Texas

[RachaelS]

Quote: So, plant seeds in the ground now, not started plants. I have never started a garden this early so want to make sure I am doing it right.

 

[RachaelS]

I'm so far behind-just read the last 6 days, I was trying to save time clicking the ovation but I'm over my limit now so I know I missed responding to several posts

We picked up our new Painted Desert ram-Heartbreaker(the one on the left) Sunday, Tuesday was shot with my dental surgery, we've been working everyday trying to get things done before my husband donated a kidney Friday but it was postponed until later this week now

Congrats about your book Teri

Wow, so pretty!!!!!

 

[jajeanpierre]

There is little risk in removing a wing band and I didn't want some to have bands and others to not have bands and be a reason for them to be pecked. And I do things my way and you can do things your way, we do not have to agree on how we raise and treat our livestock.

Hopefully this will lay this subject to rest and this is one of the reasons I rarely comment on this forum.


Thank you and have a nice day.

That is a bit of a bizarre reaction to some pretty innocent comments and sharing of ideas.

I know that avian vets are loathe to remove leg bands on parrots because they often break legs or dislocate joints in the process just trying to restrain the bird. I would think the same would be true with a much smaller and less developed chick.

If pecking is the issue, you can just hang something like aluminum pie plates to give them something more interesting to peck at. In a few days or weeks the feathers will cover the band and you will not find it.

I am more than a little surprised that you would not post on this forum simply because others hold differing views of the situation--any situation. I don't know about you, but I'm here to learn, and if I only do things my way, I certainly won't learn and will never improve my chicken husbandry skills, which at the moment I feel are quite lacking.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

So, plant seeds in the ground now, not started plants. I have never started a garden this early so want to make sure I am doing it right.

What are you planting. If it is cool season stuff (like carrots, onions and broccoli) they should have been planted weeks ago. I live north of Dallas and I planted my onions in January and my carrots and broccoli and such 2 weeks ago. If it is warm season stuff, like beans and squash, you should start them indoors or wait. The soil needs to warm up and you need to get past the last freeze date. The Texas A&M site should have the info for that if you don't know. Just search for average last freeze date for Austin.

This chart will help.


The rain, really more like drizzle is here now. Down to 25*. I want rain, not freezing precip!

I decided it was a good day to try these cinnamon rolls. They don't take long and I am sure they will go much quicker if you aren't trying to track down which smoke detector is beeping for a new battery. It turned out to be the one in my son's room. He slept through it. :/ I just changed all the batteries in October. I guess the batteries weren't very fresh. My friend gave them to me....

 

[RachaelS]

I have carrots and broccoli also, they were both started inside and spouted in 2 days.

I used my incubator to sprout in. Well might have be 3 days. The green beans sprouted in 24 hours.....

 

[SlipsWife]

There is little risk in removing a wing band and I didn't want some to have bands and others to not have bands and be a reason for them to be pecked.

I tend to be a little OCD about things and it would have driven me CRAZY to have some with bands and some without!

I would have removed them too! The dyed heads on the Cinnamon Queens started bugging me a little and its only temporary...I appreciate why they did it, I just would have preferred mine not been marked. Its funny that when I want marked chicks it doesn't seem to be an option (as in a hatchery surprise) but when I know what I'm getting, they were marked. lol

 

[henless]

Maybe not what you are looking for but a good way to use the weeds. Hand weeding is best.

Just another reason why everyone needs a back yard flock!

Hi, folks. I'm new to the TX thread and to BYC. I'm in Liberty Hill, NW of Austin, W of Georgetown. And it's getting cold. 69 degrees at 7 a.m. and now it's 38.

Welcome to the Texas thread and BYC!

So this weekend was a wash. Not conducive to chicken coop- building at all!!!! I'm at the stage where I need to pre-paint stuff before hanging/installing it. Yesterday was foggy/misty UNTIL 2PM!!! Today, it has already started raining!!! I nknow we need the rain, but the weekends are my only real days to finish this darn project. I had to get something done so I framed and skinned the door and the window shutters. I also installed my nesting boxes from TSC.






Boxes are about 18 inches off the coop floor. That seemed to be the consensus of standard height. Guess I could go out and fab some roosts. I figure they need to be staggered height of 3, 4, and 5 foot? I'd also like to get my brooder in this building as well. We will see. My birds aren't getting any smaller and they need to be relocated here now!!!!

Your coop is looking good! I plan on putting my roosts all the same height. Less fussing over who gets top row, and I'll be able to put a poop board and brooder under them. I put Kilz on the inside of my coop yesterday. I was painting the interior as the cold front came through.

Cold front starting blowing through around 10:20 this morning. Rain started around 11:00. I went to Wal-Mart this morning in capris and flip flops, warmups are the order now!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I have carrots and broccoli also, they were both started inside and spouted in 2 days.

I used my incubator to sprout in. Well might have be 3 days. The green beans sprouted in 24 hours.....

The broccoli can go out. Be sure to harden it off first. The beans may need to wait. See here for tips. Look in the Notes section (near the top of the page).

Here are my cinnamon rolls aka lunch. I left the cloves out of the filling. I just want pure cinnamon in my rolls.



Edit: It is pouring rain/sleet and thundering now. More sleet than rain. Yuck!!

Had to share this with everyone. It will make you cry.

 

[TammyTX]

LOL!

Heirloom tomatoes aren't supposed to do well in Texas. You are also supposed to stick with the smaller size tomatoes. The big ones will crack from the heat. My sweet 100 did ok last year, but I think with the early heat and drought nothing could do very well. I'm hoping things are better this year. Praying for rain.

I freeze tomatoes too. I am scared to can stuff. I have more freezer room than pantry room too.

I was told the front has sped up and the freezing rain will be all day tomorrow. I guess we will find out in the morning.

I got the bed in a planted a couple of blue rug junipers in it. I may move them to a different spot in the bed, but they are fine for now. I'll post pictures later. Technically the bed isn't finished yet as I need to plant it out. The stores don't have much yet though.

Heirloom tomatoes do okay here...I guess it depends on where you are in the state. Last year was a bad year for tomatoes in Central Texas because we had three very late freezes. All tomatoes shut down when the evening temps get to be in the upper 70's although a couple of hybrids will produce a little longer.

I've never experienced cracks from heat, just from improper watering which sometimes can't be avoided if we get a sudden onset of heavy rain.

Sweet 100's are nice salad tomatoes, though.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Heirloom tomatoes do okay here...I guess it depends on where you are in the state. Last year was a bad year for tomatoes in Central Texas because we had three very late freezes. All tomatoes shut down when the evening temps get to be in the upper 70's although a couple of hybrids will produce a little longer.

I've never experienced cracks from heat, just from improper watering which sometimes can't be avoided if we get a sudden onset of heavy rain.

Sweet 100's are nice salad tomatoes, though.

Happy 5 years! I just noticed that show up by your name today.

I plant heirloom tomatoes too. I love the Cherokee Purple best. I think last year was a bad tomato year.