Chicken Coops for Sale in Napoleon, Michigan
Chicken Coops for Sale in Napoleon, Michigan
Agrotop's Green Henhouse Hotel For Humane Poultry That Matches EU Standards
Chickens won’t cluck at this: Aside from making life more comfortable for the hens, Agrotop’s henhouse incorporates wind and solar power, recycles wastewater, and even processes chicken waste into biofuel.
, but many people aren’t happy with the way chicken arrives at their table – both from a humanitarian and an environmental point of view. Most of the poultry you buy in the market is raised in factory farms, where the birds contend with overcrowding, disease and worse.
To correct this foul situation, beginning in 2012 the European Union (EU) will require farms to provide more space and more fresh air – and even a mattress or a pillow – for each bird. To comply with these regulations, farmers in the EU and in countries like Israel that sell poultry products in Europe are going to have to upgrade their henhouses. Israel’s Agrotop is poised to help, with its award-winning “henhouse of the future.”
For Agrotop, “award-winning” isn’t just corporate marketing fluff. The company really did win an award from the Ministry of Agriculture this year for its new industrial chicken coop design, which not only meets the new EU standards, but is also completely “green,” says Gaby Pelleg, one of Agrotop’s partners and directors.
A clean, green, aesthetic, humane coop “We designed the coop to physically match its surroundings, so that the natural beauty of the area where it is built will not be compromised. Plus, we use wind and , recycle the wastewater for use in the coop, and in addition we process the chicken waste to manufacture biofuels. Farmers can sell the power to the electric company, and thereby enjoy an additional stream of income,” Pelleg tells.
Chickens had it rough before, but the new EU regulations, which cover all fowl that are raised for food – and which Israel is planning to adopt as well – will make life much more pleasant for them.
Henhouse cages must provide at least 116.25 square inches of space per bird (nearly double the current standard) and provide enough space for birds to move around in freely, with access to fresh air and natural light, enabling them to flap their wings, etc. Cages will be equipped with natural or artificial grass or sand, imitating the birds’ natural environment, and each cage will even be equipped with soft material – a sort of ‘mattress’ or ‘pillow’ – for the birds to rest on.
The regulations were developed in part because of the impact of the animal rights movement, but polls show that most consumers, including those who don’t consider themselves animal rights activists, prefer to see animals well treated.
How green is your coop?
The Agrotop coop complies with the new EU rules and does them one better – by turning the coop into a model of green technology and environmental responsibility.
Industrial chicken production has also been the bane of environmentalists for years. For example, chicken manure has high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, which when discharged into the water “steal” oxygen from fish. Many areas with large poultry production facilities report occasional “fish kills,” where large numbers of fish die off, with scientists connecting their deaths directly to manure levels in the water, and environmental activists demanding that henhouses be closed down.
So in addition to being a boon for animal welfare, Agrotop’s henhouses are good for the environment, too, “The coops are built of recycled material wherever possible,” says Pelleg. “In Israel, most of the coops are in the Galilee, so we designed a low-slung building for Israeli farmers to fit in with the natural topography. The coop is raised off the ground, built on piles, ensuring that it remains a closed system that does not affect the surrounding environment – not even the grass or topsoil on which it stands.
“The roof of the building has wind turbines and , for the production of [solar] electricity. And we recycle the birds’ manure, turning it into a methane-based gas,” Pelleg continues.
While the energy produced by the coop could be used to power the building and its equipment, Pelleg says he recommends to farmers that they sell the energy back to the electric company, because they can make more money that way. “So besides lessening the birds’ impact on the environment, our coops provide farmers with an additional income stream,” he contends.
Long-lasting henhouses ready soon
It was these green innovations that pushed Agrotop’s design to the top of the Agriculture Ministry list, says Pelleg, enabling the company to beat out four other competitors for the crown. Although there was no cash awarded for the prize – just recognition – Pelleg believes that the honor will help the company to sell more henhouses, both in Israel and Europe.
Agrotop, which has been in existence for decades, is Israel’s largest manufacturer and builder of turnkey poultry production systems, and has clients in 35 countries. In Europe, Agrotop’s chief partner is Germany’s Big Dutchman, one of the world’s biggest animal husbandry companies. According to Pelleg, European customers of Big Dutchman are itching to get their hands on Agrotop’s coops. Production has just begun, and the first coops will be ready to ship at the beginning of next year.
Changing their entire production system to comply with new government regulations is expensive, and both Israel and the EU countries will be subsidizing the cost of the new henhouses.
“Our design is engineered to last a long time, because we know that even with the subsidy, most small farmers are going to have a hard time finding the funds to buy a new coop. On average, farmers buy a new coop maybe once every 20 years, and we want to ensure that the coop they buy from us lasts at least that long,” Pelleg says.
(This story was written by David Shamah and first published on ISRAEL21c – )
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Baby Chicks in Napoleon, Michigan
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Napoleon Michigan" into any one of the numerous search engines and a wealth of information will pop up. This information will provide links to other websites that will be informative and will provide the right direction for finding Napoleon Michigan chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Napoleon, Michigan With the substantial boost in poultry keeping there has actually been a similarly big rise in the range of chicken paraphernalia on sale. Fowl real estate is a proceedings in point. It's also a traditional instance of the good old bandwagon being got on as different would-be fowl real estate professionals pitch a variety of cottage declaring to be the ideal remedy to your chicken real estate demands. Frequently the rate looks attractive, the house looks desirable, heck even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they understand a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are several economical as well as nasty cages swamping the marketplace. I know this as I've examined a variety of them in the field, and seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed container showed up. The outcome was nothing but an expensive pile of firewood as well as a tiny group of bemused and currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Run Plans in Napoleon, Michigan
Typically these mass produced versions are built of rapid grown up lumber - come the initial decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a doorway that will not close, or ripping the door furnishings off in a vain effort to launch the squawking occupants. The first warm day suggests the wood dries as well as splits, the really felt roof covering bubbles and boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens refuse to go in. This is not because of their disappointment at the decline of their as soon as appealing commercial property yet due to the fact that the hovel is now a haven for, as well as most likely crawling with, the fowl caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would suit four large chickens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and what are you left with? A number of joints and also some kindling. A decent coop for thee to 4 birds ought to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run affixed. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a big room as well as the pop hole doorway allows enough for the type you keep, after that the major demands of real estate come down to three points which will define the number of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also air flow. The majority of types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch needs to ideally be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off sides so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch should be more than the nest box access as chickens will certainly additionally normally look for the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce one of the most poo) causing stained eggs the following day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries can occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in little types this is clearly less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in the house they should be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors yet are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your house must have a the very least one nest box for each three birds and these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest area of your house. Your house should have appropriate air flow: without it then condensation will develop every evening, even in the coldest of weather condition. Realize, ventilation works with the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high gap attracting cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a collection of openings on other wall surfaces of your home and at the very same level, this is exactly what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still true, yet you must likewise consider the run dimension. The EU maximum lawful stocking density for a free range bird is (and let's face it, among the inspirations for keeping some chickens in the house is possibly enhanced or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m made even. Take a close take a look at a few of the bargain houses - it could well be your home has the ideal perches, appropriate ventilation and also ample nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you obtain just what you spend for". You could think you've grabbed a deal, but you as well as your flock might rue the day you did. Purchase the right house and also it will certainly last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer given the correct treatment. Eventually your chicken as well as your poultry keeping experience will be considerably the far better for it.for sale coop
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