Wow funny I came across this article a day after I was talking about it to my counsellor. I was complaining to him that ever since we lost the farm and moved into this house we've lost at least one plant a yr to squash vine borers
And he replied well thats an easy one to answer... this is the 1st time in your life you haven't had chickens! What a light bulb moment! He was right! Thats why we never had vine borers!
I too used to plant a large pumpkin like atlantic giant for my chickens. I didn't even know they liked pumpkin 'till one yr I was missing 2 hens. Our farm was surrounded by state park so we had alot of wildlife eagles, hawks, owls, fox, coyote, blk bear, turkey's ect. so was sure when my dogs didn't find them and bring them home I thought for sure a preditor got them.... about a week later I was leaving for work and seen one of the missing girls in the pumpkin patch I was soooo happy I got over there and she like vanished! I new I wasn't seeing things so where could she of disappeared to. Then I hear a muffled bruk bruk bruk ah. And followed the sound to a giant pumpkin!!! They silver spangles and her partener in crime yokohama pecked out a hole in the pumpkin ate the seeds and built a nest inside. From then on I always made sure they had one :)
We let ours free range too and at night our dogs would gather them up and walk them home which wasn't too hard as they were on their way home anyhow
And no I can't have any chickens in the city
