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  #16   ^
Old Mon, May-11-20, 14:49
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,177
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
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Bob, might I suggest a few rabbits to mow, or chickens..... ? lol

Somewhat related. In an area of Africa the native grasses have a symbiotic relationship with cattle. If not grazed, the grass matures and dies. A tall tangled mass of dried material. When cattle, in tjis case beef cattle, were brought in to graze, the grasses re-established and thrived with periodic "mowing". Wonder how that grass smells after grazing ? Maybe the smell helps move the cattle onto another area.......
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  #17   ^
Old Mon, May-11-20, 19:48
Bob-a-rama's Avatar
Bob-a-rama Bob-a-rama is offline
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Posts: 1,953
 
Plan: Keto (Atkins Induction)
Stats: 235/175/185 Male 5' 11"
BF:
Progress: 120%
Location: Florida
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We used to see a lot of wild rabbits, but since coyotes and burmese pythons have migrated here, I hardly ever see one.

I live between a protected wetlands and a salt water lagoon, I've also seen fox, bobcat, raccoons, opossums, gopher tortoises, and a variety of other wildlife in my back yard. Plenty of birds too, from little buntings to 4' tall sandhill cranes.

I think they like it because it's mostly meadow filled with whatever grows wild here. The things i planted are natives and long established non-invasive plants that once established need no care other than what mother nature provides. I also chose plants that feed the nectar, seed, and berry eaters.

A neighbor tried chickens, but the coyotes got them all.

I keep the area around the house and the road shoulder mowed, that's it. It's mostly wild grasses plus whatever was planted before I moved here. I do not water or fertilize it.

The Indian RiverKeeper paid me a visit, and told me my yard is perfect for the health of the lagoon.

So I'm doing something for mother nature and since it's relatively care free, I'm doing something for myself as well.

Bob
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  #18   ^
Old Tue, May-12-20, 11:27
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,177
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
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Definetly win-win. Chickens and rabbits need protection from coyote for sure. I have up fencing to reduce the chance coyote stray from the game trails. Locking up is required. And using a chicken tractor......

As I rip handfulls of grass for the rabbits I think of the screaming....
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  #19   ^
Old Tue, May-12-20, 12:24
Bob-a-rama's Avatar
Bob-a-rama Bob-a-rama is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,953
 
Plan: Keto (Atkins Induction)
Stats: 235/175/185 Male 5' 11"
BF:
Progress: 120%
Location: Florida
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My neighbor kept the chickens in a coop at night, and the coyotes still got them. Or at least we think the coyotes.

Another neighbor got a picture of a coyote on his doorbell camera.

I wouldn't feel right getting an animal knowing I was sentencing it to death by the sharp teeth of a predator while in an enclosed space with nowhere to run or hide.

I'm OK with predation in the wild, it's the way of the world, but wild things have better defenses and reflexes than domestic animals.

I have a 6 foot coachwhip snake that lives under my house. It is at big around as my forearm, a beautiful animal. I don't think the rabbits or chickens would agree.

I forgot to mention, I planted ferns under most of the oak trees. No need to mow, no need to water, no need to care for and the affix nitrogen into the soil to feed the trees.

I'm trying to get my yard in balance with mother nature.

Bob
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  #20   ^
Old Tue, May-12-20, 12:59
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,177
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
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Lovely snake.

Im thankful no big snakes here. And no bears. Definitely having any livestock includes protection.

Currently have a solar run ele tric fence to kerp deer out of orchard now.... they keep young fruit trees too small.

Had a guard dog that kept coyote away. And coyote dont mess with rams; lambs protected by high fencing and a mother.

Chickens are shredding my young pea plants. Must be more tender and tasty than the clover they trek over to get to pea plot.
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  #21   ^
Old Tue, May-12-20, 15:23
Zei Zei is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,596
 
Plan: Carb reduction in general
Stats: 230/185/180 Female 5 ft 9 in
BF:
Progress: 90%
Location: Texas
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We have coyotes but the possums were what killed all the neighbor's chickens. I chicken-sat for them on their vacations and you had to have those girls inside their coop super securely locked because one even worked its way in there we were able to chase out. Glad the girls didn't meet their demise on my shift! Before that I had even thought of the idea of having my own chickens, but after seeing all that, nope.
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  #22   ^
Old Tue, May-12-20, 17:21
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Calianna Calianna is offline
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Posts: 1,851
 
Plan: Atkins-ish (hypoglycemia)
Stats: 000/000/000 Female 63
BF:
Progress: 50%
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob-a-rama
~snip~

I keep the area around the house and the road shoulder mowed, that's it. It's mostly wild grasses plus whatever was planted before I moved here. I do not water or fertilize it.
~snip~





Sounds wonderful!



I've seen information recently about how to transform your yard into a meadow - lots of native plants that will multiply and spread, and wildflowers that will reseed every year, no need to water (except while you're establishing the new plantings and seedlings), fertilize, or mow. Mentioned to DH how lovely that would be in a section of our back yard, and of course the problem is that local ordinances prohibit you from having grass higher than 6" in your yard - which if you're turning it into a meadow, the wildflowers will grow up in and among the grass, so you can't cut the grass without also cutting the wildflowers.


So we can't have chickens because of local ordinances, can't turn part of our yard into a self-sustaining, environmentally friendly meadow because of local ordinances...


Quote:
I forgot to mention, I planted ferns under most of the oak trees. No need to mow, no need to water, no need to care for and the affix nitrogen into the soil to feed the trees.




Maybe we could at least plant ferns under the maple trees, and mulch the area with the leaves from the trees to reduce the amount of mowing necessary. Unless that's somehow against local ordinances too, which wouldn't surprise me at all, because everything is regulated here.
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  #23   ^
Old Tue, May-12-20, 19:01
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,177
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
Default

Quote:
So we can't have chickens because of local ordinances, can't turn part of our yard into a self-sustaining, environmentally friendly meadow because of local ordinances...


Sometimes you can work around the plant limitations. Just arrange everything to look planned... use bird friendly and insect friendly varieties of flowering material. Keeping a section mowed makes for diverse habitat.

A few people in FL have turned lawn to trees. Fruit trees and vegetables as part of landscape. No lawn to mow. Lots of vegetation to manage though.

In the Boston area people are fighting the no chicken ordinance. Hens are quieter than dogs and less curbside poop than a dog.

A friend in a town far outside Boston had chickens, and when neighbors found out, worked with them to keep her prized chickens.

I know of others that keep pet chickens in the house, diapers included. lol

Last edited by Ms Arielle : Tue, May-12-20 at 19:06.
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  #24   ^
Old Wed, May-13-20, 03:51
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WereBear WereBear is offline
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Posts: 14,606
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
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It's especially annoying because a monoculture like a lawn is the worst possible choice.
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  #25   ^
Old Wed, May-13-20, 11:45
Zei Zei is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,596
 
Plan: Carb reduction in general
Stats: 230/185/180 Female 5 ft 9 in
BF:
Progress: 90%
Location: Texas
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We're legally required to mow here in the city, but I never water and just mow whatever grows and call it grass. Had to saw down a tree that snuck up from some bushes into my power line. Felt sorry for it as it wept out tears of sap. The trunk is still alive so I think I'll just let it live its life and grow as a bush.
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  #26   ^
Old Wed, May-13-20, 16:08
Bob-a-rama's Avatar
Bob-a-rama Bob-a-rama is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,953
 
Plan: Keto (Atkins Induction)
Stats: 235/175/185 Male 5' 11"
BF:
Progress: 120%
Location: Florida
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calianna
Sounds wonderful!

I've seen information recently about how to transform your yard into a meadow - lots of native plants that will multiply and spread, and wildflowers that will reseed every year, no need to water (except while you're establishing the new plantings and seedlings), fertilize, or mow. <...snip...>


I bought perriwinkle seeds, since they grow here, and they reseed themselves. Beach sunflowers do well too. I planted one plant and it has spread. They come and go - die off here and spring up there.

I planted 4 Royal Poinciana trees and they make food for the squirrels every year, and beautiful red blooms before that. I've got dozens of other trees, mostly live oak, and ferns under that keep me from mowing while they make oxygen and fix nitrogen to the sandy soil to feed the trees.

The downy jasmines and ixoras keep the bees, wasps, and butterflies happy. I have some Carolina Jasmine, Firebush and tropical Honeysuckle which are natives that also feed the pollinators.

I don't know what eats the seagrape berries, but something surely does. It must be a night creature.

The property looks a little wild, or should I say informal, and I like that. I like that it needs no care, feeds wildlife and is good for the environment.

I also found that when the yard isn't mowed, the fire ants don't like it and won't build their nests here. That's a big bonus.

I'm 32' above sea level on a sterile, sugar sand, ancient sand dune. Not much in the way of crops will grow here without extensive fertilizing. That will run down to the Indian River Lagoon and since it is already in decline due to the green grass lovers, I can't bring myself to add to its demise.

Bob
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  #27   ^
Old Wed, May-13-20, 17:41
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
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Posts: 37,201
 
Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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Hope nobody minds if I get things back to the original "light" tone of this thread

Anyway .. I Hear The Screams of the Vegetables .. Carrot Juice is Murder
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  #28   ^
Old Wed, May-13-20, 18:12
deirdra's Avatar
deirdra deirdra is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,324
 
Plan: vLC/GF,CF,SF
Stats: 197/136/150 Female 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 130%
Location: Alberta
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What's next, a review of the most humane way to harvest your vegetables? If you pick a cucumber, does that kill it? Its seeds are still viable. Or will it still have feelings when you throw it in the Vegematic a few days later? Do seeds feel anything?
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  #29   ^
Old Wed, May-13-20, 19:39
Bob-a-rama's Avatar
Bob-a-rama Bob-a-rama is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,953
 
Plan: Keto (Atkins Induction)
Stats: 235/175/185 Male 5' 11"
BF:
Progress: 120%
Location: Florida
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I did hear a veggie person said that she didn't eat dead food - referring to meat.

I was kind and didn't tell her that her tomato died soon after it was picked.

I do talk to my plants.

I just put in a dozen downy jasmine bushes. They have to be watered for a couple of years, slowly tapering off the frequency before they take. I hand water as I think it wastes less.

I swear I can hear them thank me, so being polite, I always respond "your'e welcome"

Bob
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