Going solar and energy efficient

Earlier this year we had 20 solar panels put on our house. It's a 4.6-5 KW system and so far has covered all of our electricity usage and then some. Connecticut has a solar lease program so we are leasing the panels for 15-20 years for about $80 per month. We didn't have to pay any up front costs, and our payments won't increase so I think it was a great decision. Our electric bills before the panels went up were about $110/month. We use compact fluorescent bulbs, which makes a huge difference in energy usage. We also recently beefed up the insulation in the walls and soffits of our house and still have to do some additions to the insulation in the attic and basement. Hopefully our heating costs will go down a lot too.

Our house is heated with oil as are most of the houses in the northeast. If we had the extra money and were going to stay in this house long-term we would consider a geothermal system for heating, cooling, and hot water. Maybe someday. This house is too big for me to want to stay in it after the kids are on their own, but you never know what will happen. We'll do as much as we can for now without breaking the bank.

Other things that we do to help with energy usage include covering most of the windows with insulated shades or curtains and of course, turning lights and appliances off when not in use.

Chickens

A few weeks ago we were down to 6 lovely ladies- "Bumble" went missing- probably to a fox. We decided to get 3 more so we will have at least a few eggs this winter. We bought 3 sex-linked pullets which are now in quarantine to make sure they aren't carrying something that could infect our flock. Bill even built a special quarantine coop and pen that is somewhat moveable. We'll store it in the shed this winter and use it the next time we get more chickens.



Our history with chickens:
Last summer we acquired 6 laying hens and 6 chicks (a few weeks old). Bill and I built a chicken coop (4'X8') with an enclosed pen. We have a deer fence around the back yard as well, but it's not totally animal proof. After a few weeks, we realized that 2 of the chicks were roosters, and since we live in a neighborhood, we couldn't keep them. Over the past year we have lost 3 birds to predators and one to egg peritonitis. This summer before we went to California for 2 weeks, we enlarged the outdoor pen so that they have a luxuriously large space to wander when we are away. Most of the time they free range in the back yard looking for bugs, taking dust baths, and eating anything we throw in the compost.

My favorite gals are Sheila, a barred rock bantam, and Meredyth, an Americauna. They are some of our older birds and aren't the best layers anymore, but they sure are entertaining. Sheila is the top bird and calls the others into the coop at night. The new birds are rather skittish, but are starting to learn that the treats we provide (fresh corn, yogurt, watermelon, etc.) are good to eat. In a few weeks, we'll put them in the coop at night so that they can wake up with the older birds, and hopefully there won't be any major issues.

The eggs we get are delicious, and I feel much better eating them and feeding them to my family. We love having the ladies, and after the initial effort to get things set up, they're pretty easy to maintain. It helps to have neighbors to help when we go away, but the fresh eggs make them happy too.

Earlier this summer the young hens started laying their eggs under the hostas and other plants around the yard. By the time we realized it one nest had 19 eggs in it! Now we have to do an egg hunt every once in a while if it seems like we're not getting very many eggs.

Later this week I'll start getting the coop cleaned out and ready for winter. I'll also start putting the light on in the mornings so that they will keep laying into the fall.