Chicken Coops for Sale in Kelliher, Minnesota
Chicken Coops for Sale in Kelliher, Minnesota
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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Chicken Coop in Kelliher, Minnesota
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Kelliher Minnesota" 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 Kelliher Minnesota chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Kelliher, Minnesota With the big rise in poultry keeping there has been an equally large surge in the array of poultry paraphernalia for sale. Chicken housing is a proceedings in point. It's also a classic example of the good old bandwagon being jumped on as numerous would-be poultry real estate professionals peddle a range of holiday accommodation declaring to be the ideal option to your chicken housing requirements. Usually the rate looks appealing, your house looks appealing, hell also the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of economical and also awful coops flooding the market. I know this as I've tested a number of them in the field, and seen a ewe run straight through one when the feed bucket showed up. The result was just a pricey stack of fire wood and a little group of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Baby Chicken in Kelliher, Minnesota
Typically these mass produced designs are built of quick grown up hardwood - come the initial drop of rain they swell, leaving you either blockading a doorway that will not shut, or tearing the doorway furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking occupants. The very first warm day implies the timber dries out and also fractures, the felt roofing bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not as a result of their disappointment at the decline of their as soon as appealing home however considering that the hovel is now a haven for, as well as most likely abounding, the poultry caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly fit four big hens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you entrusted? A few hinges as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you choose for a complimentary standing house or one with a run connected. Presuming you are varying your birds in a big area and also the pop opening door allows sufficient for the type you keep, then the main demands of housing come down to three factors which will specify the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and air flow. A lot of types of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch ought to preferably be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot sits pleasantly on it. The perch must be higher than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly likewise normally try to find the acme to perch. A perch less than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce the most poo) resulting in stained eggs the following day. They should not however be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could take place when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is certainly much less), plus if more than one perch is set up in the house they need to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors however are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably the house needs to have a least one nest box for every single three birds as well as these should be off the ground and also in the darkest area of your house. Your house ought to have ample air flow: without it after that condensation will accumulate every night, also in the chilliest of weather. Be aware, air flow works on the principle of warm air leaving with a high gap drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a set of holes on contrary wall surfaces of your home and also at the same level, this is exactly what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still real, yet you should additionally take into consideration the run size. The EU maximum lawful stocking thickness for a free array bird is (as well as let's encounter it, one of the motivations for maintaining some hens at home is possibly improved or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m squared. Take a close check out some of the deal houses - it could well be the house has the right perches, proper air flow and also ample nest boxes for a sensible variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain exactly what you spend for". You might think you've got a deal, yet you and also your flock could rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house and it will last for a couple of decades, if not longer offered the correct therapy. Eventually your chicken as well as your poultry keeping experience will be much the better for it.coop chicken
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