Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Zachary Domikez <zdomike@yahoo.com>]

Hello, in reference to Bobby G's question, from
<bobbyg53211@yahoo.com> about chicken Independence -
in a start-up farm - I have some opinions.

As Harvey's Boxwood page and Poultry Page point out,
the biggest threat to your birds are the predators,
which get quite bold whether you are there or not!

On the other hand, placing your starter
(i.e.small)flock in a chicken cruiser, or chicken
tractor is fine for a few days, depending on
temperatures and so on....

The eggs can sit here about for three days in heat
before they get suspicious, which is also the time it
might take for a hen to get broody.

I have had good luck with about ten square feet per
chicken moving every two or three days.  I cover with
cardboard immediately, so that the wild birds do not
move in to eat more bugs!  The cardboard also protects
the soil from weed seed startups for some time until I
get around to transplanting or seeding the area.

This improves the soil in two ways, naturally weeding,
and clearing, while fertilizing with one of the best
manures, which is supposed to compost fast enough to
plant after a few weeks of warm weather under
cardboard.

The area of fresh grass under them is the key, since
they can eat the grass itself, plus the bugs in the
top layers of roots as they scratch.

The structure I use is a 1/4 " plywood house, with a
tarp roof raised about 24" above the ground on four
simple legs.  It is NOT tall enough for the roosters
to mount . . . but that breeding pen is separate.  

I only really protect against dogs, I have not got
weasels nor mink around .. .. .. yet.

As it is a floating structure, there is a bridge ramp
that drops down, so that young chicks can get up top. 
The skirt is hexagonal chicken wire, with a heavy edge
of tire sidewall screwed on in order to keep it down
to the irregular turf.  I clamp that in place to delay
dogs' access using simple rebar hooks.

The whole thing needs two people to lift and move, so
it is less a chicken cruiser, or chicken tractor, and
more a 'Chicken Barge.'


 
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