum is 25, I don't even have that many now, even if you count eggs, dogs, cats and humans. My boyfriend said it would be ok if I kept 2 or 3 birds when we first talked about this and I already have 10 now. Oops! Well I try to keep the numbers down, but there are so many interesting breeds and they make us breakfast. What if there is a food shortage? Eggs will be currency and we will be rich! I guess he doesn't share my train of thought there

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Woohoo!! Fresh meat... er, members!! Welcome all newbies to our little East TN thread. Feel free to continue conversing amongst each other, and comment freely! We're a great group of peeps who will help out the best we can

So many fresh new faces!

Bairo is the brains of this thread, he's usually got a good answer for everything.

The rest of us try to keep up and chime in when we can.

Update: My baby mini lop bunnies have opened their eyes!! My friend who has a doe fostering the babies, said she walked in and they were everywhere, and one was chasing Gin (the foster doe) around the cage! <3 I also had to take in 2 bunnies from my aunt, who found out after getting a brother and sister mixed rex buns, she's badly allergic. The doe gave birth to 5 babies today (yes, it's the brothers babies, I don't have the heart to kill them though, they are healthy looking) out in the cold weather and I had to bring them in and warm them up in a robe on a heat pad. They're still alive and now warmed up and with the doe in a travel carrier in the back room. All 7 have been found a new home, will be dropping them off tomorrow.

I must have the "furry creature fever" and the chickens aren't furry enough! I'm trying to talk DH into letting me have some chinchillas....

So far I've got him sold on the fact they're pretty low odor if you do a weekly cleaning, and they're hypo allergenic and flea resistant because of their dense fur! The hurdle is the cage and where in the house it'd go... and having to keep the house under 78 degrees through the summer... since they don't sweat they can't stand high temps... We'll see how it goes if I can save up enough money to afford one of those expensive cages!

My son use to breed chinchillas...they are great and very nice pets. When a pair mates they mate for life. When he went to college he did not have enough time to enjoy them so he found a young man who gave them a wonderful home. There is a woman around Crossville he brought some from. She had a really great set up. On now I miss them! Tell DH they are real easy keepers.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Hmmm, well could have been fox. Coyotes are becoming braver I've heard, seen one in broad daylight once running down 95, a busy curvy road. Another in daylight again on side of road rummaging in a trash bag. Seen braver deer too! I wouldn't think raccoon, but if it only grabbed one, possibly.

I agree with Stang. having had raccoons as pets a few years ago,,,they are extremely strong and can tear a wire cage apart easily and reach in for what they want. I don't know if fox or coyote could tear the wire away that much. Racoons are very sly buggers. It may have been one lone coon. Hope you can get a good solution! i know it is really frustrating. !0 years ago I lost 23 to them in one week. We did finally trap him..a very huge boar. I gave up on chickens til a year ago and glad I have gotten back into it. But these chickens are much closer to the house..yet...raccoons do not care.

 

[grawg]

I've been using a raised bed/square foot garden for the last 3 years or so. I read a few books on the subject before I got started and they helped a lot. I actually just got done double digging in another bed today. Double digging is a ton of work initially but it is worth it in the end.

Heres a photo to illustrate how I started. These are my original beds I dug(with some help as you can see) three years ago.



The trenches are what I use as paths, if I could do one thing different, I would make the beds narrower. I started off at 4-5' and I'd shrink that down to 2.5' so the are easier to step over.

 

[laughingdog]

catch the coon in a live trap, and leave the dead one or a dead one/its scent all over and around, then set some dogs with scent also on on it in the cage for while, and once you let it out, u could keep it penned and it wont go near a bird dead or alive and will be gone for good. or just drown, shoot or stab it, once trapped.. though i like my scared straight method better, and it teaches the dogs to look out for coons also. some will find local coon hunters and just let them hunt or just train dogs on property or area, and thatll also scare or kill the coons off.

 

[xChickiex]

The local coon hunters will be of no help, one a few houses up breeds these things and sets them loose. Their dogs are also no help when they come wandering in the yard skin and bone and barking at whatever coop is closest, that or chasing my cats. If for its own good it is caught live I will call a rehabilitator to come get it and take it elsewhere.

 

[laughingdog]

The local coon hunters will be of no help, one a few houses up breeds these things and sets them loose. Their dogs are also no help when they come wandering in the yard skin and bone and barking at whatever coop is closest, that or chasing my cats. If for its own good it is caught live I will call a rehabilitator to come get it and take it elsewhere.

well thats very good of you. just know they ususlly, like bears they are just smaller close cousins of, dont do well when moved, but at lest it, as sounds like wont have to brave your yard and the gauntlet of hounds kept ignorantly. ive had rescued coon hounds for many years, years ago, and theyre very smart great dogs in own way, and they can be more than just machines to track and alert to one thing only as job in existance and need to be kept isolated on three foot or less chain to do that decently, while kept starved to see more then three ribs.

anyone keep or know of anyone local around me, that has parlor tumblers and/or rollers? im trying to pretty much adopt out the finches, and trying to part with some budgies, and have a couple babies that they snuck extra eggs in with the duds left to set.. id update my sig, but cant figure out how on new one, and havent gotten answers on part i posted in right after switched over.

 

[xChickiex]

Im sure you have been to the first monday sale plenty, there is a asain man who usually has pigeons and doves, not sure what type as I only have one dove and she has been a indoor pet for it seems forever, found her one morning trapped in my duck pen and shes a white ringneck very tame but no one claimed her. There is also a pigeon auction site for show/performance birds i will have to get you the name on that one but most go for pretty reasonable amounts. Also there is a good sized show in kentucky they have a fair number of birds for sale, that is where I saw the first pouter and didnt know what in the world it was