Small Scale Chicken Farm Hygene

[jaideeguy]

now that I have my 20 Rhode Island Red layers at 18 weeks, looking healthy and good temperament, i am using rice hulls [klab] for litter and change it weekly and add hydrated lime to keep odors [amonia]. I'm wondering what is the most sanitary way to deal with my growing pile of litter and to speed up the composting process?? should be great stuff for the veges this winter!!! Will composting sanitize the poop against avian flu and other possible pathogens??

Edited September 28, 2008 by jaideeguy

[IsaanAussie]

now that I have my 20 Rhode Island Red layers at 18 weeks, looking healthy and good temperament, i am using rice hulls [klab] for litter and change it weekly and add hydrated lime to keep odors [amonia]. I'm wondering what is the most sanitary way to deal with my growing pile of litter and to speed up the composting process?? should be great stuff for the veges this winter!!! Will composting sanitize the poop against avian flu and other possible pathogens??

I have 30 odd pullets about ready to start laying. Still living under the rice store until their house gets finished (unfortunately). I plan to spread netting under the roosting area to collect the droppings. Two days sun drying then grind and bag. The sun treatment supposedly fixes the pathogen problem. Finished material goes into farm made pig feed (high mineral content). Litter in the feeding area and scratch pen will go into compost (vermicomposting) or straight into the ground as hulls/lime/gypsum make a great soil conditioner in clay soils. My hen house has a full concrete floor and the plan is to water wash as required effluent going into a pond or biodigester.

The problem with rice hulls is they are pretty inert and take a long time to breakdown using a fair bit of nitrogen in doing so. Apparently a lot of that N becomes available again like a slow release fertiliser once the hulls have started to rot. The hulls make great mulch but unless they have started to breakdown can take a ton of water to get wet. If you use them check on the level of penetration when your water your vegies

You could try a compost tumbler (closed oil drum on an axle) which will allow you to mix up the compost, adjust the moisture content and keep temperature up higher. That should accelerate the deposition and take care of smells. Adding other organic matter that rots a bit quicker would help.

Isaanaussie

[jaideeguy]

So, Issan aussie......sounds like you are in the same situation as me. My pullets are [approx] 18-20 weeks old and are housed in a bamboo and grass roof shack with a cement floor. I do let them free range for a couple of hours in the afternoon and having been caged raised, it's funny to see them learning how to scratch.

I do know the value of the rice hull litter as a soil amendment to the clay soils we have up here and would like to simply add it to the compost pile then into the garden. Would the 'EM' enzyme speed up the decomposition and possibly salvage the nitrogen that will disapate??

[IsaanAussie]

So, Issan aussie......sounds like you are in the same situation as me. My pullets are [approx] 18-20 weeks old and are housed in a bamboo and grass roof shack with a cement floor. I do let them free range for a couple of hours in the afternoon and having been caged raised, it's funny to see them learning how to scratch.

I do know the value of the rice hull litter as a soil amendment to the clay soils we have up here and would like to simply add it to the compost pile then into the garden. Would the 'EM' enzyme speed up the decomposition and possibly salvage the nitrogen that will disapate??

Sorry mate, pass me on enzyme treatments. I treat the hulls as a carrier if you like, they last longer than other vege matter and keep aeration OK. Apparently they absorb the nitrogen first then release it, again not a chemistry set in sight. If you are thinking about worms, feed back as protein to the chickens, perhaps you could set aside (fence so you can regulate the chickens) a space near where they scratch and work the litter and lime into the soil. Perhaps a 2-3 00mm deep trench then mix soil and litter and put it back. Extend the trench as you have more litter. You should have worms by the bucketload in a month or two and the now "crappy" soil would be used for your vegies.

IA

[pnustedt]

I've been buying sacks of chicken manure (normal fertilizer size bags) at Bt20. Suggest you sack them and put them out on the side of the nearest road with a price tag. They'll soon shift. P.S. Charge 2b deposit for the sacks

[Smithson]

You may be interested to check the thread on composting techniques, this product sold by these ppl may help to break down the manure and reduce the order.

[jaideeguy]

I just added some 'EM' today, with molasas to speed up digestion. Have been using it for years now and it does seem to help with odors. Haven't done any side by side comparisons and sometimes I get too lazy [forgetful] in turning the pile to aireate it.

[Thomaspaul]

Hello Guys

nice conversation asnd insight. Keerping egg laying chicken is what i want to do.

Can you help me want to buy about 30 Egg laying chicken but do not know where to buy them from

I live in Thoeng Chaingrai Province

If so email me at

[email protected]

Thomas

[sionapiorwerth]

now that I have my 20 Rhode Island Red layers at 18 weeks, looking healthy and good temperament, i am using rice hulls [klab] for litter and change it weekly and add hydrated lime to keep odors [amonia]. I'm wondering what is the most sanitary way to deal with my growing pile of litter and to speed up the composting process?? should be great stuff for the veges this winter!!! Will composting sanitize the poop against avian flu and other possible pathogens??

hi there, mix the klab with some rice straw this will keep the young poults on their toes and healthy, or add saw dust if you are near the saw mill, combine this with additional compost top with some EM and cover in two weeks you will have a good compost, if you want to go one step further add earth worms (vermiculture) they will produce a very good quality compost.from their stool.

keep the worms for ther poults to eat later or add to a new heap. saves money.

Edited October 22, 2008 by sionapiorwerth

[krabicriminal]

Hi all. I am living in southern Thailand with my wife whose family have land. I asked if I could build a small chicken farm, and they said yes. I don't know the 1st thing about chickens, but I would love to have say 20-40 chickens for thier eggs and meat. How much would it initially cost for me to set this up? Any information would b greatly appriciated.

Thanks

[IsaanAussie]

Hi all. I am living in southern Thailand with my wife whose family have land. I asked if I could build a small chicken farm, and they said yes. I don't know the 1st thing about chickens, but I would love to have say 20-40 chickens for thier eggs and meat. How much would it initially cost for me to set this up? Any information would b greatly appriciated.

Thanks

Hey KC,

If you want the real deal of chickens talk to the man "andycrosby" a Thaivisa member, a personal friend and a thorough Gipsy. If he cant set you straight then bears have stopped using the forest as a toilet and the Pope is really a Protestant.

Send him a PM or try his website thai-farm.com

[andycrosby]

Ok boys, I is hear anyone want there drive tarmacked, I have a few Pure road Island reds that will hatch on the 25 i think there will be 160 and Ive sold about 110 so there is a few left but these will go fast

Other than that I am putting English White Leghorn bantams in the incubator these little buggers grow fast are easy to sex and outlay anything on the planet, but there brand new for me and we only have a few

A months time and my Barred Plymouth rock should be in lay and I also have lucky heather, and a lurcher for sale....LOL

[Smithson]

I'm also interested in keeping chickens. We have a group of 5 decent size lime trees. I was thinking about fencing them off and making the area a chicken run, then having the chickens fertilize the area and keep the weeds down. Could this be done fairly simply? I'd like to use as little time/energy as possible.

[andycrosby]

very easy net the area 150 baht for 30 meters a tin sheet bent in half , long ways to keep the rain off then a plastic tub for them to drink from 300 baht and your set up simple but ok not dog proof, crow proof, snake proof , cat proof, or thai proof ?

[Smithson]

Thanks Andy. What level of maintenance would be required? Could the chooks be left there full time so they wouldn't run round everywhere else creating a mess?

[andycrosby]

yes thats full time and chickens make less mess if you just let them out the may scrach a bit but, no work at all... I always have a few round the house. at 20 weeks old we eat the boys and take the girls to my farm for egg production and stick another 20 outside, at about 1 month old I do lock them up at night till there a size were the cats will not eat them, I never have problems with dogs or snakes , but the wife sister likes to steal our eggs..