What did you do in the garden today?

[Acre4Me]

Coon pic from last night.
The one on right is actively digging - trying to get into run.
We will continue to work on this issue.

 

[Sueby]

@Wee Farmer Sarah a drenching would be great! But with my luck it will miss me.

My neighbor has always just direct sown her garden (which is huge) & said everything catches up & evens out & I'm finally seeing that this year since I was pretty much forced to direct sow due to covid. I'm thinking buying the starts at the nursery might not make much of a difference with most things I grow, as well it might not be worth the trouble to start trays indoors.

 

[igorsMistress]

here for 2.5 years. No coon evidence before this year. No skirt, but that’s bc we plan to redo the fence around the run and enlarge it. However, the chain link goes about 8” or more below the ground bc we raised the dirt and added a whole lot of now-compacted chipped wood. The new shed, intended for meat chickens or breeding trips or turkeys will have a skirt -already planned for before this coon craziness!

I'm wondering why you're having the problem so suddenly. That seems strange to me.

 

[Acre4Me]

I'm wondering why you're having the problem so suddenly. That seems strange to me.

It could be that there was minor evidence that we never noticed. However, we would have noticed digging around the run area, and we definitely didn't see that.

My neighbor kept his feed outside in a weather proof container. He indicated that a coon had gotten in it a couple of times. So, it is possible that a coon set up shop somewhere nearby to access the feed. My other neighbor has had a coon wipe out his sweet corn that he was growing, and seems to have been eating his strawberries. I'm not sure exactly where a coon lives - the only habitat I'm aware of is in the hollow of a tree, but surely they live in all kinds of habitats that are relatively dry and dark, as they flourish in suburbia and do fine in cities - without hollowed out trees! So, my two neighbors have more cover near to them than I do, which is why they may have had signs of coons before me. But now that the coons got a taste of chicken dinner, my flock is the nearest source as they depleted my neighbor's flock.

 

[WthrLady]

Under decks, under sheds, abandoned cars, under fallen logs. Really anywhere.
They can have 5 kits each spring and some areas have several clusters of raccoons. Plus, the place smells of chicken blood and entrails now, and that carries further than we can smell it.

The number of things that are regular sneaks around the place at night would probably shock you.

 

[Acre4Me]

Coon story recently experienced by co-worker of spouse:

They already trapped and killed 15 coons - bad year for coon problems. Anyway, that co-workers husband was in their barn setting a trap bc coons had been getting into the barn and into feed. He hears a noise in the corner, so investigates. It is a very large coon! He figures, he has his gun he'll just take care of it now. Not sure if he shot and missed, OR if he aimed and hadn't yet shot at the coon, but the coon bares his teeth at the guy and then proceeds to run towards him. Now the guy is being chased by a large coon in his barn, while trying to shoot the coon. In the end, he shot the coon, and the coon did not get to him/bite or scratch him, which is good. They are relentless until dead.

 

[Duckee]

Today we are harvesting potatoes with the toddler grand babies. Every harvest this year is sweet & sorrow.. its my final year at gardening. Health is getting ahold of me more & more
Its gonna be like pulling teeth to get a canned jar of anythung from me now!!! Lol

Happy harvesting to all you hardest working people in the world! May you be blessed with mass abundance

 

[igorsMistress]

It could be that there was minor evidence that we never noticed. However, we would have noticed digging around the run area, and we definitely didn't see that.

My neighbor kept his feed outside in a weather proof container. He indicated that a coon had gotten in it a couple of times. So, it is possible that a coon set up shop somewhere nearby to access the feed. My other neighbor has had a coon wipe out his sweet corn that he was growing, and seems to have been eating his strawberries. I'm not sure exactly where a coon lives - the only habitat I'm aware of is in the hollow of a tree, but surely they live in all kinds of habitats that are relatively dry and dark, as they flourish in suburbia and do fine in cities - without hollowed out trees! So, my two neighbors have more cover near to them than I do, which is why they may have had signs of coons before me. But now that the coons got a taste of chicken dinner, my flock is the nearest source as they depleted my neighbor's flock.

That makes sense. One struck gold and brought friends over time.

I know there are coons around here, but when I found out I was surprised because this is the desert. I guess they can thrive anywhere and with humans around there's plenty of waste to choose from. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to dig into my coop because the ground is like cement here but I use a padlock to lock the coop door at night.

 

[Acre4Me]

Under decks, under sheds, abandoned cars,

There are only 2 sheds nearby that are not concrete floors. Definitely an option. A few decks, but ours is completely blocked off with HWC and blocks. The other two homes don’t have any animals or gardens, so little draw, but always a possibility.

Plus, the place smells of chicken blood and entrails now, and that carries further than we can smell it.

true. My neighbor whose flock was killed has been dismantling the area. He built a bigger coop, but started with a small pre-fab 3 years ago. He burned the prefab where it sat the other day, so that should have helped minimize the smell in that particular area. But coons aren’t neat eaters, so pieces of chickens were Spread around so smell will linger for awhile.

The number of things that are regular sneaks around the place at night would probably shock you.

I’ve been wanting to get a trail camera, and am currently borrowing the neighbor’s. So, that is a bit of research for me to do today.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning gardeners. I think a couple of glads are going to bloom soon! I'm happy that I can cut back to one heavy watering once a week with all the hay to mulch things, even with temps at 110+. It's not a pretty mulch, but definitely effective. I'm considering a bale for the areas even without plants to improve the soil and give the flock a cooler walking surface when they're out and about, it would be good for the lemon tree too. For some reason I've had at least half a dozen pigeons come here to die in the last couple weeks. I tossed a few over the wall while they were still alive but couldn't fly and they just sat out there and died on the ground. We're in for a few days of cooler temps, but back to sizzling by the holiday. Fortunately for Angus he'll be out of jail by then. I ordered some Ayam Cemani eggs from ebay, should be here next week. I'm hoping to get 2 pullets to breed with Angus and maybe have some black skinned Turkens by this time next year Anyway, enjoy your day all!