Not Your Typical Bucket o' Chicken

In an effort to make more use of the limited space inside our wire-hoop chicken coop, we've replaced the deteriorating waxed cardboard boxes (which can't be recycled) with eight 5-gallon plastic buckets. We modified the buckets by removing the handles and cutting the lids a little less than half-way across to keep bedding material from falling out, yet still allowing enough space for the hen ingress and egress. We then nailed a small strip of wood to the cut edge of each lid to eliminate the sharp edge and provide a comfortable step. The base of each bucket was then screwed to a wide plank of plywood in two rows of four which stack neatly and are surprisingly stable considering they aren't tied down. We then filled each bucket with pine shavings to complete this modular-style nesting box that can be easily moved and/or cleaned. We'll let you know if the chickens like it. Click here for more photos of the bucket chicken condo.

Moving Right Along

Today saw the pouring of concrete footings for the garage, more of the future basement for the main house was excavated, and the all-important Port-O-Let was delivered.

Our contractor also did some grading of the driveway so that a semi full of ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) could be delivered. The modular ICFs are stacked then filled with concrete for an amazingly durable and energy-efficient structure. Click here for a step-by-step on ICF installation. Click on the photo to link to our construction shots photo album.

Back at Rose Cottage, our landlord's handyman finally got around to mowing the rest of the yard which I had started last weekend since it was so overgrown. Chickens were let free at 2:30 in the afternoon after producing a baker's dozen eggs. We are keeping them in their run during the first part of the day now since we were suffering from low egg count by letting them free range first thing in the morning (we suspect they are laying eggs in undisclosed locations about the property... sneaky hens!).

A Groundbreaking Day

24 hours later than we hoped, but yesterday was a momentous day as the excavator finally dug into red earth where our future home will stand. Dionne called me early in the morning so I could hear the sounds of the diesel engine and machinery...it was truly music to my ears. Here you can see where they dug out the perimeter of the outer walls and placed rebar for the footings.


I've also added a countdown until the completion of the detached garage. Why the garage and not the home? We're moving into the garage first to coincide with the end of our current lease at Rose Cottage---no need to sign for another 6 months!

Contract Signed!

This was a busy 3-day weekend (I took a vacation day from the office), but it was well worth it as we finally got the actual construction contract with Jessica from Oakley Custom Homes squared away. Initial estimates show the completion of the garage by September 15th with completion of the main house around December 21st. We also spent some time on the property measuring and staking the future location and orientation of the house and the detached garage while Mema's dogs and the kids ran wild on our future backyard. Settling on the four corners of the house was more difficult than one would expect as slight changes of the front porch view drastically altered views from the back and side. We finally realized that this is because we chose to place the home at the mid-point of our "California-shaped" lot (think dogleg for golfers). From a bird's eye view you can see that it's impossible to have the front of the house face the main road and yet have the backyard view line up with our open meadow. We had to settle for facing a bit more toward Tom Black's house rather than Collinsville Road. Anyhow, several signatures and a few notary stamps later and we are set to break ground as early as tomorrow (Tuesday, April 22nd)!

Let Them Eat Snake

If you love something, set it free---as in free range. You've probably seen and heard the term "free range" but what does it really mean? The U.S.D.A. (United States Department of Agriculture) allows labels to say free range if they have "certified access to the outdoors," but does not specify other criteria such as the quality of the land/environment, size of roaming area, or the number of birds confined to a particular space. In other words, some chickens could be defined as free range simply by having a small run with nothing but gravel or mud. Also beware that there are no standards governing the term "range" or similar advertisements on egg cartons, such as "free running," "free roaming," or "free walking." True free range allows for chickens to sustain themselves on their natural surroundings.

About a week ago, with the okay of our landlord (who seems to have turned over a new leaf lately), we decided to bite the bullet and let the chickens roam free in the yard. We trust that they will use their instincts to determine what is food and what isn't, but just in case we scoured the property to ensure there were no obvious threats (physical or chemical). Like letting your child go off by themselves for the first time, we were nervous parents, imagining hawk attacks, lost hens, and other untold dangers. However, the flock doesn't wander far and we have yet to lose any to the nearby woods or the neighbor's car...they return to their coop each night as the sun sets and the headcount is always the same.

Now, aside from the usual plants and insects you'd expect them to eat in the wild, our flock is expanding their palate to include such things as small snakes (we caught them playing tug o' war with the one pictured above). Whether or not they actually ate it is anyone's guess since they are competitive about rare treats and will run off to finish their meal in seclusion. We've also noticed that they no longer seem to think that being handfed is such a novelty.

R.I.P. Dalmation Temptation

Sad news. Our one and only Silver Laced Wyandotte died. Dionne went out to collect eggs around 2pm on April 4th and she was laying there in the coop. She was fine in the morning, but had been dead for a little while because rigormortis had begun to set in. Dionne checked the inside of her mouth and it wasn't black, so we don't think it was worms or coccidiosis or anything harmful to the rest of the flock (who have been absolutely fine). Her lower abdomen was swollen and her oviduct was slightly expanded, so we think Dalmation was eggbound...this can cause a quick death if not caught early. Maya was pretty upset, of course, and Dalmation (whose was named for her black and white Dalmation-style spots and a word that rhymed with "dalmation") was buried in the backyard of the cottage complete with stones and flowers to mark the grave. We initially referred to this hen as "mystery chick" since she was of a different breed than the rest. Dalmation is pictured above with wildflowers sprinkled on her back's "bald spot" courtesy of the kids.

A Satisfied Customer

Although we eat our own eggs (and have certainly seen our share of oddities like no-yolkers, double-yolkers, minis, and monsters), it's always good to have some kind of feedback from our customer-friends to see what they think of our non-soy organic chicken ova. One of our regulars, Jenny, posted something to her own blog that shows some serious membrane below the shell from one of our hens. No bacteria getting in there! Check it out here.

Classic in Spirit, Modern in Style

As we near groundbreaking, I thought it would be interesting to share the article from Inspired House magazine which led us to the "Field of Dreams" home plan from Healthy Homeplans. One of my favorite excerpts defines a farmhouse as follows:

It looks like it belongs where it sits. It is constructed in a vernacular style, of materials that are native to its region.

There are multiple buildings on the site--anything from a barn or a henhouse to a detached garage.

It is shaped like a simple box and has a gable roof and clapboard siding.

It has an open porch to ease the transition from landscape to interior space.

Its proportions are carefully considered. Wings can't be too wide or the house will be stocky instead of tall and proud.

It has a simple, symmetrical facade with a pleasing arrangement of windows.

It features double-hung windows. The should be tall, with a minimum 1 to 2 ratio in width to height, and low (8 to 18 inches off the floor).

The pitch of the main roof is steep (8/12 or 12/12), while the pitch of the porch roof is low (3/12 to 4/12).

Part of the ceiling in the upper bedrooms slopes and the head height of windows is lower than usual.

There's evidence that it has grown over time: wings attached, rooms bumped out, second stories added on.

Click here to download a pdf of the full 8-page article.

Land Developer Sets Sites on Columbus

Yikes! Look what's coming just a few miles down the road...


Well, it's nice to think we've settled on a popular region and our land value will continue to rise. But, on the other hand, do we want this kind of development that means increased traffic on the equestrian trails and certain ecological impact? Visit derbyshirenc.com for more about this new English-style planned community.

Attack of the Hawk

A few weekends ago, we witnessed a hawk take down a dove on our back patio at the rental cottage. A lot of feathers and squawking, but also a reminder of the predator/prey circle of life. Just two days ago, we experienced our first hawk air raid on the chickens. It was the early afternoon when we heard a commotion outside and we caught a glimpse of the chickens scurrying into the safety of their coop. Maya exclaimed "Hawk in the chicken coop!" and the sound of nearby panicking crows confirmed the danger. I ran outside still in my socks, clapping my hands to make as much noise as possible. By the time I got to the chicken run the chickens were all in their coop and clucking in alarm mode---no sign of the hawk, but two kinds of feathers scattered around. I counted the chickens (no easy feat when they are weaving around each other), then counted them two or three more times. 27 sounded like the right number but I asked Maya if she noticed any missing hens (she can identify them better than any of us). The feathers belonged to a random buff orpington survivor and to our lead Araucana rooster, Fluffy. Maya was shaken by the near-death experience but I reassured her that Fluffy was a hero, having protected his hens from the predator at the cost of a few feathers (which were then taped to a sheet of paper in honor of his courage). For several hours, the chickens stayed in their coop unless a human was nearby, and then we decided to add a barrier to the exposed top of the chicken run by stringing some twine back and forth like a loose web roof.



This won't stop a hawk, but it will hopefully serve as a deterrent to buy the chickens a few seconds to escape to safety should there be another attack. Despite our efforts to protect the chickens, we must accept natural attrition and predation if we intend to go fully free-range with these egg-layers in the future. One solution, I'm told, is to get goats mixed into the flock.

Some Kind of Houdini

Over the past week, one of our Araucanas (which 8-year-old Maya tells us is "Gloria") had figured out how to escape the 10-foot-tall fencing surrounding our chicken run. Fortunately, she doesn't go far, but it has been a problem since we're not quite ready to go completely free-range. Yesterday, we were able to observe Gloria in action making a completely vertical flight to the top of the fencing where Maya promptly pushed her back into the chicken run with the handle-end of a nearby shovel. My theory is that this hen is smaller and therefore lighter than the rest of the chickens. Maya's theory is that she is simply smarter. As it turns out, Gloria does seem to have some sort of motivation.



While bringing in some firewood, we noticed a small nest of three Araucana eggs behind the woodpile and Dionne had mentioned seeing her back there during one of her escapades. It appears that Gloria was trying to find a way to keep her eggs from their breakfast plate fate, and it also explains our recent fluctuating egg count. A for Effort, Gloria.

Get the Skinny

Here's a quick way to find out more about Columbus, NC, where we are building:

http://www.zipskinny.com

You can also punch in your own zip code (U.S. residents only) to get more information on your local schools, employment, household income, and other social and economic indicators.

Revising the Home Plans

The layout we decided upon is a modified version of the Field of Dreams home plan by Healthy Home Plans. As you can see, the exterior has a traditional farmhouse look which complements the land where we are building. There's just something awkward about a contemporary suburban stucco home out in the country. We met with our builder, Jessica Oakley of Oakley Custom Homes, and made revisions to the "off the shelf" plan including selection of windows, flooring, etc. (Did we mention that Jessica is part of our food co-op? We tried to barter a life-time supply of eggs in exchange for the new home, but she didn't go for it...) Before final pricing, an engineer needs to give the revisions a lookover. Grading of the property, however, can begin as soon as we sign the contract!

The Chickens Have Landed

We finally had time last weekend to complete the new Sugar Mountain Farm-inspired chicken coop and the egg-layers have been relocated to Rose Cottage. The whole set-up at the rental cottage is designed to be modular and temporary, yet sturdy enough to secure the chickens and withstand the weather (cold, wind, and rain). Click here to view the entire construction process from start to finish. The chickens went right to clearing out the vegetation in their new run, and hardly skipped a beat when it came to laying eggs (sometimes traumatic happenings such as a physical move can cause them to stop laying). We were able to move them over in a makeshift cage in the back of Danna's pickup truck, although it took two trips. The old chicken run on the Smith property will be recycled into a dog run for their two new farm dogs, Abbie and Axel. The real beauty of relocating the chickens is the sheer convenience of having our twice-daily chores right outside the door versus a mile away. The kids appreciate being able to sleep in a little, too.

Let It Snow

Forgive the cliché headline. My co-workers tell me "You're soooooo from Florida." I can't help it. I'm excited about the snowfall, and while we got an inch or two in Charlotte, the light rain that immediately followed turned the fluffy white landscape into slowly dissolving piles of ice. But out at Blue Harvest Farm, there was a bit more fun to be had and the kids woke to a potential day of snowball fights, identifying animal tracks, snow angels, and even some sledding.





The chickens are safe from the elements inside the fourth stall with red heat lamp on and extra bedding for warmth. They have a tarp-covered area (originally intended for rainy days) in case they dare to venture into the chilly air. Frankly, I think they may prefer being cooped up for now!



They are predicting more snow on Saturday...and I'll be on the farm anxiously awaiting my turn to ride down the hills on the snow saucer.

Here Comes Winter (Like It or Not)

Being the Floridians that we are, we've been looking forward to some real winter weather since we moved up to the Carolinas in 2005. There was a dusting of snow last year, but we still felt kind of cheated out of the whole winter experience. Dionne's weather alert radio (every good survivalist should have one) went off this morning with the following report:

Statement as of 4:52 AM EST on January 16, 2008

...Winter weather will affect the region Wednesday night and
Thursday...

...Winter Storm Warning in effect from 7 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Thursday...Winter Storm Watch no longer in effect...

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has upgraded the Winter Storm Watch to a Winter Storm Warning...which is in effect from 7 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Thursday.

A band of moderate to heavy snow and sleet is forecast to move north over the mountains and foothills late this evening into the early morning hours of Thursday. This band will likely result in a quick accumulation of one to two inches of snow and sleet across eastern slopes of the mountains and adjacent foothills. A rapid transition to sleet and freezing rain will then follow during the early morning hours Thursday. An additional inch or two of snow is possible...mainly at higher elevations in and near the mountains. Freezing rain will then fall for much of the morning before temperatures warm to a few degrees above freezing. Where temperatures stay below freezing the longest...up to a quarter inch of ice accumulation is possible.

The timing of the wintry precipitation will likely lead to significant travel problems across the warned area Thursday morning. Ice accumulations around a quarter of an inch may result in some trees and power lines to fall...blocking roads and leading to scattered power outages.

A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow...sleet...and ice are expected or occurring. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible.

The rest of the day will be spent running around like ants before a rainstorm, making sure we've got supplies for both us and the animals in case there is a power outage and icy roads make travel (escape) too hazardous.

Splittin' Logs

Having grown up in Florida's warm climate, a fireplace was something of a novelty. Living in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it's a necessity. A benefit of having a lot of wooded acreage is the constant supply of free firewood, however you still have to work for it. We are presently getting our wood from fallen trees on the east side of the property, where Harrison has already had them cut into 2-foot-long logs. We take Mema's truck down the path and then load up the wood to bring it back to their tool shed and the very cool gas-powered log-splitter. If the logs are longer than 2-foot sections, they won't fit on this splitter and they can be quite heavy.

The splitter uses a greased piston and hydraulic force to slowly ram the log onto an iron splitting wedge. I'm not sure of the pressure exerted but it's measured in tonnage, and it's awesome to hear the wood crack and split! Some logs require more than one split so they are a reasonable size for a fireplace. Also worth noting: You can't cut down a fresh tree and expect to the still damp wood to burn well...you must plan ahead and stockpile your logs allowing them plenty of time to dry out before tossing them into the fire and enjoying the warmth of carbonizing wood. Always remember to stand away from the splitting wood and wear eye protection!

Culling Out the Roosters

Warning! This blog post is not for the faint of heart as it contains gore and some adult content! Part of learning to be self-sustaining is getting back to the basics of raising animals for food and "processing" them yourself. Eggs are good, but A) we're an omnivorous family and B) we ended up with too many roosters (that's male chickens for you city folk). You see, the roosters aren't all that productive...it's the hens that are doing all the egg-laying while the males just strut around, lend an air of security to the flock, and rudely pluck feathers from the back of the females who are haplessly gang-banged chicken-style. They also get aggressive toward each other, and sometimes toward their keepers. Well, we'll have none of that on Blue Harvest Farm! Before culling out the roosters (not all of them), we did some online research on this site and this one. We tried two different methods of processing, the first of which was to tie the rooster upside-down by his feet to a horizontal bar, cut his head off with a knife, then skin him feathers and all by making strategic incisions and literally peeling everything off from feet to neck. This method avoids feather-plucking and the boiling method described later. As we thought this might be interesting to document, we took photos and some video as well. Well, let's just say that you need to make sure your knife is sharp. Dionne, bless her heart, volunteered to do the dirty deed but cutting through the neck bones proved more difficult than we anticipated. Dionne's mom (a slightly more experienced chicken-killer) had to finish the job for us while I recorded the incident on video. The evidence was subsequently erased when it was decided that our educational video was really more like a snuff film. Egads, it was an emotional trauma. The next attempt (for which I was not a witness) was more successful (and merciful) with the aid of a chopping block and sharp machete. This time, the headless chickens were boiled in a large pot for a few seconds which opens their pores enough to make plucking feathers a breeze. The skin remains on the chicken, but that doesn't bother us. After all the killing was done, three roosters remained: one for a partner of Daisy (Dionne's mom's pet hen), one to keep structure in the flock (his name is Fluffy Chick), and one who escaped detection by impersonating a hen (still not sure about its gender really).

Presenting Our New Logo

Every good farm needs a good name and a good logo to stand proudly by the entrance of the property. At this time, we don't really have an official entrance nor the need to advertise ourselves to passers-by, but since we're selling eggs, we thought it would be nice to develop a logo to cover the original labels on our recycled egg cartons that we use for distribution. A while back, Dionne and I discussed property names and wanted something that sounded "farmy" as well as something that expressed a personal aspect of our lives. Being the rabid Star Wars fan that I am, I wanted something that would let other hardcore fans know that we were here, and yet something subtle enough that the general public wouldn't be confused by a "Star Wars"-sounding name. The answer was Blue Harvest Farm. To make a long story short, "Blue Harvest" was the code-name used during film production of 1983's Return of the Jedi to mislead paparazzi and media. The Lucasfilm staff even went so far as to produce fake Blue Harvest hats and t-shirts for all the crew. The name works really well for us since the term "harvest" has the "farmy" feel we wanted, plus we are located near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Okay, so now that we've established the Star Wars connection, here's where the inspiration for the actual logo design came from...Lucasfilm's own logo:

C-I-L-L...My Landlord

Some would say that one of the benefits of being a renter versus a homeowner is that the landlord is responsible for things that need fixing. Tub won't drain? Call the landlord. Light fixture broken? Call the landlord. Missing window glass, broken dishwasher, foul sewer odor? Don't call our landlord. Granted, we jumped on the opportunity to get this rental cottage in Columbus without a thorough inspection, and we are only paying a very reasonable $625 per month, but what started as a pleasant, almost fatherly relationship with Mr. Phillips (where he even invited us to dinner), has turned sour due to his reluctance to admit to and rectify some serious issues with his rental property...plus he's gotten downright ornery as of late. I like to think we're reasonable people, but perhaps you should decide based upon this list of grievances:

Well Pump: Shortly after move-in, mechanism which draws well water blew a circuit resulting in no water for almost 2 days
Dishwasher: Noticed dishwasher wasn't getting water. Plumber determined this was not related to the broken well, but rather a mechanical issue with the motor. A dishwasher specialist came to fix the water line and motor, then we learned the hard way that it wasn't draining properly (suds all over the kitchen floor during a test-run with no soap). At this point, repairman advised new dishwasher, which took two months (and multiple measuring attempts) to source. Old dishwasher has not been removed from property and still sits under our carport lending wonderful curb appeal to the cottage.
Washing Machine: Hot water supply had a leak. Luckily dishwasher repairman was able to fix while attending other issue.
Sewer Line: There is an overwhelming stench of human waste near the downstairs air return that permeates the entire premises from time to time. After a month and a half of disbelief, landlord finally agrees to investigate the problem. To his surprise, we are not imagining the odor when it is revealed that a main sewer pipe from the upstairs bathroom has a hole literally drilled through it (presumably from a botched telephone line installation).

Raw sewage has been leaking into the wall for who knows how long and this could have ultimately led to considerable structural damage or health-related problems. We found a friend who was contracted to fix the problem. Not even a "thank you" from the landlord, just grief about having to invest more money into the property.
Sliding Glass Window: Perhaps the least of our problems, the upstairs master bedroom sliding glass door window is discovered (unbeknownst to the landlord) to have one side of the double-paned glass completely broken out from a previous tenant. As a result, condensation forms on the glass and the cottage's already-poor energy efficiency suffers. At this point, the glass door opening has been measured four times, and an incorrectly-sized replacement window (versus sliding door) was purchased from salvage and sits in our garage.

Aside from the above, we recently discovered that our landlord misled our neighbor (also a tenant in a smaller adjacent cottage) into thinking the property was sold, thereby forcing her to move. His motive remains unknown, but this certainly feels unscrupulous.

Special thanks to Tyrone Green for the headline of this post.