Blocks out carrot fly!
We learned what good carrots look like when growing up in Manitoba. Here in Nova Scotia our carrots grew small and filled with maggots and tunnels of carrot rust flies. I guess that the flies come from wild carrots which grow in abundance along roadsides and on any unmowed land. Since the carrot rust flies are weak fliers, this year we fenced our carrot bed with screen from an old tent to a height of about two feet. We had good, normal carrots, without any sign of damage from the carrot rust fly. Window screen would also work. We have tried floating row cover but it has to be taken off for thinning and weeding. The carrots need to be protected from seeding to harvest.
I hope that this could help others to enjoy good, juicy and sweet carrots.
Anthony Navratil, Hampton NS
Anthony Navratil used tent material to block out carrot fly. Unlike a floating row cover, which has to be lifted for weeding, the wall allowed easy access to the bed.
Using a fish net for catching chickens
Our first chicken tractor that we made was not very high. It worked well for our dual purpose chickens giving them nice new pasture every day in the summer. But when it came time to sort out the chickens and roosters in the fall it was very awkward to get in and out. (At that point it had a tarp roof secured with bungee cords, and we would access it by lifting up a corner of the tarp). Of course, catching the chickens once in the pen was even more awkward, mainly crawling around on your hands and knees. And it was usually my job because I’m somewhat vertically challenged! We have modified the tractor itself so that we have a bigger access door.
But what has made the biggest difference is using a fish net! With the side access door open, there is enough reach with the net to catch the chickens without having to crawl around in the pen itself. It has been a real time saver and sure makes it tons easier to catch the chickens. It’s also super handy when chickens escape their pen and need to be caught as well, or anytime you need to cull a few birds. In the picture: we had too many roosters in the spring and needed to thin the population, and make chicken stew.
Debbie Kile
A long handled fish net makes catching chickens much easier.