What did you do in the garden today?

[pennyJo1960]

Okay so the Son went out took pictures

 

[chickengr]

I had a SUPER CLOSE call this evening with a grey fox. I can't believe what just unfolded....

I keep my Silkies and game hens in a separate coop & run from the big chickens. Because Silkies don't see well, I rarely let them out to free range. In fact, last night was the first time ever that I have allowed them out and they were supervised the entire time. I've been more worried about stray cats and hawks than anything else.

Well tonight I decided to let them out again. I had been riding the 4 wheeler around so I was laying down on top of the 4 wheeler about 15 ft from where the Silkies and game hen chicks (their mama is penned up for everyone's protection) were happily pecking away at the grass and looking for bugs. It wasn't too late.... Maybe 7 or 7:30? Still a little while before dusk.

Suddenly I heard one of my Silkie roos give a startled squawk so I sat up on the 4 wheeler. And not 5 ft from me was a grey fox running straight at my Silkies. I yelled out HEY and it started the fox who NARROWLY missed one of my buff colored Silkie hens. My yell alerted her just in time to leap out of the way. I'm certain he missed my mere centimeters.

The fox kept running right past the chicks who were in a panic. He ran another 20 or 30 ft, stopped and turned to look back. The minute I hopped off the 4 wheeler, he took off across my front pasture and crossed the road into the woods on the other side.

I'm just baffled by the entire event. I'm guessing maybe he was so focused on the Silkies that he never saw me on the 4 wheeler until he was right next to me? No clue but I'm REALLY GLAD that I didn't leave the Silkies unattended because I was mulling it over thinking surely they would be fine....

the same here. I had a fox trying to get into my coop at 2 am. luckily I built a small pen for my 5 guinea fowl (3-4 mo) that were separated from my 2 mo chicks by a small piece of rabbit mesh which luckily I didn't fix well. when my guineas understood that fox was coming they pushed the mesh and all but 1 passed through. that frightend my chicks and they started screaming and woke me up. I think within 10-20 secs I was in the chickens run and fox ran away. all safe and sound. yesterday at about 8 pm I sow 2 foxes in the neighboring (abandoned) plot. I stayed there till I locked my chickens up and left my 1 yo german shepherd girl in a chickens run. she is the only one I can trust. her parents would knock the coop down and killed all the chickens, lol.

 

[chickengr]

I just started watching Homestead Rescue on the Discovery channel and have become a fan of the series. In each episode, there is a section on homestead gardening. So far, I have seen some interesting greenhouse builds out of found material and a hydroponics setup in one of the greenhouses. They also built some raised bed gardens in one episode. The "gardener" of the crew does a decent job explaining what is being built and what benefits it brings to the homestead.

I don't live on an off grid homestead, but I find the episodes interesting in how they reuse, repurpose, and upcycle just about everything they can find on the homestead that most people might just consider trash. I find the series interesting and just thought I'd mention it here for the gardening section of each episode. Might give you some ideas of what is possible on little to no money.

I am going to be off grid (no electricity) in my new place. but I already have water there. as the land is sloped I plan to dig swales to harvest water. already made 3 even levels so that I can build coops and drive a non 4x4 car. it is about 1,5 acre.

unfortunately these episodes are not available on line here.

 

[alfie10]

did nothing yesterday ,spent time running back and forward to the vets with my dog mollie .thank god for my ygd who can drive ,I cant .turns out mollies kidneys are failing ,she also has a heart murmer ,just a matter of time now , got special food for her ,I hate this part of having pets .

 

[Sally PB]

@gtaus, DH is a BIG fan of Homestead Rescue. I watch it fairly often too. He's gotten some ideas from that show that we might/might not use, but it's very interesting nonetheless.

I still laugh when I think of the daughter's name: Misty Rainey.

 

[Sueby]

Last day of the record heat here. Tomorrow I'll bleach & fill the waterers & water all the flowers with some alaska fish juice. It's just too hot now. Hopefully we get storms tonight so I don't have to water.

Does anyone have any good tips for mice? We are overrun with them right now, we believe, because the neighbors have seed out for the birds. They eat there & come here to nest. I've never had mice in any of my houses in the middle of summer but we catch them every night. They are destroying our vehicles. They chewed a hole in my gas tank, they got into the actual lights on the trailer & ate all the wiring, the whole thing had to be rewired & it's a brand new 8k trailer. They are destroying everything we own. We have traps everywhere, bucket traps outside which catch multiple mice every night, snap traps & bait traps with chicken friendly poison. Does anyone have anything they use that works really well? We're desperate to save our stuff.

For the record, my chickens don't like worms either & I'm glad because I've also heard the same info.

 

[Acre4Me]

Last day of the record heat here. Tomorrow I'll bleach & fill the waterers & water all the flowers with some alaska fish juice. It's just too hot now. Hopefully we get storms tonight so I don't have to water.

Does anyone have any good tips for mice? We are overrun with them right now, we believe, because the neighbors have seed out for the birds. They eat there & come here to nest. I've never had mice in any of my houses in the middle of summer but we catch them every night. They are destroying our vehicles. They chewed a hole in my gas tank, they got into the actual lights on the trailer & ate all the wiring, the whole thing had to be rewired & it's a brand new 8k trailer. They are destroying everything we own. We have traps everywhere, bucket traps outside which catch multiple mice every night, snap traps & bait traps with chicken friendly poison. Does anyone have anything they use that works really well? We're desperate to save our stuff.

For the record, my chickens don't like worms either & I'm glad because I've also heard the same info.

YIKES! Can you talk to the neighbors? Will they be receptive to trying to keep seed from the ground or feeding the birds further away from you?

Mice like to be able to hid, keep under things. So, keeping grass mowed, removing brush between properties may help by removing all the safety features mice look for.

More poison, and different kinds - I've seen some people have little to no luck with poison #1, but switch to a different brand or type, and all of a sudden the mice are eating it and going away. Of course, if they are full from the neighbor's seed, then they may not be as attracted to your poison, irregardless.

You could try to "fry" the little SOB's with some kind of electric fencing - placed low or in such a way (including baiting) that small mice would touch the wires. Hard to do if there is anything in the way.

Any way an outdoor cat or two could be in your lives? We have a barn cat, she is fixed, she gets her yearly vet appointment for vaccines, and we do feed her (and allow her to live in the barn), but she does live out there in the barn and roams during the day. She's not the greatest hunter (as compared to the neighbors amazing huntress barn cat), but her smell is in and through the barn and we see evidence she goes after any mice that try to get into the barn. We adopted her from the humane society for $15. I've also heard that certain dogs are great at hunting mice/rodents, but cant remember the breed.

Maybe you are SOL....maybe these are mutant mice that can chew into a gas tank and live clearly the fumes didn't bother them, nor any residual gas.

Good Luck with making progress ridding the mice from your property.

 

[Iluveggers]

I just started watching Homestead Rescue on the Discovery channel and have become a fan of the series. In each episode, there is a section on homestead gardening. So far, I have seen some interesting greenhouse builds out of found material and a hydroponics setup in one of the greenhouses. They also built some raised bed gardens in one episode. The "gardener" of the crew does a decent job explaining what is being built and what benefits it brings to the homestead.

I don't live on an off grid homestead, but I find the episodes interesting in how they reuse, repurpose, and upcycle just about everything they can find on the homestead that most people might just consider trash. I find the series interesting and just thought I'd mention it here for the gardening section of each episode. Might give you some ideas of what is possible on little to no money.

@gtaus, DH is a BIG fan of Homestead Rescue. I watch it fairly often too. He's gotten some ideas from that show that we might/might not use, but it's very interesting nonetheless.

I still laugh when I think of the daughter's name: Misty Rainey.

I love this show too! I watch for tips on predator control, up cycling & gardening! Like my $1 potato towers, made w a dollar store laundry basket & grocery store brown bags taped inside (didn’t find it on the show but with limited garden space the vertical towers save me room for tomatoes & peppers! That show gives me ideas!)

Last day of the record heat here. Tomorrow I'll bleach & fill the waterers & water all the flowers with some alaska fish juice. It's just too hot now. Hopefully we get storms tonight so I don't have to water.

Does anyone have any good tips for mice? We are overrun with them right now, we believe, because the neighbors have seed out for the birds. They eat there & come here to nest. I've never had mice in any of my houses in the middle of summer but we catch them every night. They are destroying our vehicles. They chewed a hole in my gas tank, they got into the actual lights on the trailer & ate all the wiring, the whole thing had to be rewired & it's a brand new 8k trailer. They are destroying everything we own. We have traps everywhere, bucket traps outside which catch multiple mice every night, snap traps & bait traps with chicken friendly poison. Does anyone have anything they use that works really well? We're desperate to save our stuff.

For the record, my chickens don't like worms either & I'm glad because I've also heard the same info.

I would get an outdoor cat or two. Before our kitty died, we had NO MICE. Now that he’s gone we catch one inside at least once a week, & the winter kale I left under hoops was eaten to the nubs in March when I went to uncover it after a snow that thawed. If my oldest didn’t come down with an allergy we discovered after the cat died, I’d have another right now. She’s only got a few years left of college so I think once she’s moved out that will be next on the pet purchase list. The two dogs take care of snakes, squirrels, deer & bunnies.

Someone on here asked for garden pics. Here’s mine (& a pic of the $1 potato towers).

 

[Elyrian1]

Last day of the record heat here. Tomorrow I'll bleach & fill the waterers & water all the flowers with some alaska fish juice. It's just too hot now. Hopefully we get storms tonight so I don't have to water.

Does anyone have any good tips for mice? We are overrun with them right now, we believe, because the neighbors have seed out for the birds. They eat there & come here to nest. I've never had mice in any of my houses in the middle of summer but we catch them every night. They are destroying our vehicles. They chewed a hole in my gas tank, they got into the actual lights on the trailer & ate all the wiring, the whole thing had to be rewired & it's a brand new 8k trailer. They are destroying everything we own. We have traps everywhere, bucket traps outside which catch multiple mice every night, snap traps & bait traps with chicken friendly poison. Does anyone have anything they use that works really well? We're desperate to save our stuff.

For the record, my chickens don't like worms either & I'm glad because I've also heard the same info.

Peppermint essential oil. Put it everywhere you don't want them. Then hop over to YouTube and find the 5 gallon bucket pvc mouse trap. I'll link it later today if I can, but YouTube barely even loads on mobile. I saved a coworker a ton of headache once. There was nothing plugging the hole in the floor for the computer cables. I used steel wool, fine stuff was all I had, and then drizzled peppermint on it. No more mice for months. Reapply when you can't smell it anymore.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Okay so the Son went out took pictures

Oh wow! Just picture perfect! At first the kitties looked like tigers!!!