Texas

[Italia]

Yes, harder than Saudi Arabia! I didn't have deer in Saudi Arabia and it never got cold. It is really tough for a plant to be able to cope with 107 in the summer, no rain and then have to cope with well below freezing. That's really tough.

I'm trying to grow natives so I don't have to water. I planted over 100 bushes and trees this spring, and it has been a real challenge to keep them watered which I do by hand.

I water by hand too. I think it is the better and more responsible thing to do. Don't get me wrong though, there have been may hot days that I have longed for a sprinkler system. Hand watering gives you time to pay attention to the needs of your plants. Or just time to gawk without looking like a loon for staring at your plants to long lol!

 

[Italia]

So I'm cautiously optimistic but I gently shoved (haha) my 4 two week old Marans under my broody tonight. She didn't seem concerned. No pecking at them even though they were really moving around under her. Fingers crossed.

Is this her first brood? Have you done that before? I have had a lot of losses from them being stepped on. So now I pull them when they hatch and put them in a brooder. I usually always have at least one broody silkie at a time if not more for egg hatching but I have gotten tired of finding cold chicks.

Hope all goes well with your girl

 

[back2simplelife]

Basically you take all those gardening books and magazines you read and chunk them in the trash... cause almost all of them deal with weather and conditions that don't exist where you are now. Then look up gardening for where you really are on google. Or something.

Ok.. I am really laughing now! Only gardening book I own is on companion planting. I have had a garden for 20 years now.. these last two years (didn't have one the first yr here) have been by far the worst! Was looking on the Texas A&M site and well.. umm.. we had a freeze in May! So I waited.. which I guess I waited too long.. hahaa.. then it rained out my seeds so I planted again.. then the heat/drought started. Think I might have to buy some wall-o-waters just in case that happens next year! Now cold, I can grow in.. LOL It's this hot hot dry stuff that just ggrrrs me! Had no problems gardening in Wyo or even in MT at 6,000 ft elevation! WHY can't I figure out this heat thing!

Is it too late to put in a fall garden? Did I miss that too? LOL

 

[TxLakeChick]

Ok so this is not a pic of a butt, but guess what I found this morning. Got 3 of my baby chicks and one duckie.

Anyone know what he is? Other than dead!

Looks EXACTLY like the rat snake that got 3 of my chicks

 

[jockeyeba]

Here are some pics of my beloved garden. I guess every eden will have a snake or two. I think my ponds full of frogs probably do not help matters either

OH MY!! sooo beautiful!!!

X2

 

[jockeyeba]

I've got chicks! Eeeppps! First set from my bantam frizzle

Congrats

 

[jockeyeba]

I found surprise chicks last night one of the AG hens kept showing up acting broody but I never saw where she would disappear to. I accidently found her hiding spot-right under my nose she has 7 chicks today & still quite a few eggs not hatched yet I can't believe she made it 21 days without a raccoon getting her

 

[Italia]

That's a really cool surprise! I want a surprise like that.

I found surprise chicks last night

one of the AG hens kept showing up acting broody but I never saw where she would disappear to. I accidently found her hiding spot-right under my nose

she has 7 chicks today & still quite a few eggs not hatched yet I can't believe she made it 21 days without a raccoon getting her

 

[back2simplelife]

I found surprise chicks last night

one of the AG hens kept showing up acting broody but I never saw where she would disappear to. I accidently found her hiding spot-right under my nose

she has 7 chicks today & still quite a few eggs not hatched yet I can't believe she made it 21 days without a raccoon getting her

AWWW!!!

 

[showbarnmom]

Is this her first brood? Have you done that before? I have had a lot of losses from them being stepped on. So now I pull them when they hatch and put them in a brooder. I usually always have at least one broody silkie at a time if not more for egg hatching but I have gotten tired of finding cold chicks. Hope all goes well with your girl

Congrats

Yes it's my first broody. I don't have a decent brooder box, I use a plastic tub, and it makes my house smell horrible. So until I get something built this fall, I am limiting the number of chicks in my house. And am letting broodies do their jobs (as I get them.) The chicks the broody set on are part of my breeding experiment, and I bought the Maran eggs and had a friend incubate them for me. The broody I have is part game, so I'm hoping she gets the natural broody awesomeness that tends to come with the breed. I tried before to get a hen with new chicks to adopt some older chicks, but I didn't do it right and it was a disaster. I did more reading this time. Here's for hoping! And Thanks jocke