This Old House Part III: New Electric Service

When we lifted the house we tore off a small addition on the back of the house. That addition had the electric meter and breaker panel in it. We left a small portion of the wall that the service was attached to and demolished the rest. When the house was lifted, the meter sat 12 feet off of the ground; that was a little too high for the meter reader. We received help installing the new mast, meter base and breaker panel from a family friend and the electric company was out to change over our service and up the power to 200 amps.


Any time I have to have an inspection (Labor and Industries this time) and outside labor (PUD energy) do work I feel it is worth a chapter in the This Old House series. The new meter is digital and 5 feet off of the ground.

Propagation

We do not have a working, heated greenhouse yet but we can still raise seedlings in our basement. I purchased some propagation mats and a thermostat. That was enough spending for this week, Next week I will get some lights for the germinating seeds.

I set up a board of insulation for a bench top and planted seeds in recycled Flats. I use 1206's (the plastic six packs that flowers come in) to start most of the seedlings. I like them because they are economical, sanitary, and each cell is large enough to hold plenty of moisture while the seeds are propagating. I will leave these on the pads until the seedlings are producing their first true leaves.

Araucana Chicks

The Araucana chicks arrived at the post office this morning. After a noisy ride home with 5o little peeps, I dipped each beak in water and set them in the brooder. 49 chicks made it and we will have green eggs in July.

Aracauna or Americana (the names seem to be confused and interchangeable with some hatcheries) are called Easter egg layers because of the pale blues and greens of the shell. They make for an interesting flock because they each have different coloration and patterns. I have been happy with Phinney Hatchery in Walla Walla, they are priced well and are in our state (as local as I can get without paying too much of a premium).

White Wash

Preparations are underway for new chicks that are arriving Friday. I use one coop to raise chicks until they are about ready to lay (around 20 weeks) . The last flock moved out to their permanent coop this fall and I just white washed the brooder coop this weekend.
I used traditional white wash for the first time and I really liked it. It covered reasonably well, it is easy to clean up, it is cheap, it has antimicrobial properties and the white color makes the room look bigger.
I bought a bag of hydrated lime from the feed store and mixed it with water until it was the consistency of paint. I found an old brush and slopped it on. It was dry to the touch after the first coat was finished and I put on a second coat around the bottom half of the coop.
The only down side that I see right now is that I'm sure I'll end up with chalky lime on my clothes every time I go into this coop.
This year I will add some insulation and create a brooder by sectioning off a corner of the coop to better hold in the heat from a lamp. It is important to make an area warm enough for the chicks (95 degrees). The chicks need to be able to move under or away from the lamp to find the heat they prefer as the outside temperature changes.
I should have eggs from these new chicks in July, I might have enough to start selling at the Farmer's Markets near the end of the season.

Over the Fence Conversation

We've been working on refining our mission statement, which includes the importance of that nostalgic feeling of a small farm experience. This morning, as I looked out the kitchen window, I was struck by the image of Vince and John, our neighbor, chatting over the fence as they do from time to time, solving the world's problems, I imagine, or perhaps discussing the weather or maybe the price of hay. The content doesn't matter as much as the conversation itself and the pause from their morning chores to catch up on each other's lives. It seems to me the quintessential farm scene that probably doesn't happen nearly as often anymore as farms are larger, fences wider, and communication technology more advanced. Neighbors are our friends in this lifestyle we've chosen and we are lucky to have great ones. (It helps that they already have fences in place for us to share...)

Renovating Strawberries

June-bearing strawberries in the left row (not renovated) and center row with cleanup finished.

Ever-bearing strawberries planted with plastic mulch, these are easier to clean up and keep weeded, now I need to figure out how to fertilize each crown.

Strawberries are prone to disease that cause rot. The way to help stop rot is to remove the dead plant material and increase air circulation. This is supposed to happen right after harvest, but I did not make the time to clean up the strawberries until now. We had some more dry weather so I was able to work in the soil to remove weeds and dead plant material.

Beer Box to Nest Box

I got the idea for this nest box after recycling a beer box. The dividers for the beer bottles are similar in construction.

The individual parts are simple to make and easy to disassemble. This makes it easy to clean. The pieces are 1 foot wide and when assembled, create a 1'x1' series of nests.

With this box set on a shelf and wedged between the walls of the coop, it is sturdy. The additions of cleats in the front of the box will help hold in nesting material and eggs.