What adventures! Hubby inadvertently had a chicken wing in his compost pile. Something got in there and collapsed the wire fence, and was trapped. Then it tore 2 holes in the wire and escaped.
We suspect a big racoon. Something got all the grapes on the lower rung of the vines last year. He set a live trap and captured a smallish coon. Set the trap again, and the next day, the door was mangled and the trap bent. So we think we have a large one hanging out.
I really don’t like roosters, due to being flogged viciously when I was just a youngun. I was born in Hill Billy Country, so I guess I have always been one.LOL
So far, no raccoons. We do not see dead ones on the highway, either. Coyotes, wolves, porcupines, etc., yes. We have various sizes of traps and lead-projectile tools to ward off various varmints. ;)
We did not plan on having a rooster. He is on probation. If he is hard on the hens, Freezer Camp. I have the recipes and canner to make them “useful”, one way or another. I developed a moderate allergy to eggs when my hormones went insane. My GYN thinks the soy in their diets is the cause. Soy is a hormone nightmare. I cannot ingest that, eith byer. I have read many success stories of those who raised soy-free chickens could eat their eggs. I am probably overoptimistic, yet I want an egg salad sammich with a vengeance. I really miss eggs. I have plenty of people to eat them if it does not work out.
One side of my family is Irish Okie/Hillbilly and the other from County Mayo Ireland. Proud of my ancestry. Good people. ;)
Most gardeners roll over and wet themselves over clubroot. The soil is said to be contaminated for 3, 7, or forever-years. I do not agree. Ed Smith’s book say to bring the soil up to a pH of at least 7.2, use compost and no manure and solarize the soil.
I like the flame-thrower idea better. Wood ash and/or lime raises the pH, the scorched Earth idea has some validity? (ornery grin) Wood ash gives 1/3 calcium, and the highest amounts of potassium and magnesium compared to calcitic or dolomitic limestone. Turn the area with the fungus into a big BBQ pit for a while? Roast a pig there on wood chips? Just throwing out some ideas...