What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

My bean plants after a freeze! Still alive. The brown parts on the top were already there from the very first cold snap. Those leaves/stems actually touch the sheets that are draped over. The tomato cages help support the sheets and keep them up off the plants.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

First snow of the season this morning! And I grabbed what I think is going to be the last bean pod I will be able to use for seed. Now I need to make some time to finish cleaning the seeds out of the seedheads, pods etc. and package them all up. Still got about half the basil, some lettuce, and all the catnip on top of the beans, and I need to see what I can get out of the oregano.

 

[karenerwin]

Harvested about a third of my Jerusalem Artichokes. I got about a half bushel basket full! The funny thing about that is that at the end of the previous Summer I tried to dig out all of the tubers as I didn't want to grow it anymore. All I found were small tubers and not very many at that. Fast forward to the Summer. I noticed some Jerusalem Artichokes coming up and decided to leave them be. I did cut off the branches when they got in my way or they were shading my other plants too much. I've been cleaning out my garden beds because everything has died due to the frosts, except the marjoram. Today I decided to dig up the Jerusalem Artichokes. At first, I just had my hat to throw the tubers in, but it quickly became apparent that I would need something much bigger to hold them all! I think I am going to offer most of what I dug up to a neighbor of my daughter's. I wan't all that fond of the tubers last year, which is why I tried to dig them all out!
I also lost half of my flock last week. Our dogs kept barking around 2:30 in the morning to go out, but I wasn't noticing any missing hens the next day. This went on for about 4 days. Then I finally found 1 dead hen in the coop and a very large opposum that walked away when I came up. It was dark so I was hoping the other birds from that coop were hiding in the trees or something. No such luck. So I'm down 8 hens. We set traps last night and caught a stray cat and a raccoon. One of the grandkids released the cat and we disposed of the raccoon. My flock now consists of 5 roosters and 6 hens. I need to butcher most of the roosters.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I also lost half of my flock last week. Our dogs kept barking around 2:30 in the morning to go out, but I wasn't noticing any missing hens the next day. This went on for about 4 days. Then I finally found 1 dead hen in the coop and a very large opposum that walked away when I came up. It was dark so I was hoping the other birds from that coop were hiding in the trees or something. No such luck. So I'm down 8 hens. We set traps last night and caught a stray cat and a raccoon. One of the grandkids released the cat and we disposed of the raccoon. My flock now consists of 5 roosters and 6 hens. I need to butcher most of the roosters.

Darn it I am so sorry worst way !

 

[jerryse]

68 for the low this morning and 83 for the high. May set a new record. On the rat trap here is my personal experience. As a teen I used to take care of Grandmas chickens when she went to visit her son for a week or two. Grandma kept her feed in the no longer used outhouse. In a steel barrel with a lid to keep rats out. When the feed was low I would leave the lid off to trap rats. I also used foot traps on the floor. Number 0 size. A rat cannot jump high enough to get out of a nearly empty 50-gallon barrel.

 

[Sueby]

@karenerwin that sucks - so sorry! Dang critters. I hope you get him.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

 

[chickengr]

@karenerwin sorry for your loss.

watering here.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Harvested about a third of my Jerusalem Artichokes. I got about a half bushel basket full! The funny thing about that is that at the end of the previous Summer I tried to dig out all of the tubers as I didn't want to grow it anymore. All I found were small tubers and not very many at that. Fast forward to the Summer. I noticed some Jerusalem Artichokes coming up and decided to leave them be. I did cut off the branches when they got in my way or they were shading my other plants too much. I've been cleaning out my garden beds because everything has died due to the frosts, except the marjoram. Today I decided to dig up the Jerusalem Artichokes. At first, I just had my hat to throw the tubers in, but it quickly became apparent that I would need something much bigger to hold them all! I think I am going to offer most of what I dug up to a neighbor of my daughter's. I wan't all that fond of the tubers last year, which is why I tried to dig them all out!
I also lost half of my flock last week. Our dogs kept barking around 2:30 in the morning to go out, but I wasn't noticing any missing hens the next day. This went on for about 4 days. Then I finally found 1 dead hen in the coop and a very large opposum that walked away when I came up. It was dark so I was hoping the other birds from that coop were hiding in the trees or something. No such luck. So I'm down 8 hens. We set traps last night and caught a stray cat and a raccoon. One of the grandkids released the cat and we disposed of the raccoon. My flock now consists of 5 roosters and 6 hens. I need to butcher most of the roosters.

I'm so paranoid at night... If I put the dogs out and they start barking and/or I hear ANY commotion from my flocks, I'm outside checking it out regardless of what time it is. I'm always worried the automatic doors didn't shut or just randomly reopened. This has happened a couple of times although rarely. Anyway, a week or so ago, I put the dogs out in the middle of the night because they were going bonkers in the living room. They ran to the fence along the duck pen so I knew something was out there... I looked from the backyard but didn't see anything. Next morning I found clear evidence that coyotes had been digging in several areas around the perimeter fence for the bachelor pen and duck pen. Wouldn't have done them any good but I was still annoyed that they tried. Also left me a steaming pile of middle finger, coyote style.

Anyway I'm sad to hear you lost your birds.... Hoping you can get some more soon!

 

[WthrLady]

View attachment 3975917

Here too. High of 87 today and near 40 at night. Luckily we have a dual thermostat. It turns the heat on when the house hits 64 and the air on above 74. Insane thing.
Howling winds today, near 50mph, so the windows aren't open for the thick harvest dust is all over the place.