It was only suppose to get into the mid thirties last night so I was not that concerned with the plants. The wife watered them in real good before dark and that was that.
It ended up getting down to 27 degrees. A freeze in Texas this early is rare and it took me off guard. The rest of the weekend it will be in the 70's. Go figure!
I doubt the plants will make it and if they do I don't think there is enough time left for them to produce.
What a bummer.
On a good note, the first hatch of the season came in. We did not have that many eggs to set being we sold most of the breeders last summer, but this is a start to rebuilding the flock.
These little girls will laying by the end of March so we should have a couple of hatches from them before we have to shut it back down for the summer.
The chicks look good.What breeds are you raising? Stinks about the garden, the coldest we have been here is 34 degrees. Shoot my tomato plants and blackberries still have blossoms and are putting off fruit yet. We are losing our chickens 1by 1 one,so it looks like next spring we are going to have to start of fresh.
ReplyDeleteThese chickens are heavy breed Cochin. They are good sellers down here.
ReplyDeleteAs far as your chickens, have you put any antibiotics in the water for them?
Not yet, I am thinking it is a parasitic problem and the Diatomecous earth just isn't cutting it, some we have lost to coons and possums. We have trapped three possums and 1 coon in the past few months and we know there are more going after them.
ReplyDeleteSad about that fall garden but YEAH! about the baby chicks. I guess this is a fine example of one door closing as another opens. Still I am glad to see you bouncing back. This summer hit you pretty hard from time to time.
ReplyDeleteColey, I hate to hear you are still loosing chickens. I hope you can get it resolved soon.
ReplyDeleteIt sure did G. This summer was the hardest we have faced yet. I am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best on the next one.
ReplyDeletesorry about your garden MDR..
ReplyDeletefrost is a creeping killer. being from canada, we are a little more tuned into it this time of year. still got surprised on morning when it was supposed to go down to, as you said, mid-thirties and i woke up to a thin coat of white everywhere. crops were already in tho'
spring is when we grit our teeth... we can get hit with frost in late-may, early june after the plants that have been lovingly started indoors get put outside for the year.
glad you have new chickens though - looking good!!
Sorry about the garden. You have had a tough go this year. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteWe had three nights of frost here and I had to cover everything at night and then uncover everything before it got too hot in the morning. Really weird weather cause now it's up in the 60's in the daytime and 40's at night. I think we wont have anything produce as well. This is the first year we planted in the fall too...maybe next year will be better.
ReplyDeleteI'v been covering my lettuce every night for a week just to get up in the morning to no frost. The first time I don't do it will be the time we get a killing frost. I almost forgot one night and was out in the garden at 11:00 with a flash light. This year the man built me a cold frame. Go look at my blog to see it. I love it. Wish you had one too.
ReplyDeleteSorry, my friend. Cool here today, windy. Think I'll build my first fire this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteAw I was looking forward to bringing back fresh veggiess :( Ohh well. Can I bring back a chicken? :))
ReplyDeleteI"ll say it again, gardening in Texas, we should get an award I am telling you! My two eggplants that for some reason decided to live despite our summer bit the dust too due to the cold night. Cute little chicks.
ReplyDeleteWe did get to try out our wood stoves due to that little cold snap! woowhoo :O).
Jam - Gardening in Texas is like playing craps. You just never know how the dice will roll.
ReplyDeleteJohn - Thanks for the kind words my friend.
Denise - Most of the time the Fall gardens are our best producers. This weather was not suppose to have done that or been this early.
sista- The funny thing was, our Lettuce patch did not get hurt. It was the peppers, beans, squash, sweet potatoes and some others that got burnt. We have more lettuce than we can eat.
Stephen - I have been so consumed with building the bath house that I have not had the chance to do a wood run. I only have about a weeks worth of wood on hand. Even with the freezing temps the other night we did not turn on the heaters.
I hope you stay warm.
BEB - I bet your roomy would love that.
Texan - I would love a wood stove. I can not find one anywhere under $1500 around here. Some other blogs I read bought them from the Amish brand new but never said the cost. Maybe someday.
A couple of years ago I lost our modest little apple crop to an early September freeze. It is disheartening to lose crops to any circumstance. It is 17 degrees out here this morning. Our crops our in and I am trying to process 4 boxes of apples.
ReplyDeleteYour chicks look great. Are Cochins a broody breed? I miss having baby chicks born naturally around here.
Rose - Yes Cochins are a very good setter. The little Bantams are even better. I had one little hen hatch out my goose eggs. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen.
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