Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chicken Housing
The chicken housing is designed carefully to fully utilize the natures powers and to suit the habits, instincts and behaviors of the chickens. Roof and wall: The roof has a closed window. The roof window allows sunlight to come in and the sun would always shed light on at least 1/3 of the floor throughout the day. This bright area shifts as the sun moves. The whole floor gets a chance to see the sun at least once a day and becomes disinfected. The ratio of 1:2 of sun shined
Chicken Housing
Roof is made from galvanized zinc sheet which is a good heat conductor. However, we can substitute to another materials if we cant get galvanized zinc sheet. The roof becomes hot. The hot air escapes through the window and cool wind comes from the open walls (convention). The wind takes away moisture from the floor, controlling the humidity. The walls are made of net at the front and back and has curtain to control air flow.
Chicken Housing
Floor Floor must be touched to soil. Chop rice straw in 3 cm length and cover the floor at depth of 7 cm (3cm for boilers). The soil floor with straw carpet mixes with enzymes from the straw, nutrients in chicken manures, micro organisms and natural farming inputs. Air convention provides ideal moisture level on the floor for the micro organisms. During dry season, the floor dries up easily so spray IMO 1-2 times a day. (this may differ depending on the regions).
Chicken Housing
Floor Because micro organisms are active in the floor, they break down chicken dropings. That is why the chicken house has no smell. The Chicken feed on the fermented products of their dropings. You do not need to remove the faeces, continue rearing for 10, 20 years without clearing. Just take it out when you want fertilizers. Take out only half the fermented faeces because removing them completely may have negative effect to the chickens. That is why you have no waste, wastewater, excretions to treat. All treatment is done on the floor. The floor is feed producer, fertilizer factory and waste treatment plant.
Chicken Housing
Basic principle of organic farming is to give hard feeds and raise in low temperature from chicks. On organic poultry, we give chickens brown rice and bamboo leaves. Instead of heat from charcoal or gas which reduces humidity and finally makes chicks weak, organic poultry uses natural compost heat. This system makes chicks to have strong internal organs to eat every feeds. The length of internal organs becomes 270~300cm and the blind gut is 7times longer than normal chickens. Grass, straws, bran are all possible to use as a chicken feeds.
Poultry house should follow organic poultry regulations. It would be constructed south oriented and open back and forth for good ventilation. According to move of the sun, sun ray could disinfect whole poultry houses ground. Besides, moving sunlight divides spaces naturally with difference of temperature. Chicken manure would be fermented naturally with rice bran and saw dust on the ground.
Feeds
Limestone and egg shell is very good calcium supplier. After wash egg shell, boil and crush it. A percentage of calcium is 1~2% for young chickens and 6~7% for layer chickens. Bone powder is a good phosphorus and calcium source. Percentage of a phosphorus is 1.5~3.5%. Sand and gravel is helpful for smash feeds in the stomach. Give chicks small sized sands whichs diameter is 1.5~3.0mm when these become 2weeks. Give 5~8g per 1chickens from 4th week. All sorts of leaves, grass, carrots are good vitamin supplier. When prepare to feeding, mixing 2 or 3 kinds of vegetables or leaves are very good. It would be 20~30% of whole feeds.
Feeds
Natural farming emphasizes the use of homemade chicken feed. We cut down the use of commercial feed as much as possible. But feed is not just simply made from material lying around. Nutrient balance and effect to chicken bodies should be carefully calculated. That is why we can confidently say that natural farming homemade feed is better than commercial ones.
Feeds
Feed is given only once a day compared to conventional poultry where its given 3-4 times or even throughout the day. We follow the rule once full and once hungry in one day. Feed is given 2 hours before sunset. Observing the law of nature, natural farming chickens have two times longer productive period (2-3 years) than conventional method. Not to mention that the natural farming chickens are much more healthy and happy.
Brooder box
Raising Chicks
Raising Chicks
When we raise chicks, the most important factor is temperature. We should keep the temperature almost on 40C. According to this reason, we use compost heating system. So when we make a brooder box, before put this on the ground, we dig 30cm of the ground and bury mixture of saw dust, bran and IMO. On the ground, we cover saw dust or coffee husk with bran. Important thing is we should use feed tray for feeding chicks from 4th day. Especially, dont mix much IMO with the mixture of feeds. Give dried feed is better than wet one.
Raising Chicks
Brooding box is divided into three rooms. Room A is hot, B is warm and C is cool. Chicks rest in A, feed in B and drink in C. The distance from A to C is 710 cm (for medium chicks); chicks have to run back and forth 50-60 times a day. This is sufficient exercise. Between rooms B and C, a cloth curtain drapes down, resembling the feathers oh the mother hen. So when chicks go through the cloth, they feel being cared by the mother.
Raising Chicks
Feed Tray
Chickens
Water
Chicks
Poultry Checking
Temperature Humidity 60~70% Sun Ray At least 80% of ground would exposure for 3 hours. Ventilation Very important to control moisture and eliminate smell. Smell
Disease protecting
The concept of natural poultry is not to give any vaccination or medical treatment. This is because in a proper condition what natural farming guides are taking could not produce any diseases from inside. However we cant sure it would working worldwide in any condition. Natural farming can eliminate many kinds of germs, insects and so on. However we should be always careful when we raise chicken. Because we cant prevent such infections. We can protect many types of diseases through giving vaccination.
Importance of earthworm
Earthworm and maggot are very importance feed for chickens. Source of protein
Reality of chicken housing showing wire mesh to let out the hot air