Chicken Coops for Sale in Boissevain, Virginia
Chicken Coops for Sale in Boissevain, Virginia
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 Build in Boissevain, Virginia
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Boissevain Virginia" 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 Boissevain Virginia chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Boissevain, Virginia With the substantial rise in chicken keeping there has actually been a similarly big rise in the array of chicken materiel for sale. Poultry housing is a case in point. It's likewise a traditional instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as numerous would-be chicken housing specialists peddle a selection of accommodation asserting to be the suitable option to your chicken housing demands. Frequently the rate looks desirable, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, heck also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they recognize a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are several low-cost and nasty cages swamping the marketplace. I recognize this as I've examined a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed pail showed up. The outcome was only a costly pile of fire wood and a small group of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop On Wheels Designs in Boissevain, Virginia
Typically these standardized designs are built of fast grown up hardwood - come the initial decrease of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not shut, or ripping the doorway furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking occupants. The first warm and comfortable day implies the lumber dries out and also fractures, the really felt roof covering bubbles as well as boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not due to their disappointment at the decrease of their once eye-catching property but since the hovel is now a sanctuary for, and also possibly abounding, the chicken keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it said 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 left with? A few joints and some kindling. A decent coop for thee to 4 birds ought to cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run connected. Thinking you are varying your birds in a large area as well as the pop opening doorway allows enough for the breed you maintain, then the major requirements of housing boil down to three factors which will certainly define the variety of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. The majority 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 rests comfortably on it. The perch must be more than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly likewise naturally try to find the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce one of the most poo) bring about dirtied eggs the following day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries could occur when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in small types this is undoubtedly much less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your house they should be greater 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 ahead. Ideally your house ought to have a the very least one nest box for each three birds and these must be off the ground and in the darkest area of your home. The house must have appropriate ventilation: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every evening, also in the coldest of climate. Understand, ventilation works on the principle of cozy air leaving via a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a set of holes on other wall surfaces of the house and at the same degree, this is what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached after that the points above are still true, yet you need to also think about the run size. The EU optimum legal stocking thickness for a totally free variety bird is (and also let's face it, among the motivations for keeping some hens in the house is perhaps enhanced or much better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m made even. Take a close take a look at several of the deal residences - it could well be your house has the ideal perches, proper air flow and also enough nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you get exactly what you pay for". You could assume you've grabbed a deal, yet you and your group can rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house as well as it will certainly last for a couple of decades, if not longer offered the proper therapy. Ultimately your poultry and your chicken maintaining encounter will certainly be much the much better for it.plans chicken
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