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05/23/10, 09:33 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Maine
Posts: 202
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2010 Failures
Had a major snafu the other day and it got me thinking - who else ran into problems so far this year? And what kind?
My major (make me scratch my head) snafu: We've raised about 20 - 30 meat birds a year for the last 4-5 years. They free-range during the day and at night are locked in a chicken tractor. The field where I keep them is directly in front of my house and while we have some major predators, we've NEVER NEVER EVER lost a chicken. I credit my dogs (Cattle Dog, Golden Retriever, Chessapeake Bay Retriever) with that feat. They run loose also, don't harm the chickens and keep everything else at bay (including UPS, :-). Until now. Brought the first batch of birds out, put them in the tractor overnight and promptly lost three to a fox! The dogs never made a sound, much less ran him off! I'm shocked and will have to adjust my strategy.
Second Snafu: For some reason I can't grow fruit trees. I've tried apple, cherry and plum, they all get killed either by bugs that girdle them or they just die on their own. I REALLY want some apples of my own!
On the plus side - got three healthy calves, my rabbits are doing and selling well and I finally learned to use a scythe. The scythe cuts way down on the use of that darn weed eater (it stinks, is loud, peppers me with green scum and always runs out of line and/or gas)
Anybody else experienced snafu's/new positives so far this year?
P.S. I know a LGD would do a better job than my dogs etc. I don't want to start a discussion on specific "fixes" on my chickens, I just want to know if anybody else has encountered problems with something that worked well previously but not now and what you're (generally)doing to adjust to it.
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05/23/10, 09:39 AM
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Very Dairy
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dysfunction Junction
Posts: 14,603
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Quote:
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Brought the first batch of birds out, put them in the tractor overnight and promptly lost three to a fox! The dogs never made a sound, much less ran him off! I'm shocked and will have to adjust my strategy.
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I'm picturing a vixen batting her eyelashes at your boys. 
(Sorry to make light of your misfortune!)
__________________
"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.
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05/23/10, 10:28 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Maine
Posts: 202
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No, you're probably right. The foxes finally adjusted their strategy to my strategy....
This means I'll have to start outhinking them...
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05/23/10, 10:29 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Carthage, Texas
Posts: 12,261
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Own chickens very long, and You Will Lose some... the way to overcome this trauma, is to have lots of chickens... get some banties and they'll practice predator flooding (producing more than the losses).
A chicken tractor is not a chicken pen. You need a hard sided pen... think wood or metal. All the 'tractors' I've seen aren't predator proof. Live and learn, I reckon. Either harden your tractor, or build a chicken 'bunker' that's bomb proof.
On the trees, spray. They have things that'll work against most insects... both natural and inorganic. Plant and 'forget' is a recipe for dead sticks... BTDT. They take lots of TLC... I planted seven new trees in my orchard last month. I'm watering and checking them for insect or disease damage every two days.
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Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming
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05/23/10, 10:50 AM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Ontario
Posts: 12,685
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I've been so fortunate to be over employed that I'm far behind this year I have to drop a few things like the big garden and chickens/turkeys. Plus my shiney Deere tractor wants a new electric injection controler.
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Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup........
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05/23/10, 10:52 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 259
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Well, the major snafu I've had for 2010 includes the fact that I had attempted to start seedlings and we've had so much rain that they "DROWNED" for lack of a better description.
I now have to go to the garden store and buy a few plants to try and get any sort of garden going before it gets too late. I live in the city so it's only going to be a few plants in a very small garden but I wanted to make my first attempt this year...
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DeeDee
Rockwall, TX
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05/23/10, 12:39 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Posts: 4,290
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For your fruit trees dying, might have the soil checked for acid/alkaline conditions. May need a little adjustment.
.
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If your presence can't add value to my life your absence will make no difference...
玉
(名)三位一體; 三個一組; 三人一組
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05/23/10, 12:57 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Beautiful Ozarks
Posts: 1,394
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Waited too long to replant seedlings. Started over two hundred various veggies, never got around to getting them in the garden soon enough, so most of them died from various reasons from being in the smaller pots for so long.
Only got a few dozen in the ground. Will have to match my ambitions with actual time available more closely next time.
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I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. - Thomas Jefferson
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05/23/10, 01:29 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 24,108
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I have a snafu from the wind yesterday  It's turned around and about 40 feet away and off the concrete from where is was.. 
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Teach only Love...for that is what You are 
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05/23/10, 03:26 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: the other side of the river
Posts: 1,278
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I'm in drought and my well is going dry. My garden is a dustbowl. I'm hauling water from town for the house and I'm having to pick and choose what plants will get watered. If I can save the garlic patch, I'll be happy.
I have a little heirloom seed biz that did very well in its first year. I had started growing out seed stock for next year but I have had to give up. Its not worth risking rare seed in such dry soil. Luckily I have a friend with too much rain who will let me plant some treasures in his garden.
Not being able to putter in the garden morning, noon and night is driving me crazy very fast.
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05/23/10, 05:22 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 401
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Well our lawn mower is on the fritz again and I am having trouble with myself trying to decide whether to put more money into it or not. It is only 7 years old but I do have a lot to mow so maybe it is time to move on to a new one. If that wasn't bad enough our tractor which is 37 years old is also acting up overheating and such. I had the head welded and machined last year but it acts like the same problem again. I need both items to run when I am available because with my work schedule. I can not spend all my time repairing I need to do the jobs I have them to do.So everyone it seems have their challenges in 2010.
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05/23/10, 05:36 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ouachitas, AR
Posts: 6,049
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My major snafu for 2010 would be having a heat lamp for our dogs, they knocked it down and burnt our house to the ground..... But it all worked out for the best, we are debt free and homesteading full time now and in a home that suits our convictions better. I don't think I will ever use another heat lamp though!
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05/23/10, 06:41 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 24,108
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patt
My major snafu for 2010 would be having a heat lamp for our dogs, they knocked it down and burnt our house to the ground..... But it all worked out for the best, we are debt free and homesteading full time now and in a home that suits our convictions better. I don't think I will ever use another heat lamp though!
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Jeepers! That is one heck of a sanfu! 
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Teach only Love...for that is what You are
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05/23/10, 07:01 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Maine
Posts: 202
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patt
My major snafu for 2010 would be having a heat lamp for our dogs, they knocked it down and burnt our house to the ground..... But it all worked out for the best, we are debt free and homesteading full time now and in a home that suits our convictions better. I don't think I will ever use another heat lamp though!
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HOLY COW! I totally agree. On a "snafu-scale" - may the fox have the three chickens, I'd rather keep my house!
Best wishes and good luck for the rest of the year/life for you!
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05/23/10, 07:11 PM
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..where do YOU look?
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: northcentral WI
Posts: 3,918
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betcha those trees are getting girdled by rabbits... not bugs. 2" to 18" above ground?
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When faced with issues in life, where do you look for the problem; out the window, or in the mirror?
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05/23/10, 07:22 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Willamette Valley (Scio), Oregon
Posts: 251
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Snafu... I've lost a lot of poultry already this year. The spring as been so cool and wet that my garden took forever to get started growing so I had to put my customers off two weeks. Hopefully not another week. Then we had a week of hot weather that made my chinese cabbage bolt so I won't have any of that this spring. My dad (who I haven't had a relationship with in over 15yrs) came to visit and cleaned out garage of whatever he didn't have at home, including my tiller (my tiller! can you believe that? I make a living with my garden and my dad took my tiller). Anyways. Nuff said.
The good side. My two goats gave me 4 girls and are giving me almost 2 gallons of milk everyday with only one milking.
Oh and I got invited to speak at an ag conference because I'm a single mom running a farm and making a living at it. I guess that doesn't happen too often. I turned them down though because I still consider myself a newbie. I told them to call me next year and I might be ready for them. I think I'm going to write a book. 
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05/23/10, 07:45 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ouachitas, AR
Posts: 6,049
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Good for you, I hope you do write a book!
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05/23/10, 07:53 PM
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Brenda Groth
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 7,817
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hope you can grow some apples..buy really good quality trees from a really good nursery..not a cheapie local store or something..and then plant it well, put on tree guards and mulch the heck out of the soil around it..and water it really well..you'll be good
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05/23/10, 08:28 PM
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Volvo With a Gun Rack
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Texas and Missouri
Posts: 2,513
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15 year old 5 ton AC compressor died the same week the steering rack went out on the 12 year old (219,000 mile) van.
$2,500 later.....waiting for the next shoe to drop!
Tim
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Taxes, in excess of what are needed to fulfill the constitutionally authorized activity of government, are theft
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05/23/10, 08:58 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 8,283
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Electric fence around the bottom of the chicken pen works wonders
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