Can You Help?

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:08:11 GMT

littlepitcher:
Dumb question from a habanero fan--Suppose you put out some prunings, heavily spiced with hot pepper spray, adjacent to those trees...do you think that perhaps you could train the brutes to leave your property alone?

I don't think so. I tried both pepper spray & vinegar on the backs fo the lattices, & frankly, the steers seemed more interested, not less.

A few weeks ago they brought home a new calf, & I understand that today he is bringing home another calf - this one a brindle, because one of his daughters wants the brindle hide to tan & put over her bar. Yesterday he built a pen for the 2 calves "because the big ones won't let them eat". I also found out the one he is growing the horns on has another year or two before the horns are fully grown. So - - looks like I will be watching for fencing materials on freecycle!

I enjoy watching the steers across the fence when they are not eating my plants. People are constantly upgrading their fences here, so if I watch, I might be able to get enough material to keep them permanently out of the peach tree, the lilacs & the currants. One of the neighbors a few doors down put up a fence that alternates solid & heavy 4x2" woven wire sections. The woven wire sections are set in a frame made of 2 x 4s & all the wood is stained the same color. It looks nice, & they can still see through - - the animal (in their case horses) just can't reach through to eat the plants.They put up theirs in sections, as they could afford, so I think I will try to copy theirs.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

littlepitcher — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:36:37 GMT

Dumb question from a habanero fan--Suppose you put out some prunings, heavily spiced with hot pepper spray, adjacent to those trees...do you think that perhaps you could train the brutes to leave your property alone?

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:34:48 GMT

Sheppard:
Can't you send the farmer the bill for steer-food?

Since I moved next to an animal right's property, his right to have the animals supercedes my rights. All I can do is try to sufficiently fence them out & I am working on that.

Unfortunately, the lot is not that large, less than 1/4 acre total, & if the steers bruise something that stinks badly, I would have to smell it, too.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

Sheppard — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:35:10 GMT

Can't you send the farmer the bill for steer-food?

Could you plant some Helleborus foetidus by the fence? They smell awful when bruised and might put the animals off.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:35:21 GMT

Sallybabe56:
Zohnerfarms, How about an update on the steers/trees situation?

Sallybabe56:
Are the steers gone to slaughter?

At this point in time, none have gone to slaughter - - and now there are 3. The two larger longhorn steers both know how to use their horns to leverage the woven wire fence. The new calf is confined in a pen/shed with fenced, not solid sides. Not sure what is going on there, but the neighbor was forced to retire at 51, so he is home more. When they do send one to slaughter, it will only be one. The older one left behind will teach the calf, so the problem perpetuates itself.

The apricot tree I moved still has 3 little sprouts, now with frosted, wilted leaves, but sprouts nevertheless. The steers had broken the fence behind the apple tree & munched on all the limbs they could reach, but if you flex your hand back with the fingers stretched up, that is about how many branches survived. I have neither moved nor killed that apple tree yet.

I purchased another Montmorency pie cherry tree & planted it far enough away from the fence that they can't reach it. That tree is growing just fine. I sprayed the cherry tree they ate & then used my lopping shears to cut most of it up. I still need to cut off the last bit of the trunk - about 2-3 feet of trunk too thick to use the loppers on, so I will need to get out one of the saws or the hatchet.

I purchased another Golden Delicious apple tree & planted it, but it died. It is guaranteed & under normal circumstance,s I would go back & get another one, but it was inadvertently placed on top of bark that had been sprayed with RoundUp, then watered, so I don't think it is fair to ask the nursery to cover our communication screw-up. That is why I have neither sprayed nor moved the munched on Golden Delicious apple tree yet. I am considering trying to move the apple tree. Since it is growing at the edge of the garden, I could probably get better access to ALL the roots & the tree might be able to be moved without killing it, but I decided to wait until it was fully dormant to try. I think with good careful pruning, it could still be turned into a useful fruit tree.

Sallybabe56:
Did the other trees survive the steers?

The only tree I have not moved is the peach tree. It was loaded with fruit & we picked at least a bushel of peaches from it. It is too big to move without killing it, & so far the steers have not been able to break the lattices behind it - altho I watched one of them try a couple of times, unsuccessfully. If I move the tree, I will lose it, so I am watching freecycle for appropriate fencing, at which point I will put solid fence between that tree & the steers.

I have not moved the lilac bushes, either - the steers cannot eat the entire top off them, just the back half. Same with the currant bushes. I may eventually put solid fence behind those as well.

The steers are currently eating the back half of the strawberry bed, but I have built a new one along a side fence between our yard & the neighbors, & I am in the process of transplanting strawberry plants. Their leaves have changed color, but not dried up, so they are entering dormancy.

I need to finish moving the strawberry plants, & then I need to move the raspberry canes they ate off to somewhere the steers cannot reach.

The peach tree, plum tree & sweet cherry tree have always been out of the reach of the steers, as they were planted in the "second" row to provide shade for the back of the house.

My goal is to have our food needs largely met by the fruit trees, berry bushes & garden. I had that in Idaho & got spoiled, & I want it again.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

Sallybabe56 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:01:57 GMT

Zohnerfarms, How about an update on the steers/trees situation? Did the other trees survive the steers? Are the steers gone to slaughter? Enquiring minds would like to know LOL.

Hugs Sally.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:50:30 GMT

zohnerfarms:
2 new sprouts low on the tree, but above the graft

Today there was a 3rd leafy sprout!!!

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:12:05 GMT

No. They are still munching on the strawberry plants & the apple tree I have neither killed nor moved - - it is at the edge of the garden & I didn't want to kill the things around it. Also, because it extends into the edge of the garden, my chances of moving it are better than if it were in the lawn. I haven't moved the peach tree, either, but they haven't managed to break the lattice behind it yet. It was loaded with fruit (we picked a box & a half),& I did n't want to move it. I have been watching for fencing on the local freecycle boards & hope to strengthen the fence behind the peach tree & possibly the apple tree, if I can get some. The new apple tree I bought died, so I may just try to save this one.

There has been a new calf in the holding pen for a month now, so at least one of the older steers should be going to slaughter soon, possibly both of them

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

Toni B. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:38:47 GMT

That is Good News. Have the steers stayed away from the fence since all the vegetation has gone?

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:20:37 GMT

zohnerfarms:
The apricot tree I moved has not resprouted any leaves, but the nursery is out of the variety of tree I like, so it will stay plantedin the new spot until spring when it either leafs out or is replaced with a new one.

Yesterday when I mowed the back yard, there were 2 new sprouts low on the tree, but above the graft This tree might just pull out after all!

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

Pat — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:38:00 GMT

Good luck with the apple tree. My daughter got one for me last year for Mother's Day. It did fine last year but this year, all of the top died. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like the grafted part died and the stock is still alive. I don't know where she got it or if it was guaranteed, but I'm sure the receipt is long gone. I can't decide whether to start another one this fall or wait until spring.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 03:33:37 GMT

zohnerfarms:
Didn't have enough steam to get the hole dug & the apple tree in the ground today,

Well, the new apple tree is in the ground, but all the leaves have wilted. I don't know if it is dead or just in shock - we had some high temps for a couple of days. At least the tree is guaranteed, so if it doesn't leaf out come spring, I can have it replaced.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:41:01 GMT

Update on the fruit trees & the steers.The apricot tree I moved has not resprouted any leaves, but the nursery is out of the variety of tree I like, so it will stay plantedin the new spot until spring when it either leafs out or is replaced with a new one. I bought a replacement Montmorency pie cherry tree & a replacement Golden Delicious apple tree at the nursery today, for 20% off, so my cost to replace the trees was $56. It was a blessing to have them on sale. I cut down the cherry tree that had been eaten, salvaging as much of the wood as I could - after all, it wasn't a very big tree yet, but fruit wood is hardwood & useful for smoking meat or just a good smell in the wood stove. Didn't have enough steam to get the hole dug & the apple tree in the ground today, because I was doing wash, picking dill, picking up cucumbers & making pickles.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

zohnerfarms — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:27:08 GMT

littlepitcher:
Check around to see if you can find who makes those stockade fences, vinyl or wood.

We are too close to both water & electric lines to use an electric fence. I have to be more than 50 feet from either for the ground post.

We decided it was less expensive to replace the trees, so I tried moving one of them to see if it would survive. It appears that it did not, so next spring we will just replant. The cost will be under $80, & I can't put up new fence for that.

Re: Steers across fence eating my trees

littlepitcher — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:06:40 GMT

Check around to see if you can find who makes those stockade fences, vinyl or wood. Is there a factory outlet or salvage store nearby?

Would a solar fence charger work? How'bout that old mountain solution, shotgun shells loaded with rock salt, in their faces?

You can't butcher the darned things, but do you happen to know some bad boys with freezers who can do it while you're out of town?

Last resort is the pellet gun, poisoned or otherwise, aimed squarely and accurately up the anus.