Garden out and doing great

[jinman]

We set out tomatoes yesterday. My soil is all loose and fluffy, but I added 1/2 cubic foot of cotton burr compost to each planting hill. The cotton burr is good starting material for tomatoes. I've had monster vines when I use it for planting and the young plants easily develop their root system in the extremely fertile mix of compost and soil. When the plants get 1' tall, I will put down landscaping cloth and mulch on top of that over each hill. The mulch really aids in moisture retention in the ground around the plants and with the landscaping cloth, ensures the weeds/grass stay away.

 

[jinman]

We set out 20 pepper plants yesterday: 8 sweet banana, 4 pimento, 4 red bell pepper, 4 green bell pepper. No hot peppers this year. I've grown so many hot peppers that never got used and decided that hot pickled peppers are so cheap there is no need for me to grow them. On the other hand, sweet cooking peppers and salad peppers bought fresh are very expensive. I make lots of smiles when I show up at friend's and family's houses with a big bag of tomatoes and sweet peppers.

We'll be setting out some additional asparagus crowns this weekend and my wife wants to grow a few herbs, so that will be the end for this season. . . I hope. My "tiny garden for this year" has mutated into a fairly large plot.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

How in the world could I have lost 3 or 4 chicks. They are about 4 weeks old, Tom says a chicken hawk can carry off only little ones but not ones this size. Nothing can get in the park during the day and they are locked up securely at night.

They are about 4 weeks old now and feathered out good. I have not found a feather or anything. What in the world could have gotten them, this has me stumped.

A little black dog from next door appeared back in the yard yesterday, he has killed bigger chickens before but can't get in the park.

I just can't figure this out

This picture was taken about a week ago so they are bigger now.

 

[SandburRanch]

How in the world could I have lost 3 or 4 chicks. They are about 4 weeks old, Tom says a chicken hawk can carry off only little ones but not ones this size. Nothing can get in the park during the day and they are locked up securely at night.

They are about 4 weeks old now and feathered out good. I have not found a feather or anything. What in the world could have gotten them, this has me stumped.

A little black dog from next door appeared back in the yard yesterday, he has killed bigger chickens before but can't get in the park.

I just can't figure this out

This picture was taken about a week ago so they are bigger now.

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I'm not familiar with a chicken park but is the park and their night time quarters snake proof?

A Coopers or Sharp-shined hawk can take chicks at least 4 times the weight of those chicks pictured. Although not as common to prey on chickens, a Red Tail hawk can easily take one up to a pound.

 

[Marveltone]

We still have snow on the ground and the frost is 6ft deep. It'll be a long time before anyone up here can even think about planting anything.
Then, we have to plant special, quick growing varieties of certain veggies because of our abbreviated growing season. I really envy you southerners.

Joe

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

Yes, its snake proof and even if one got in, it could not get out after swallowing a chick.

Only think I can figure is a hawk.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

And we envy you when its 110 and the humidity is 90%

 

[Marveltone]

And we envy you when its 110 and the humidity is 90%

Minnesota is very humid. Summertime humidities of 90% - 95% are the norm. Our record temps are -60F to +114F. Summer temps from 80 - 95 are common enough with the full humidity. That being said, it has also snowed every month of the year at one point or another. We get the full swing of temperatures. A land of extremes indeed!

I still wish we could plant half of what you guys can.

Joe

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I guess I didn't realize it got that hot up there and was so humid. Live and learn.

I've about decided its hawks. I came home and a beauty landed in a tree by the park. I went out to look and they are all pretty much staying in the chicken house, that is just sad. They have a nice grassy park and can get out there and run but are afraid, so in there they are. I put the piece of plywood in the bottom of the open door to keep them in, guess they are going to have to get bigger. Or I will sit out there for an hour or two and let them out then put them back in. If its not dogs, its hawks, sure hard to raise chickens.

One year a big snake got several, then Tom put up a new door, so no more problems there. I have windows with plywood up for the winter, then take them down in the summer, not quite ready to yet, the nights still are getting pretty cool, but soon.

Last year I killed a 5 foot rat snake out there, the poor laying hens wouldn't lay out there for forever.

I had 2 old hens that lay and they were big pets, one would sit on my lap or on the chair arm and it followed me everywhere, couldn't keep it out of the motorhome or car, had to keep the doors shut. That little black dog, killed and gutted both of them, just made me sick. I kept telling that neighbor. The thing is it isn't very big, you wouldn't think it could do that. Tom has worked on fixing dugout places with buried chicken wire and I put about 300 ft of chicken wire down the horse fence to keep neighbor dogs OUT! Our dog doesn't want out, he is perfectly happy with us.

There is one chick out there if I could catch it, it probably would go by by, it is bedeviling and picking the heck out of all the rest. If any sits down it pecks them, stands by it, same, it keeps all of them running constantly and makes picked places on them. The thing is just plain mean or anti social. All the rest spend their time trying to stay away from it. A bully for sure.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

Ok, I don't have time to sit out and watch the chicks to keep the hawks away. I opened the door today and put a piece of plywood in it so they can get air but not out.

I was gone a bit and when I came home one was sitting on the board, its obvious they wanted out. So here is what I'm trying. First I have netting ordered, 14 ft by 100 ft, but won't be here till next Wed or Thursday. I have a big roll of weedeater string, so I pulled a bunch off and zig zagged across the park side to side, then I put 2 strands from end to end, making a sort of grid. I don't know if it worked or if the hawks weren't out but I didn't lose any more chicks this afternoon. Wonder if its coincidence or if it works, I hope so.