With the recent bear attack, we needed to bolster our defenses for the garden and especially the chickens. So, we installed an electric fence. The fence is working great, but the location of the energizer to turn it on and off is not ideal. So, we needed to do something about it.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Friday, July 17, 2020
Felling Trees, Pt 2 - Cleaning Up Downed Trees
Felling the trees is just the first part. Once they are down you still have to clean up the mess.
Monday, July 13, 2020
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Very late snow and a bear attack... what a week!
What else can 2020 dish up? Well for us it was a very late spring snow storm and a bear attack, both in the same week.
The snow ended up killing some of our plants. We don't know exactly how many, but the pumpkins that we had recently moved out to the garden didn't fare so well. Those that were in the cold frames and green house are all fine. We will need to invest in some more of those in the future.
There is a reason that we call it Bearly Homesteading and that was hit home with the recent bear attack. The bear tore into our garbage shed and tried to get into our chickens. The chickens survived, but the garbage did not. Luckily it wasn't the other way around. So, the garden has a new electric fence, the garbage shed has a new wall, and we are hoping that this will be enough to deter future attacks.
The picture in the title of the video is a photo that I took about a week after the attack as I was driving down the mountain for an errand and saw that bear crossing the road. I don't know if it was our bear, but with how close it was to the property it is a good bet that it was.
The snow ended up killing some of our plants. We don't know exactly how many, but the pumpkins that we had recently moved out to the garden didn't fare so well. Those that were in the cold frames and green house are all fine. We will need to invest in some more of those in the future.
There is a reason that we call it Bearly Homesteading and that was hit home with the recent bear attack. The bear tore into our garbage shed and tried to get into our chickens. The chickens survived, but the garbage did not. Luckily it wasn't the other way around. So, the garden has a new electric fence, the garbage shed has a new wall, and we are hoping that this will be enough to deter future attacks.
The picture in the title of the video is a photo that I took about a week after the attack as I was driving down the mountain for an errand and saw that bear crossing the road. I don't know if it was our bear, but with how close it was to the property it is a good bet that it was.
Saturday, July 4, 2020
The goats have to go... somewhere else!
The goats are causing more trouble. They keep getting out of their enclosure and wandering the neighborhood. They are not inclined to return to their area, and so they have to be dragged (literally sometimes) back. This is causing a lot of problem when I am at work and Mama Bear and the kids have to deal with it.
So, we have to move up plans for their permanent pasture. In the lower part of the property, we have some really nice grazing land. It's just not fenced. We took them down there one evening just to see how they would do, and they immediately ended up in the road. A cyclist almost hit them. It was a fiasco.
We have a 1/2 acre area that we fenced off. We started with 4 strands of barbed wire. That kept them inside for about 5 minutes. Next we added 2 strands of electric wire. One high and one low. That lasted about 30 minutes, and then Oreo was out. Charcoal got snapped, wouldn't go near the fence again, and just cried because Oreo left him behind. We added a third strand of electric wire in the middle, they have both stayed inside for over 2 weeks. So far so good!
We still need a permanent shelter. I am currently working with the county to get our building envelope changed or bet yet removed. Once that is done, then I can get a permit pulled to build a loafing shed. We will also need a access road put in so we can actually get a vehicle down to the lower part of the property. Lots to do and it all has to get done before winter.
So, we have to move up plans for their permanent pasture. In the lower part of the property, we have some really nice grazing land. It's just not fenced. We took them down there one evening just to see how they would do, and they immediately ended up in the road. A cyclist almost hit them. It was a fiasco.
We have a 1/2 acre area that we fenced off. We started with 4 strands of barbed wire. That kept them inside for about 5 minutes. Next we added 2 strands of electric wire. One high and one low. That lasted about 30 minutes, and then Oreo was out. Charcoal got snapped, wouldn't go near the fence again, and just cried because Oreo left him behind. We added a third strand of electric wire in the middle, they have both stayed inside for over 2 weeks. So far so good!
We still need a permanent shelter. I am currently working with the county to get our building envelope changed or bet yet removed. Once that is done, then I can get a permit pulled to build a loafing shed. We will also need a access road put in so we can actually get a vehicle down to the lower part of the property. Lots to do and it all has to get done before winter.
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