Chicken Coops for Sale in Windsor, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Windsor, Vermont
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 – )
Share this:
Chicken Coop Run Plans in Windsor, Vermont
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Windsor Vermont" 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 Windsor Vermont chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Windsor, Vermont With the big boost in poultry keeping there has actually been a just as large increase in the variety of poultry materiel for sale. Chicken housing is a proceedings in point. It's likewise a timeless example of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as numerous prospective poultry housing experts pitch an array of cottage declaring to be the ideal remedy to your chicken housing demands. Commonly the price looks attractive, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, hell even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Surely they recognize a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous inexpensive and also nasty coops flooding the marketplace. I recognize this as I've examined a number of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed pail showed up. The outcome was just an expensive heap of fire wood as well as a little flock of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Baby Chick Enclosure in Windsor, Vermont
Generally these mass produced versions are constructed of quick grown wood - come the first decline of rain they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that won't close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking residents. The initial cozy day indicates the timber dries and also cracks, the really felt roofing bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the hens refuse to enter. This is not as a result of their disappointment at the decrease of their as soon as attractive home but since the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, as well as most likely abounding, the chicken keeper's bane, red mite. Add that it claimed on the blurb that it would match four huge hens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and what are you left with? A few hinges as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds must cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a free standing house or one with a run affixed. Thinking you are varying your birds in a big area as well as the pop hole door is big sufficient for the type you keep, after that the main needs of housing come down to 3 factors which will certainly specify the variety of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. A lot of breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off edges so the foot sits pleasantly on it. The perch must be above the nest box entrance as chickens will likewise naturally look for the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they generate the most poo) causing stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries might happen when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is clearly much less), plus if greater 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 crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally your home ought to have a the very least one nest box for every 3 birds as well as these should be off the ground and in the darkest location of your home. The house needs to have sufficient ventilation: without it then condensation will develop every evening, even in the coldest of climate. Understand, air flow works on the concept of cozy air leaving via a high space attracting cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a set of openings on contrary wall surfaces of your house and at the same level, this is what's referred to as a draft. If you have a house with a run connected after that the factors above are still real, but you ought to also consider the run size. The EU optimum legal stocking density for a complimentary range bird is (and also allow's face it, one of the motivations for maintaining some chickens at home is possibly enhanced or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m settled. Take a close take a look at several of the deal residences - it could well be your home has the ideal perches, correct ventilation and also ample nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain what you spend for". You may think you've grabbed a bargain, however you and your group might rue the day you did. Acquisition the best house and also it will certainly last for a couple of decades, if not longer offered the proper treatment. In the end your poultry and also your fowl maintaining encounter will certainly be a lot the better for it.plan build
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Center Rutland, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Northfield Falls, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Lyndon Center, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Corinth, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Roxbury, Vermont