Yep, tis' season the season, I just had to take care of a possum that attempted to breach the coop through the dog door that accesses another sectioned off part of the same building, the dog caught it in the act and drove it up the tree next to the building, I did the rest... I like the dog...
Yeah, the other night I had the windows open and just outside my fenced yard area (maybe a few hundred yards from the house) a group of coyotes let loose into song the other night, must have been celebrating a kill... So although I have seen single coyotes around the property, it's clear there...
That will be welcomed, this year has been one of the worst 'hay fever' seasons I can remember...
I won't miss the mosquitoes either, but it's not like I will be able to enjoy the outdoors much anyway in the coming months...
My indoor wild flower and herb (legal plants just so there is no...
OK what is with these 30° temps this week with near 80° forecasted for next week? GRR ARGH
I know winter is coming and I have been starting to get ready for it but the temps last night were just a little rude, I guess it's time to pickup the pace and get things in order for winter...
Honestly if the issue was not so close to the road and easement that could potentially cause me legal issues I would have been holstered up...
I hear you on that, I don't care what political party you vote for, I'm not going to disown anyone or join sides based on politics, especially not...
I just need to vent... Election season irks me...
As I have said before I rent a house on 30 acres, the lease doesn't exactly specify how much of the land is 'mine' but there is a mutual understanding that a local farmer tills a portion and what he doesn't till is mine to use if I want...
Wow, what a nightmare...
Can't say I have much advice for improving the dogs breath beyond getting some of the breath refreshing treats and chew bones...
As for the other areas, I have a few suggestions...
I hear Nature's Miracle Skunk Remover does wonders, I picked up a bottle of it earlier...
Personally I would just pick a variety of 'cage free' (at least you can hope there might have been a rooster that had access) eggs as say a few different stores, maybe even a ma/pa health food store or what not and run the experiment... Because as you said if you get known fertile eggs from a...
Can't say I just know that I have seen a better selection of 'off brands' eggs as ethnic grocery stores that I have visited hear and there...
Ironically I was at Garden Fresh myself today, and noticed they had a Sauder's Farm brand that advertised 'Amish Country' and had a website where you...
The people you talked to were fibbing, making up stories or improperly schooled... You can in fact sell eggs labeled 'fertile' in Illinois as long as they submit a letter of proof to the State... I suspect since those 'chain stores' likely get eggs from multiple independent regional farms and...
Well there are always those that will argue some 'humane' angle but for me I lean towards practicality... And I apologize upfront if these methods are not for you, I understand people have different ideals and feelings on the subject...
1. Get a garbage can and fill it with water, trap the...
There is a such thing a 'sudden death syndrome' in chickens and other fowl, and it's more common then many suspect especially in broiler breeds, but it effects other breeds as well...
Pretty easy to identify if you observe it, and likely a good candidate if the bird was found on it's back as...
Red Tail is someone else,can't say who off the top of my head...
As for the pigeon, it's doing as well as could be expected...
It's all that fond of being in a 'cage' but from everything I have read, getting them to imprint on a new home is for all intents a slim chance... So with that I have...
Vent time...
Been a long few weeks for me, about 3 weeks ago, a bracket on our mower deck ripped putting it out of order while the already in need of cutting grass continued to grow... It was something that I could fix 'easily' if I had the proper tools, but sadly I don't... So it was fix it...
You can start at any time but you should only increase the light a little bit each day, nothing more than 30 minutes a day until you get to your desired light schedule if you do it too fast it confuses their sleep pattern and could disrupt egg laying or even force a molt... I used to adjust my...
You now if I had a steady need for more I would certainly consider it...
For those that might be reading It also makes a great soil amendment/fertilizer or compost base...
They are commonly mistaken and called gophers but they are not gophers, gophers are from the family Geomyidae the 13 lined ground squirrel is from the family Sciuridae, making it a squirrel not a gopher...
Wikipedia even has a blurb about the common mistake...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher
Huh? We do in fact have real 13 lined ground squirrels in Illinois and they are distinctly different from chipmunks...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen-lined_ground_squirrel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipmunk
Might not be a threat to the chickens themselves but the destruction they can do to foundations and other structures as well as to gardens makes them a threat to me...
I have spent this summer trapping many chipmunks and woodchucks that have become a priority nuisance on my property and have...
There is only one species of 'gophers' in Illinois and they are primarily isolated to the central and southern part of the state, very unlikely any would be in the Chicago area as the farthest they normally range is the Kanakee area...
What you are seeing is probably a small woodchuck or a...