Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Lacy Blues]

Market growers used to use hot-boxes, or heated cold frames, to keep crops growing in the winter. The heat was provided by fresh horse manure buried well below the earth that the plants were in -- you don't want the roots going into the pack of fresh manure, or they'll be burned -- too much nitrogen. So it's bottom heat. I don't know if it would be even remotely feasible to bury a couple of feet of fresh horse manure under the floor of a chicken coop. If you didn't have your own horses, you'd have to truck in quite a bit of manure, and then there would be all the digging -- twice a year, as it has to be removed in the spring. You'd probably have the best gardens around, though, with all that composted manure every year!

HUGE compost piles are being used to produce hot water, and I think even to heat buildings (via pipes run through the piles), but again, it would be a LOT of material to come up with. Might not be too hard to do in areas with more humidity and more plant growth, but in the high desert of Nevada and the eastern side of Oregon where I live, it could be difficult.

Kathleen

Yeah, that's one of the things I was thinking about but couldn't find the exact information I was remembering. Also figured it would let off too much humidity. But since its buried so deep, maybe not.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Yeah, that's one of the things I was thinking about but couldn't find the exact information I was remembering. Also figured it would let off too much humidity. But since its buried so deep, maybe not.

yes it would and too decomposing matter releases a good bit of methane gas too you must have very good ventilation for sure.

Jeff

 

[Arielle]

Here is the greenhouse -- it might inspire a suitable solution:
http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/build-underground-greenhouse-garden-year-round.html

I have put clear plexiglass in the roof of my horse barns and it helps to heat the barns.



Recently a family survived the extreme cold when stranded in the wilderness: heat stones and put them in the car at night. Perhaps 2L soda bottles filled with hot water overnight.

ANother person in NH uses 2 4 x 8 sheets of plywood to make an A frame house--

ANother person moved the rooster into a box at night-- the premise is put them in a smaller area so their body heat is held within the confines.

I have seen that greenhouse and I love it! I plan to build one some day (I hope). I plan to make step sides and put straw bales on them to do straw bale gardening on during the extended growing season I would have. I was thinking that come winter time, I would set up some temporary pens in the thing for the birds.

How did you set up plexiglass for your roof? What about summer? Do you have something to cover it with? Do you have pictures? I will be changing the structure of my roof next spring so the sooner I learn about this, the better.

Lacy, there are some really good, heavy, food grade white jugs that restaurants get cooking oil in that they just throw out in the trash afterwards. I've scored many of those jugs...most are around 3-4 gal., square, with a screw on lid. I had collected them at one point to use for just the purpose you propose in a small green house I was going to build. Folks paint one side black, fill them with water and stack them up so that the black side is absorbing heat all day and then releasing it through the white side into the interior of the room during the night. They last simply forever and can be used for so many things but their square design makes them particularly good for this purpose of passive solar heating.

Here's a pic of some.....

I use oil in such containers for the horses, and while they have many uses, I have noticed sunlight breaks down the plastic and makes these very brittle and a crack results. Perhaps painted they will last longer than the ones I string together to be bouys marking the swimming area. The extra sunlight reflection sure doesn't help with longevity.

I came across this today, a passive solar heating panel for your chicken coop. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/237353842834285196/

Checking it out!

Quote: at LacyBLues--I was a little worried you were giving up on the flock you have worked so hard on-- sarcasm is often hard to be sure of on the 'net! lol

They said this has sand in it to absorb heat to be released into the coop at night but I see leaf litter, not sand. There wasn't anyone to contact to ask about it so I just want to keep the picture for future references.

Great idea!! I would think anything dark would facilitate energy absorption. Much of the deep litter becomes darkened, especially the old leaves, so leaves might be useful.

Quote: I don't think twice about my wyandotts, nor my ameraucanas. Much less worry about combs on those breeds. I've been watching the big waddles (on the single combed roosters) dip into the cold water-- must be very uncomfortable for the roosters.

What about somehow adapting a system using compost for heating. It is used for greenhouses sometimes

http://www.uvm.edu/sustain/clean-en...ower-using-compost-power-to-heat-a-greenhouse

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/how-heat-your-chickens-compost.html

More reading.

Market growers used to use hot-boxes, or heated cold frames, to keep crops growing in the winter. The heat was provided by fresh horse manure buried well below the earth that the plants were in -- you don't want the roots going into the pack of fresh manure, or they'll be burned -- too much nitrogen. So it's bottom heat. I don't know if it would be even remotely feasible to bury a couple of feet of fresh horse manure under the floor of a chicken coop. If you didn't have your own horses, you'd have to truck in quite a bit of manure, and then there would be all the digging -- twice a year, as it has to be removed in the spring. You'd probably have the best gardens around, though, with all that composted manure every year!

HUGE compost piles are being used to produce hot water, and I think even to heat buildings (via pipes run through the piles), but again, it would be a LOT of material to come up with. Might not be too hard to do in areas with more humidity and more plant growth, but in the high desert of Nevada and the eastern side of Oregon where I live, it could be difficult.

Kathleen

HOrse manure-- lots depends on if using the manure or the urine soaked bedding. I try to separate the material at the time of cleaning the stalls and use it accordingly. That is the benefit of having my own sources but most decomposing material produces heat, urine is not necessary for the process, so other sources of composting might be worth investigating.

Quote:
THe struggles to balance it all . . . .

 

[Lacy Blues]

Plexi was cut and fit at the time of roof construction using metal sheets of roofing. 1/2 sections were placed evenly across the south face. The amount of light it lets in was surprising, I wish I had added "lights" to my other barns, oh well.

My set up is for horses, so they have a choice of being in the barn away from the flies in the summer, or outside in the breeze. What ever is comfortable for them-- their choice. THis means 3 4 x 8 doorways to let in fresh air, and the end walls are open on the end in the summer and it can be covered with plastic if needed in winter. Not a prety sight, but effective.

I would still be very interested in seeing pictures of this whenever you have time. Inside and out please so I can get a good picture in my head?

Sorry if I worried anybody about giving up my lovelies. Not gonna happen! I thought I was fairly obvious without doing what I felt.... exploding. So, I'm making progress at controlling my temper in regard to my birds... that's a good thing.

Sometimes I think I take this Mama Bear thing too far. It extends to my children as well as my birds... they're under my care so I guess that is what did it.

 

[uphilljill]

We also put translucent panels in the south-facing roof of the coop to let in light. When the sun's out it also adds a bit of passive solar heat. Have to be careful in summer to shade them so it doesn't get too hot in the coop (ours is under a tree), but great in winter!

 

[Arielle]

We also put translucent panels in the south-facing roof of the coop to let in light. When the sun's out it also adds a bit of passive solar heat. Have to be careful in summer to shade them so it doesn't get too hot in the coop (ours is under a tree), but great in winter!

Good point-- to have trees leaf out in the spring to shade the south face.

I have often imagined having vines grow over the roof in the spring/summer/ fall to shade the windows. DIdn't we discuss that a while back?? Hops was one possibility as I remember.

We had a strange vine volunteeer last summer and grew 5 feet high and 40 feet along the fence line giving the chickens a nice shelter in many respects. DH called it wild cucumber. DIed out when the frosts hit. Hoping it produced enough fruit/seeds to sprout again in 2014.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Good point-- to have trees leaf out in the spring to shade the south face.

I have often imagined having vines grow over the roof in the spring/summer/ fall to shade the windows. DIdn't we discuss that a while back?? Hops was one possibility as I remember.

We had a strange vine volunteeer last summer and grew 5 feet high and 40 feet along the fence line giving the chickens a nice shelter in many respects. DH called it wild cucumber. DIed out when the frosts hit. Hoping it produced enough fruit/seeds to sprout again in 2014.

Wow, that's quite a vine! Was there only one stem? Was it kind of thin or was it lushly thick? That would be a great wind break for wherever I can get it to grow... next to my garden being one of those places. Did it grow along and through a fence or stand on its own?

Nevermind. I just looked it up. It seems that they grow quite a huge root so it must be somewhat perennial. Looks like it needs a fence too. That would be ok. It doesn't show up on a map in Nevada so I wonder if its too hot here or it doesn't like alkaline soils. I do beds here and mix in manure/shavings and now some leaf litter too so if I could get enough stuff into the soil, I might be able to make it happy. Who knows. I certainly have enough to do already. Might be smarter to try to find something that doesn't mind my soil and hot summers.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Haahaaa, I always go for what is easest too-- too much to do as it is. Definitely go for what will work in your soils. I like the idea of using plants because they absorb a huge amount of energy when used for shade.

 

[Freeholder]

Wow, that's quite a vine! Was there only one stem? Was it kind of thin or was it lushly thick? That would be a great wind break for wherever I can get it to grow... next to my garden being one of those places. Did it grow along and through a fence or stand on its own?

Nevermind. I just looked it up. It seems that they grow quite a huge root so it must be somewhat perennial. Looks like it needs a fence too. That would be ok. It doesn't show up on a map in Nevada so I wonder if its too hot here or it doesn't like alkaline soils. I do beds here and mix in manure/shavings and now some leaf litter too so if I could get enough stuff into the soil, I might be able to make it happy. Who knows. I certainly have enough to do already. Might be smarter to try to find something that doesn't mind my soil and hot summers.

I'm not sure what the vine is, but Massachusetts and Nevada have very different climates! Our climate here in Eastern Oregon is like your's in Nevada and we just don't have enough water to grow a lot of things. Then there is the high elevation causing a very short growing season.... Check with your local (nearest) agricultural extension agent and see if you can get a list of plants that will grow well in your area, even if they need to be watered regularly. They should have one -- ours here does. It might help, too, to find a local Master Gardener and pick their brain for a while.

Kathleen

 

[Arielle]

I sent a request to a breeder for buckeye chicks, and heard from him a few days ago with a tentative ship date!!! Early March. I'm very excited and hope to use everything I have been learning these last 3 years to give these 25 chicks a good start.

ALso need to finish building the new coop-- I have also learned that in New ENgland, larger buildings are better for the poultry than the small pallet coops; and they benefit from a covered run area. Which translates into fewer birds thru the winter months. ( I'm learning.

) I do hope the buckeyes like the snow better than any of the other chicken breeds I've tried-- but I'm not holding my breath.