Thinking Outside of the Coop: Waste Management and Stimulation

[aart]

So are you saying that the volume of a compost decreases over time? Water also evaporates in an aquarium . . .

It can decrease as the material is broken down, but over all it can increase.

Evaporated water is usually replaced.

 

[linuxusr]

This really isn't practical. The chickens need to eat what they need to eat. They should have free choice of a complete chicken feed available to them at all times. If you don't want to anthropomorphize them by overfeeding them, don't offer them anything other than their complete feed.



You only need one nest box per five hens.



Does the apartment complex know of all these plans? Are owned chickens permitted on the property? The person that lives below your balcony? How much weight was the balcony designed to support?



Untreated lumber in a tropical climate will not last long.

BTW, chickens DIG! They will 'unearth' anything they have in their run and will strewn the contents far and wide. I read you intend to cover the concrete with wood with holes drilled into it and pottery shards to cover the holes. The chicken will dig up the shards.
Where does the patio drain? How are you going to remove waste product from the run/coop? If you are trying to do all this on a concrete patio, you will sooner or later have to remove material and get it down to the first floor.

I was very serious when I said you should consider quail! I really think you should look into them. You could make an amazing enclosure for them and they would be much more manageable and practical for an apartment on the second floor than a flock of chickens.

@DobieLover

(1) I'm hell-bent on hens but I have no problem investigating the quail possibility. Where do you recommend I go as a resource to learn more? Wikipedia was a waste: no more than distinguishing Old World from New World,

(2) What do you mean by "complete" feed? Do you mean a daily staple? When I was a boy we fed our hens corn mash. I have no idea, as yet, what is available here.

(3) You recommend one nest per five hens. Please explain that. We had ten hens and five nests. Generally, I would find eggs in 2 to 3 nests. Is there such a thing as too many nests? (I doubt it).

(4) Nobody lives below. It is a cement storage warehouse and it is rarely open. We will occupy the whole building. In the D.R. there are no rules or regulations governing the keeping of hens and roosters. And if you had neighbors, you wouldn't have to ask. There are random hens and roosters throughout the city. This is an agricultural society. Most people in the city come from the farms and that is where their extended families are.

Having hens and a rooster is considered normal. If someone complained, that person would be regarded as crazy or having a personal problem. Because what's being done is normal and if someone has a problem with normal, they have the problem.

This is a developing country. For years we had no running water. We had water but it was not running. For the 12 years I have lived here, I have never had hot water. If you want hot water, you have to put fire under it. So hens and a rooster? No prob.

(5) I wholeheartedly agree that untreated pine is a disaster waiting to happen, so I will seal it.

Thank you for your commentary.

 

[rosemarythyme]

(3) You recommend one nest per five hens. Please explain that. We had ten hens and five nests. Generally, I would find eggs in 2 to 3 nests. Is there such a thing as too many nests? (I doubt it).

Chickens share nests so if you're thinking a max of 5 birds, I would say 2 nests is plenty (1 might be enough, but having a "backup" is preferable). I have 11 chickens with 3 nests and they mostly use 1.

 

[aart]

Your situation is certainly unique from what we usually see here.
Pics of the area and your sketch of your plans would help us understand and make more appropriate suggestions.

Living in Santo Domingo, the capital, (instead of a rural, agricultural area) of the Dominican Republic

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I am surprised to see the negative/you cannot should not comments on this thread considering some of the ramshackle beat up tiny coops some members of the forum have. If there is a will there is a way I say.

 

[Sally PB]

I am very interested in how this progresses. Please keep posting.