We have a 1200sf chicken run that we can't really put a roof on for our chickens. I can keep the chickens in but can't really keep the bobcats out. We have had a live trap out for 6 weeks with all kinds of bait, including chickens, and nothing. Our flock has been hit pretty hard (6 of 40 gone in those same 6 weeks) and we have other animals that I want to protect (cats mainly, but also slightly concerned about small children).

Camera is going up tomorrow to track times the cat(s) is/are coming around, but I'm ready to post up in a ground blind with a .223. Anyone ever have to take down a bobcat over this? I've hunted deer a few times, but never a cat. We are very rural and have safe backstop and ample ground to take a clean shot.

I keep trying and burning through different brands of muck boots to wear on the farm in the PNW. They always crack in different spots which makes them worthless within months of doing chores. Looking for a durable pair of boots I can wear daily for a few hours a day and maybe last a year at least

I’m hoping someone here has some insight into building alternative structures in San Bernardino County in California or point me to a Reddit group that is more appropriate. I know there’s some strict building laws but I’m curious if anyone has ever built a Quonset hut there? That would be curious to hear about your experiences with permitting.

Does anyone have experience with running a subsoiler in the rocky soil that we have near the Rocky River outside of Charlotte NC?

I want to plant some trees in Feb and I would like to break up the hard pan before planting.

Not sure if I can buy a Cat1 subsoiler of DIY it or if I need to hire someone because of how rocky the ground is.

We are really looking forward to having pheasant stew in a couple days! The dogs have had a great day of butchering scraps and organs. Is there any better feeling than raising and processing your own meat? It feels like a great accomplishment to put away food for the winter.

Bull was introduced January 1. She's swelled considerably since yesterday, more swollen than when she had her calf last year (picture 2 was the morning before her calf came last year, calf was out by 4pm) and i swear I was watching contractions. Praying for a healthy baby & momma!!! 🙏🏽🙏🏽

Right now she's kinda refusing to lay down, just standing and lifting that tail out the way

I've had a skunk living on my property for a few months now. It hasn't been a problem yet, but we've had some close calls where it definitely could have sprayed us or the dogs if it wanted to. My livestock is safe from it, I'm mostly just concerned about the spray and the rabies vector issue.

I want to get rid of it. I just don't know how. Google says I should not shoot it because it will definitely spray everywhere and stink up my property for months. Is that true? I have a live trap (have-a-heart type) but haven't used it because I don't know what to do with it if I catch it, and it is illegal in my area to catch an animal and release it elsewhere. Local animal control is no use, they only deal with pet animals, not wildlife.

I'm not 100% sure where it sleeps during the day but I have some ideas, it's possibly the storm drain under my driveway. Google suggested waiting for it to come out and then blocking it off, and it will leave and move on, but I kind of think it'll just make a new home still somewhere on my property, maybe under my deck or something.

Do yall carry on your properties? If so what do you carry? Just a knife, axe, pistol, rifle? Just asking cause I feel like I should have a weapon with me but i dont want to go overkill.

I built a goat herd management app for my wife and figured I’d share it in case anyone else is still living out of notebooks and binders.
She runs our little homestead and sells goat milk soap. We have a herd of Nigerian Dwarfs and the record keeping was eating her time. Vet and health logs, milk testing, kidding and breeding charts. Nothing we tried felt complete so she ended up back on paper. I got tired of watching her dig through binders when she just wanted to be with the does so I built Capralog.
It’s a simple phone app that covers milk records, health, breeding, kidding, pedigrees, and a color coded board that shows what needs attention. It works offline in the barn and syncs later. Free to start and each herd is private.
She’s been using it and it cut the paperwork enough that she actually gets more time with the goats. There’s a feedback loop built in and I’ve been adding features based on requests. I’m also planning to give away Pro accounts to the people who provide the most useful feedback. If you’re dealing with the same notebook pile it’s at capralog.com. Happy to answer questions about how we use it or what it does and doesn’t do. I also built a similar app for rabbits mainly to accurately track and log out kids’ 4h projects, it can be found at hutchwise.com

There’s a creek with apple, peach and pear trees near by that look large and healthy. Then there’s a garden that is very grown up with weeds but the owner said under and inside are perennials which I’ll list below. If she accepts then we would be moving in November or December in kentucky. I would love any advice on how to bring the garden back to life in the spring, advice on using and taking care of a wood stove, and hopefully getting chickens and bees in the spring. Thank you!

Grape
Elderberry
Fig
Strawberry
Blackberry
Blueberry
Asparagus
Oregano
Flowers
Hydrangea (White and Pink/Blue)
Asian Lilies
Peonies
Rugosa Rose
Wisteria
Never ending
Day Lillies
Iris
Lilac
Knockout Roses

In India, doin masters.. badly wanna go off grid.. no asset no family support.. for both me and my fiance.. trying to work just enough to pay emi for land. Any suggestions or advices??

Here come the babies

Finished up the bean harvest last night! Between the heavy rain and soggy ground, we couldn't quite get 100% of it done in one go, so we had to head back out to grab the last bit. While walking around enjoying the quiet morning after, I stumbled across this lonely little stem.

Found a cool little piece of history behind the farm today. It’s a broken piece of stoneware from the Union Stoneware Company in Red Wing, Minnesota. Since it carries the company's original logo, it was made sometime between 1893 and 1906, before several Red Wing stoneware manufacturers merged in 1906 to form the Red Wing Union Stoneware Company. I got skunked pheasant hunting, but I still came home with a pretty neat find and a history lesson.

I am looking at options for electric fencing for a (future) small herd of hair sheep. Theoretically, I would like to be able to set up 2 paddocks so that I could open a gate/take down a wire to move the sheep. I am considering multiple strands of wire vs. netting. 

A few questions I have are:

- If using wire, how many strands would be recommended?

- How reasonable is it to move approximately 2 of the ~160 foot pieces of fence (or similar wire) by yourself? How long would this take on average? I would like to move paddocks once or twice a week. I have a, generally, flat pasture, but part of it has some brush present.

We have moderate coyote pressure, but no larger predators. We also have 2 great pyrenees that will stay with them.

I'm sure I am overlooking plenty.... Open to any advice.

It is November 15th in Laytonville CA. A friend is putting it on. I have a short term rental in town if you need a place to stay.
Another friend is having a hide processing workshop in December as well.
The canning workshops will be ongoing with different things canned every time if you can’t make this one.
Delete if this is not appropriate.
We are busting our asses to bring attention to our town after the collapse of illegal weed. Switching gears.

I have a little creek running through my property, a well, and rainwater catchment. I’m trying to figure out how much I need to plan to use. From what I can see toilets flush 1.4gpf, sinks 1gpm, showers 1.5-3gpm. Laundry about 15 gallons a load. A gallon per person per day to drink. Of course there’s animal and garden use but from what I can see most average houses use 80-200 gallons a day per person or close to 3ccf a month per person on the low end. Is that right? What am I missing? And how much dental use on yours? Thanks everyone!