Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [NAFEX] critters in the orchard/garden

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "bluestem_farm@juno.com" <bluestem_farm@juno.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] critters in the orchard/garden
  • Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:54:21 GMT

I went to a talk by the pig-raising orchardist and he said that they tried sows first, but they didn't move around much and DID dig holes everywhere almost immediately, so they went to piglets.  Your impression was correct; they ate the drops and were moved back into a nearby pasture.  I imagine that they also cleaned up any drops and bad fruit at the end of the harvest before turning into pork but I don't remember him saying that.  He also didn't mention if they were ringed, but he was producing them as organic pork and I think (but I'm not sure) that ringing is against the rules in organic production.   Maybe it's just some certifiers. 

Muffy Barrett
SC Wisconsin

-- Karen Tillou <arboretum@homeorchardsociety.org> wrote:
the gist i got from the article about pigs in orchards was that in  
using them to control curculio larvae, they are not permanent  
fixtures to the orchard.  the article said the pigs were let in to  
eat the june drops, and in 3 days had devoured them.  as they were  
let in, i assume they were also ushered out after their work was  
done.  as with so many kinds of animals, poultry included, having  
your orchard/garden/farm set up with different paddocks that you can  
rotate your animals through is the best way.  this way, your fruit  
drops get cleaned up, or your garden beds scratched, and then when  
that is done, there is somewhere else for the animals to move to, so  
further damage to valuable plants/trees won't occur.
karen


On Mar 9, 2008, at 2:57 PM, Goat Gal wrote:

> I saw the article on pigs for cleaning up fruit drops...my first  
> thoughts were what's to prevent them from rooting up the orchard  
> and rubbing the bark off the trees (scratching themselves or eating  
> it?)  Not to mention, you couldn't run them where there were young  
> trees as they'd root them up.  Would like to know more  
> details...age of pigs, are they ringed, etc. before trying it!
>
> On poultry and gardens...geese will eat whatever appeals to them  
> and will nest (dig holes) in the garden as well.  We fence them  
> out.  Ducks are incredibly messy and will crush plants as well as  
> uproot and possibly eat some of them.  Chickens scratch up newly  
> planted seeds, although I've had less trouble with chickens in the  
> garden once the plants are mature (if you don't mind the manure).   
> And don't even ASK about GOATS and fruit trees (a continuous battle  
> to keep mine OUT!)
>
> deb
> _______________________________________________
> nafex mailing list
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
>
> Reproduction of list messages or archives is not allowed.
> This includes distribution on other email lists or reproduction on  
> web sites.
> Permission to reproduce is NEVER granted, so don't claim you have  
> permission!
>
> **YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO POST!**
> Posts from email addresses that are not subscribed are discarded.
> No exceptions.
> ----
> To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to the bottom of this page (also  
> can be used to change other email options):
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
>
> File attachments are NOT stripped by this list.
> TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES!
> Please do not send binary files.
> Use plain text ONLY in emails!
>
> NAFEX web site:   http://www.nafex.org/

_______________________________________________
nafex mailing list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Reproduction of list messages or archives is not allowed.
This includes distribution on other email lists or reproduction on web sites.
Permission to reproduce is NEVER granted, so don't claim you have permission!

**YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO POST!**
Posts from email addresses that are not subscribed are discarded.
No exceptions.  
----
To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to the bottom of this page (also can be used to change other email options):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex

File attachments are NOT stripped by this list.
TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES!
Please do not send binary files.
Use plain text ONLY in emails!

NAFEX web site:   http://www.nafex.org/



_____________________________________________________________
Click for free information on accounting careers, $150/hour potential.



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page