Chicken Coops for Sale in Colcord, West Virginia
Chicken Coops for Sale in Colcord, West 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 Plans For 20 Chickens in Colcord, West Virginia
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Colcord West 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 Colcord West Virginia chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Colcord, West Virginia With the significant increase in poultry keeping there has been a similarly big rise in the range of fowl stuff for sale. Poultry real estate is an instance in point. It's also a classic example of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as various prospective poultry housing specialists pitch a variety of cottage asserting to be the suitable option to your chicken housing demands. Usually the price looks attractive, your house looks attractive, hell even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Surely they recognize a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous low-cost and also horrible coops swamping the market. I know this as I've tested a variety of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed container showed up. The outcome was nothing but an expensive heap of firewood as well as a small group of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Large in Colcord, West Virginia
More often than not these standardized designs are constructed of quick grown up timber - come the first decrease of rainfall they swell, leaving you either blockading a doorway that will not close, or tearing the doorway furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking citizens. The initial warm day suggests the timber dries out as well as fractures, the felt roof covering bubbles and also boils, and also come nightfall the hens choose not to enter. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their once appealing home but considering that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, as well as most likely crawling with, the poultry keeper's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would suit 4 big hens when that stocking thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and exactly what are you left with? A number of hinges and also some kindling. A decent coop for thee to four birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run connected. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a large area as well as the pop opening doorway allows sufficient for the breed you maintain, after that the primary requirements of real estate come down to three points which will specify the variety of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes and also air flow. Most breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot sits comfortably on it. The perch should be higher than the nest box access as chickens will certainly additionally normally search 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 generate one of the most poo) leading to soiled eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the floor of the house that leg injuries can occur when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is obviously much less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in the house they should be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your house needs to have a least one nest box for every three birds and also these ought to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your house. Your house ought to have ample air flow: without it after that condensation will build up every evening, also in the chilliest of climate. Be aware, air flow works with the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high void attracting cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a collection of holes on opposite walls of your house as well as at the exact same level, this is just what's called a draft. If you have a house with a run connected after that the factors above are still true, yet you should also think about the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful stocking thickness for a free range bird is (and let's encounter it, one of the motivations for keeping some chickens in your home is possibly improved or much better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m settled. Take a close check out several of the deal homes - it could well be your house has the best perches, right 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 invest the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you get exactly what you pay for". You might believe you've grabbed a bargain, but you as well as your group can rue the day you did. Purchase the best house as well as it will certainly last for a couple of decades, if not longer provided the correct therapy. Eventually your fowl and your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be considerably the far better for it.coops build
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