Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[SageHill]

I wonder if they would avoid stepping on something like chickenwire? but that would cost a ton to spread out totally around the entire garden. That spray stuff is nasty smelling - it might work, or it might not.
There are the motion detector water jet sprayers, again no idea if it works. At this point it's a lot of gue$$ing.

OH oh - what about the Predator Eyes??? I have these around my corral and barn (even though the sheep are put up at night inside the barn). I and a friend have used these for coyotes and they do help.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Triumpeek-Repeller-Nighttime-Deterrent-Repellent/dp/B096FQJW44/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=HQ96DPSNKBQU&keywords=predator%2Beyes%2Bsolar%2Bpowered&qid=1692832862&sprefix=predator%2Beye%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

.
I also saw this mixed in with those on my Amazon search:

https://www.amazon.com/ANEWNICE-Deer-Repellent-Deterrent-Extra-Strength/dp/B0C4KHKVWG/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?crid=HQ96DPSNKBQU&keywords=predator%2Beyes%2Bsolar%2Bpowered&qid=1692832992&sprefix=predator%2Beye%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

,
Again no idea if they work.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I just ordered the blinky red eyes, a 4 pack, and two types of deer repellent from Amazon. Supposed to deliver on Friday. Hopefully they will work.

I will try to work on the fence panels tonight and maybe beef up the gates in case they are pushing through the gaps at the bottom.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I think I have a container of blood meal in the shed. I'm going to try spreading that in some of the potted trees.

 

[farmerjan]

"I hate to be negative... but 6 ft fences are not enough of a deterrent to a determined deer. Not saying they are going over... but the only thing to prevent deer from jumping is 8 ft fencing... that is the minimum requirement for any of the places that raise deer for meat for commercial production... and some places are 10 ft. The fawn and doe in there makes me believe that they are going under/through something.
They would not be going over the solid wood fencing... they normally will not jump blind over something that tall like the stockade type fence that they cannot see over/through.

I would definitely try the game cameras and see... deer will sneak under fences if they can....and I have seen deer go under fences that are less than 12 inches off the ground...

And I am a fan of Ebay and so check your prices as I think those blinking eye things were $6-8 cheaper...

I did find that spraying with the liquid blood meal type repellent did stop the chewing of stuff, by both the deer and ground hogs... at least long enough for me to catch and kill the groundhogs....until the last one got trap wise... I think that espoma makes a repellent also that is based on blood meal....the guy that does our weekly gardening show is a BIG believer in the espoma products...

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

There was a doe in the garden when I got home. I yelled at her and chased her, she jumped out over the upper man gate, which is visually blocked and about 6' tall.

I am not sure how I can make the fences taller without help. I spread almost the full bag of blood meal in most of the potted plants and in ground rows. Hopefully that helps enough until the other stuff gets here Friday.

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm fortunate that the deer have SO MUCH in crop to eat, they rarely target my garden thank a farmer!

 

[canesisters]

I had one of those motion detection sprinklers set up a couple of years ago to stop something from eating my tomatoes. Along with a game camera, I discovered that it was CROWS! Eventually I kept moving the sprinkler : up high to catch them flying in, then down low at one end to catch them walking in, then down low at the other end, etc, etc and got them to move on.
Truth be told - I think that I got sprayed more often than they did.
I wonder if something like that might help? Set so that it sprayed away from the garden to deter them before they get too close???

 

[Baymule]

I think you need a LGGD
Livestock Garden Guardian Dog!

 

[canesisters]

I think you need a LGGD
Livestock Garden Guardian Dog!

VGGD

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Hubby wants me to use the water motion sprayer. That only helps if you know what direction they are going to be coming from, and to my mind putting inside the garden kinda defeats the purpose, they are already inside the garden.

I watered everything this morning and it didn't look like there was additional damage after I chased the doe last night. Or at least if there was, I couldn't tell. I made some trellises with cotton twine and tried to gently move the beans towards it, hopefully they have attached today. The one row in the middle needs t posts and then I can give it a trellis too.

I took another look at the gate I thought the doe had jumped over, and now I'm thinking she dove through a gap between the gate and fence instead. There was a deep hoof print spot right there, which didn't seem to line up with a jump zone, but would make sense in a desperate run-away-from-the-angry-person spot to squeeze through that gap. I jammed two bent up tomato cages in the gap and threaded two big sticks in as well. Hopefully if she tries to squeeze through again she'll get jabbed. I tried wiggling it and it was in the gap pretty good, so hopefully that blocks her access there.

Hubby got home late yesterday so he didn't help with the garden at all. Hopefully he can help tonight. Not sure I should be installing t posts at just before 38 weeks pregnant, I don't want munchkin 2 to come this early.