Texas

[orumpoultry]

Hawks are very, very common unfortunately.

 

[cheepcheep riri]

But what did y'all do with them. We have had only two instances with Hawks. You can't shoot them since it's illegal. But we have to let our chickens free range for feed cost reasons. How did you guys keep them out?

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

But what did y'all do with them. We have had only two instances with Hawks. You can't shoot them since it's illegal. But we have to let our chickens free range for feed cost reasons. How did you guys keep them out?

Hawks don't like to come around humans. If you are with them when they are out, the odds of a hawk strike go down quite a bit.

 

[chick-among-us]

But what did y'all do with them. We have had only two instances with Hawks. You can't shoot them since it's illegal. But we have to let our chickens free range for feed cost reasons. How did you guys keep them out?

Hawks don't like to come around humans.  If you are with them when they are out, the odds of a hawk strike go down quite a bit.

All of our pens are covered in bird netting you can get a hundred feet at Home Depot for 20 bucks. If you bring it all the way down almost to the ground and zip tie it....it is a fantastic snake trap also. Snakes can't get out and the zip ties all over the netting to join it deters hawks. Most things stay out they don't like to get " grabbed" by the netting.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Mine are still in the brooder, but on my 1.6 acre urban lot and in adjacent neighbors' lots (wooded in back along several lots), I have at least two hawks (nesting?) that sit in tall trees looking for things to eat (bunnies, mice/rats, small birds,etc.), one of which actually sometimes sits on the fence right outside my window and stares at me. And we have big owls (not sure of type) - though they usually prefer evening/night to hunt. I'm pretty sure that not providing overhead cover all the time would be like setting out a buffet. So I'm going to do the covered tractor thing during the day.

- Ant Farm

 

[chick-among-us]

Lol love the name! ( fire ant farm...lol) ewe also have all of the above. Hawks nesting,owls,yup. I have had a hawk blow thru the netting once a long time ago....an owl not to long after almost like everyone was " testing" the new structures and yards. Then nothing other than the odd snake here and there... We even even free range ours.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Well, fire ants seem to be the things that grow most prolifically on my property... They invade my raised growing beds, eat my seedlings and plants, and crawl into my gloves (and boots/socks) to bite me. I have some that completely overran some potatoes planted in a bag, and last year they ate an entire head of cabbage in a week.

Speaking of fire ants, have they ever been an issue with anyone's chickens? (Getting bitten badly, invading coop/runs, etc.) They're vicious. I have a good natural way to treat mounds and invaded pots, but wanted to get a sense of the health injury risk and how hyper I should be about prevention.

- Ant Farm

 

[needlessjunk]

Well, fire ants seem to be the things that grow most prolifically on my property... They invade my raised growing beds, eat my seedlings and plants, and crawl into my gloves (and boots/socks) to bite me. I have some that completely overran some potatoes planted in a bag, and last year they ate an entire head of cabbage in a week.  

Speaking of fire ants, have they ever been an issue with anyone's chickens? (Getting bitten badly, invading coop/runs, etc.) They're vicious. I have a good natural way to treat mounds and invaded pots, but wanted to get a sense of the health injury risk and how hyper I should be about prevention.

- Ant Farm

What is this said natural way of getting rid of fire ants??? You must share!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

What is this said natural way of getting rid of fire ants??? You must share!

I got it out of Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening (by Howard Garrett & Malcolm Beck). If you have the ability to buy Garrett Juice where you are, the easiest is to mix 1 part orange oil and 2 parts Garrett Juice concentrate, and use at anywhere from 2-6 oz per gallon (make it up fresh each time). I use a lower dose (1 oz orange oil/2 oz Garrett juice per gallon) if it's near my plants or in a pot (in case you might burn roots), and full strength (2 oz orange oil/4 oz Garrett juice per gallon) for mounds in the yard/not around my plants. The book says to use as a spray, but I use it as a mound drench. Works better than anything I've ever used, totally knocks out really established big mounds. AND it helps the plants. I just repotted several citrus trees, including a sweet kumquat tree that had had its pot badly invaded. I had soaked that pot with the lower dose of anti-ant stuff about 2 weeks ago. Repotting yesterday, the roots were the healthiest of all the repotted trees, and that's the only thing different about that tree's care.

If you don't have access to Garrett juice (or can't make some - there's a recipe in the book, in involves compost tea, molasses, garlic, and some other stuff), you can also use 1 part compost tea, 1 part molasses, and 1 part citrus oil (again, using this mix at 2-6 oz per gallon). They hate compost tea, but I have found that compost/compost tea alone is only partially effective (in my yard). I think it used to be marketed premixed as "Anti-fuego", but I'm not sure it's still available.

I don't try to eradicate them everywhere, just where they are specifically where I don't want them (e.g., invading growing space). As I understand it, fire ants in your yard help keep out/away fleas (can't remember if it's ticks as well). YMMV.

The book is amazing with all sorts of other natural pest control ideas, as well as a great veggie book. I used it so much that my first copy actually fell apart and I had to get another one. Another great book is the Texas Bug Book...

- Ant Farm

Edit: I see you're in Round Rock. I'm in the San Antonio area. You shouldn't have trouble finding Garrett Juice and orange oil. Try your local nurseries or Lowes...

 

[kenmlang]

I got it out of Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening (by Howard Garrett & Malcolm Beck). If you have the ability to buy Garrett Juice where you are, the easiest is to mix 1 part orange oil and 2 parts Garrett Juice concentrate, and use at anywhere from 2-6 oz per gallon (make it up fresh each time). I use a lower dose (1 oz orange oil/2 oz Garrett juice per gallon) if it's near my plants or in a pot (in case you might burn roots), and full strength (2 oz orange oil/4 oz Garrett juice per gallon) for mounds in the yard/not around my plants. The book says to use as a spray, but I use it as a mound drench. Works better than anything I've ever used, totally knocks out really established big mounds. AND it helps the plants. I just repotted several citrus trees, including a sweet kumquat tree that had had its pot badly invaded. I had soaked that pot with the lower dose of anti-ant stuff about 2 weeks ago. Repotting yesterday, the roots were the healthiest of all the repotted trees, and that's the only thing different about that tree's care.

If you don't have access to Garrett juice (or can't make some - there's a recipe in the book, in involves compost tea, molasses, garlic, and some other stuff), you can also use 1 part compost tea, 1 part molasses, and 1 part citrus oil (again, using this mix at 2-6 oz per gallon). They hate compost tea, but I have found that compost/compost tea alone is only partially effective (in my yard). I think it used to be marketed premixed as "Anti-fuego", but I'm not sure it's still available.

I don't try to eradicate them everywhere, just where they are specifically where I don't want them (e.g., invading growing space). As I understand it, fire ants in your yard help keep out/away fleas (can't remember if it's ticks as well). YMMV.

The book is amazing with all sorts of other natural pest control ideas, as well as a great veggie book. I used it so much that my first copy actually fell apart and I had to get another one. Another great book is the Texas Bug Book...

- Ant Farm

Edit: I see you're in Round Rock. I'm in the San Antonio area. You shouldn't have trouble finding Garrett Juice and orange oil. Try your local nurseries or Lowes...

Will this work on leaf cutter ants? We have a big problem with them.