Need insight...chicken run on a septic drain field???

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Well of COURSE they're not oing to compact the LINES

What they compact is the soil on TOP of them.

For the same reason that you mustn't pave (or even paver-) over your leachfield, having chickens turn the top into hardpan (whcih they will do in many soils!) is a bad idea.


Pat

 

[Omran]

Quote:
Well of COURSE they're not oing to compact the LINES

What they compact is the soil on TOP of them.

For the same reason that you mustn't pave (or even paver-) over your leachfield, having chickens turn the top into hardpan (whcih they will do in many soils!) is a bad idea.


Pat

Trust me nothing going to happen to the top soil will effect the lines, lines are covered with minimum of 12" of rock #57 and then another 18" to 24" of top soil, I respect what you believe in pat, but septic is my field and I know it inside out. usualy we have 3 or 4 diffrent lines and when one stop the other will kick on and when there is a problem it most likely will be inside the tank when peopledon't treat thier tanks and flash all kind of nonsense in the drain.
Omran

 

[WalkingWolf]

Drain fields are not paved over and building permits are not allowed over because the fields must be repairable by code. My chickens do not compact soil they aerate the soil by turning it scratching. A sewage treatment system is very different the lines are close to the top of the ground, this is done when soil will not perk. Then a system of tanks is set up to make the water potable by the time it is pumped to the surface. Some landscapes are set up to spray this water on the landscape of a night. Naturally you would not want your run on top of this type of system. One government building I worked at actually had a duck pond where the water was returned to the pond and very safe.

 

[BethESH]

Wow - thanks for all the insight...

I've looked over the inspection documentation for the drain field (from 1974) and this is what I've found out...the four drain pipes leading from the mainline are 12 feet long, have 5 feet of sand under them and 10 inches of cover on top of them. There is a 4 foot berm around the perimeter of it for drainage. So, I would guess that the total run area would be about 44' x 20'.

We obviously cannot build on top of the drain field, so I'm not looking to locate the coop on it, I just want to be able to let the chickens roam over it. It's semi-unused space now. (I say 'semi unused' because we obviously need to use it...flushing good!

) However, we can't park my wonderful man's van, extra truck, trailer, jet ski or boat on it. Our yard is filled with a lot of stuff - it could be easily nominated for Jeff Foxworthy's redneck backyard!

I hate seeing all that area just sitting there. The man wants to use it for a horsehoes...

Oh, and I should say that I'm going to have a REALLY small flock of birds - I've ordered two roo and ten pullet chicks - they're Norwegian Jaerhons. I can't imagine that they're going to do too much damage if I rotate yards...of course, I'm new to the chicken world, so I could be wrong. Let me know...

I'm tickled to hear that others have done this - and I love hearing about watermelons being grown there too. (I've got to figure out where the garden's going too!!!)

Please keep the info/thoughts/opinions coming!

Beth

 

[LynneP]

You'll be surprised at how deep chickens can dig. Pretty expensive repair and you'd have to relocate run as well...

 

[patandchickens]

Seriously just 10" on top of the tiles? Gee.

Behind the chicken building, where their run was the first year, I *still* have a 10-12" deep hole they dug for dusting (and possibly cooling off) in.

I dunno. Some people clearly feel you should be able get away with it. OTOH, consider the cost to repair/rebuild the system if they're wrong...


Pat

 

[LynneP]

Hi Pat!

And on the other side of the coin, hubby's horsehoe pit will be at least that deep, with steel objects landing on the tiles. I think Pat is right about code, too, tiles in Canada, every province would have to be far deeper because of heaving and crashing during freeze and thaw...

 

[wildswanfarm]

My wife just asked this question of me yesterday as I'm moving our birds away from the house to the back of the property. In fact, I've done extensive prep to do so.! as in cutting down and bucking a row of wild plum and what not in a week long spree of labor that created a myriad of aches and pains!

So to assuage her fears I googled this morning and all of her fears can now be allayed. Thanks to BYC and every other googled site as the consensus is that it's a great [place to put it.

As previously posted, if you watch what our birds eat anyway, there are those who would NEVER eat eggs or chicken!

Cheers!

 

[boyswillbeboys]

wildswanfarm, what we did was build a secure fence that the chickens could get over 5' but nothing else would try, so they have their secure area, then are allowed to free range on the mound, and everywhere else. I find they forage around the mound but won't go on it, (to exposed) ours is large, due to a very high water table (creek on one end of the property, and our well on the other,)

our system is a recent addition (2-3 years) due to the original owners subdividing the homestead for sale (to us).

 

[montanacamper]

I am in this exact situation and wondering whatever happened. Did BethESH put the chickens in the field?