Peppers and chickens

The chickens are growing. After a couple of issues I am down to 14 and they are about 3 lbs at 4 weeks old.

Meanwhile the garden is doing well. Harvested a basket of peppers today and hope to get a few more for Saturday's Farmer's market this evening.

A cold front has come in and is giving everthing a chill. It will be in the 40's the next few nights but the high is the low 70's which means I can get work done in the yard in the middle of the day! Still a major lack of rain. :( At least the heat is not as bad.

Meanwhile it is war with the squirrels again. I planted seeds in a new flowerbed for some lettuce and am finding spinach seedlings dug up just from their random digging. It is bad enough they do it in the lawn, I just wish they would leave my raised beds alone. Plus the birds have found the peppers so there is bird netting over the peppers that are changing color. Nothing more dissapointing they seeing a beautifully colored pepper from a distance just to find bird holes in it.

Chick pics

New chicks in the box.
Getting a drink and finding the food.

After 1 week!

New creatures

Well, the laying chickens were sent back for the summer to my friends farm, just because I felt so bad that they were in an enclosed space with the heat. (City regulations does not let them be free roaming.)

The weather is cooling down slowly (high of possibly 90F today.) So earlier in the summer I had decided to get some meat chickens for the fall. Can't be that hard, right?


The original plan was to go in on an order with another person, but that didn't work out. And hatcheries have minimum orders so what started out as 8-10 chicks is now 16! I had ordered 15, and the hatchery threw in an extra.


I drove to the local hatchery to pick them up and got them home, set them up in the brooder, no problem. Except in a couple of days I realized it was going to be too small. So, the layer hens are not back yet so that became the new brooder. Works really good. I also got their 'chicken tractor' build so that is complete as well and they will move in there as soon as they don't need the brooder light at night.


These chickens can grow! I didn't weight them when I got them last Wednesday but last Saturday I did and they were 2-3 oz average. Then I weighed them this wednesday and they were 5-6 oz. Which the exception of the 'extra' chicken. That one is still just over 2 oz and probably feels that it is living with giants.

Trading out - chicken style

Well, the black and white chicken was picking on the others and actually fairly loud so she was traded out for an Americana or I think really an 'Easter Egger' chicken. She is a golden color and lays green shell eggs. She is a bit timid but that might just be from the stress of being relocated and having wings clipped all in the same day! But she laid an egg on Sunday and yesterday so that is a good sign.

Chicken Run

So I wasn't expecting a lot of excitment on day 2 of the chickens. Well, the first part was my fault. I didn't get the chicken coop latched very well and when I got home today they were in the backyard! (Verses the side yard that the coop is in.) Well, some gentle manuvering and they were back in the coop but not very happy about it. Then I noticed they broke their lower roost bar, again. So I decided it would be a good time to fix it. This requires me to take the roof off. I had just fixed the roost bar and one flew out of the coop. Arghh. So I gently tried to get her back it when she decided that the roof would be better! Now I have a chicken on the roof in the city. Well, I decided to engage the help of my roommate (who had just moved in yesterday) and she got on the roof to coax the bird down. Well the bird thought the neighbors tree was a better idea. Then she flew down to the ground. I knew the neighbors where not home and there was hole in the fence so I got in their yard and caught the chicken. (Much easier than a turkey I admit, never could quite catch a wild turkey, though I have been close.)
So chicken caught and put back in the pen and they are all roosting happily for the night. So much for the idea of letting them free range the side yard. At least not until their wing feathers are clipped back.
So that is the adventure of the great chicken escape and recapture.
I guess it was in honor of independence day.

Meet the girls

It has been a bit since my last post and this is the reason. I have been building a chicken coop. So today I picked up the chickens. One Rhode Island Red, one Barred Rock and one Black SexLink. So they are getting used to their new digs and the heat. They didn't come from very far away so the heat shouldn't be too bad.
I am sure there will be adventures with these so stay tuned....

In heaven there will be no spider mites

I have been really busy with the garden so not too much time to blog. Unfortunately it is not good news. Despite by best try the spider mites have taken over the garden and the whole thing needs to be pulled out over the next few weeks. The sad thing is I never got that many peppers.
It has just been a bad year but considering how hot and dry it is, it might be better to let the ground rest and replant for a fall garden. I have the seed from one company and now am waiting to order the next batch and start planting again in a week or two for an August planting date. So I won't have to water much in July. Hopefully that will save a little bit of time and water.

On another note I am contemplating raising a couple of chickens for eggs. Just two for now. Any more and I think I would be having to sell eggs at Farmer's market so for now, which I am not planing right now. We will start with two but I will probably build the coop/tractor (aka movable) to house up to four, just in case.

Another feature is I want it to be movable (chicken tractor) and small enough to fit on my garden beds so it gives more space/ground as an option when I finish harvesting a bed.

Before you ask, yes I checked city regulations. I am allowed up to 10 chickens but they can't be free range. So the tractor is probably the best option. I can move them around the yard if I want to.

Another option is to have 2 laying hens and then also raise some meat chickens a couple of times a year. With the chicken restriction I could do 8 meat chickens at a time so that isn't too bad as far as numbers. Again it would be a seperate chicken tractor, probably made with PVC pile. I just have to decide. Meat chickens are a bit more messy so I have to decide if that is something I want to deal with. But it would be nice to have some chicken meat that has not been bathed or injected with chicken broth/sodium.

Guess that is the update for now!

Lastest garden pic

Here is the latest pic, not the greatest pic since it is a little cloudy and you really don't get the size dimension as much but it is big. Everything is going well, except if I could only get rid of the aphids on the peppers and eggplant I would be happy. Well, also get rid of the spider mites that are going after the tomatoes as well.

Look, I am a farmer!

Well, I was at Farmer's Market this past Saturday and here is my booth! I actually had a lot of vegetables. I picked a few earlier than normal just because I am out of town this week. There was various zuchinni, eggplant, carrots, radishes, lettuce, cucmbers, dill, rosemary, basil (cut and plants) onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes and zuchinni flowers.
I only had a couple of zuchinni left when it was all done. A good day!

More garden pics

Here is the latest garden pics, the squash is really starting to take over everything. But just in one bed. The other bed it is still fairly small. I think it is just the varieties and I will have to take note of which ones get big. The tomatoes are also starting to get bigger and the corn is starting to think about growing. I know the water is the biggest problem. We have not gotten any measurable amount of rain (maybe a trace) since I planted. It is all city water or some rain water (my 4 - 55 gal drums are all empty now.) And to top it off it is very windy, constantly. I am hoping soon we can get some rain. The only problem is we really need the rain while it was cool. Rain plus heat = perfect situtation for powdery mildew and other diseases.

The heat is also making the aphids multipy like crazy and I can keep up with spraying a homeade soap spray so I have enlisted some help by buying some ladybugs and hoping they don't get blown away and stick around to keep up with the aphid population. Plus the no rain/wind/heat is great for spider mites as well. The ladybugs are supposed to eat them as well. We will see. It is so hot I can't even spray Neem Oil or the other organic oils in fear it will burn the plants.

All I know is I am dreading my water bill this month. :(

Lates pic

Actually these pictures are from a couple days ago but things are growing well. The squash is starting to flower and I have baby cucumers and tomatoes everywhere. The spider mites and aphids are still giving me problems and with the heat and wind is making it difficult to control. But each year/season gives it's own unique challenges.

From the first pic you can see my porch with the other plants as well. The potatoes are in the large blue buckets and there are some herbs and lettuce in the other containers. The green bags have strawberries (try 2) and the other pots are peppers, or basil and even a few sunflowers. Yes, there is a topsy turvy as well. I figured it was on sale last year so I would try it this year. So far I am not very impressed. In the background along the house you can also see one of the four rain barrels that I have set up to collect water from the gutters.

Farmers Market and garden update

Well, I have been selling produce again at Farmers Market. I have had lettuce, radishes and some onions. I hope this next week will be the rest of the lettuce (not much left due to the unusual heat). There are baby tomatoes on a lot of the plants and flowers on the eggplant and some peppers. Basil is growing slowly and the zinnas are starting to flower. I have alot of planting scheduled for this evening. The squash is starting to get larger and the cucumbers are almost long enough to tie to their trellis. The garlic is suffering a bit in the heat, but not much control over that. (I might have to get the shade cloth out again. Also the corn is about 1-2 inches tall. Everything was fertilized last night and I am watching the weather to see if I can spray an organic pesticide (basically a dormant oil) on my tomatoes, peppers and peas since there are aphids and mites bothering them. I don't want a full blown infestation on my hands. The jujubee tree is doing well (I need to fertilize) but the peach tree is very sad looking. Alot of the leaves are half brown and I am loosing some fruit due to the lack of rain and heavy wind. Time to start watering. We are 14" below normal for the time of Oct - now. Every time it looks like it might rain it dries up before it gets here. I know everything would really take off if I could just get some non-city water on it, but the rain barrels are virtually empty except the front yard which is for the azealas only. Ordered the drip irrigation/soaker hose today. Hopefully it ships in time to be here for the weekend. I will still have to hand water the deck plants (potatoes included) and container plants, goji berries, etc... but it will save my 30 min an evening watering.

A new update

Well, here is another pic of the garden today. Things are starting to grow and I saw my first baby tomatoes as well. It is very windy and dry and I am hoping that soon we might get some rain.

Latest update

Well, here is a picture of the garden on 3/31/11. Pretty much everything is planted and with the 'Big Event' helping out last weekend I have mulch down between the beds which makes it look very nice. I will give a plant count later. The last project is figuring out the drip irrigation system which will most likely be a soaker hose system.

Garden is on its way

Well, the pruning is done on the peach tree (almost didn't get it done in time, it actually had already started flowering, oops!)
Tomatoes transplanted into bigger containers, as well as basil, zinnas and dill. The peppers need to wait another week.
The radishes are coming up, as well as the peas. The lettuce, argula and spinach have also taken the transplanting in the garden well.
I hope that the parts for the greenhouse show up this week and I can get that put back together and the neighbor is working on rebuilidng the corn bed for me.
Step by step....

A New Year

Well, I know my blogging suddenly stopped last year but that was due to a car accident (with 6 broken ribs) at the end of July, a laproscopic gallbladder surgery at the end of September, and another abdominal surgery at the end of November. Now I just am recovering from the flu.
But on the positive side I have been enjoying fresh lettuce and carrots. That was until this week. We have had a very cold front come through (the coldest for the longest period of time since 1989) so I am thinking even under frost cloth and plastic my lettuce and carrots might be done. Especially since they are in raised beds. But the bright side is it will be 63F for a high in a couple of days. Gotta love Texas weather. As long as the onions, garlic and shallots make it I will be happy.
So I have new dirt in the raised beds and all have been hightened by a 2x4 so this weekend will be mixing up the dirt with the new tiller attachment on my weedeater, pulling up the carrots, planting peas, new carrots, and beets.
Meanwhile in the house the lettuce seedlings are 3/4" high, the basil and spinach just sprouted, the peppers are taking their time, even with the heating mat and a soil temp of 70F and the tomatoes are starting to sprout. I planted about 60 cells of cutting zinnas as well as 12 cells of arugula. I need to start figuring out what kind of squash I will be planting and I have decided instead of grapes this year, I will do one more year of corn/beans. I hope to build a better raised bed in that section and I am planting a white variety of corn, a bi color and a red sweet corn as well. Should be interesting. I am also contemplating planting some Goji berry bushes on the other side of the yard but I am not 100% sure about the light requirement.

So that is the latest, hopefully a healthier year is ahead of me!