Misc rural questions
an4...@anon.penet.fi
Hi, a few assorted questions inspired from "Big House, Little House, Back
House, Barn"...
Why do corn cribs (and chicken coops?) have side walls that slope outward?
In BHLTBHB, they talk about using pigs to "work" manure. I'm assuming that
they mean that if you put a pile of manure and dirt (sand? 'waste') in a pig
pen, the pigs will root around in it, and mix it together. Then you supposedly
load the mixed manure in a spreader, and spread it in your fields. Can anyone
give me more how, why details on the process. Seems quite labor intensive.
Why not just spread the manure on the fields in the first place?
Likewise, they talk about "soiling" sheep in a shed. No thank you, I like *my*
sheep Snowy Bleach white! :-]. I assume they mean that they keep the sheep in
the shed to collect the manure?
Likewise the typical barn layout is Hay in the top stories; granary, vehicles,
machinery, tools, workshop and other storage on the main floor (ground level on
the uphill side of the barn); and root storage, horses, cattle, pigs on the
lower floor (ground level on the downhill side of the barn), and a manure pit,
and maybe root storage below that.
There are a couple of references to the manure being 'better' stored indoors,
rather then being left outside all winter, 'exposed to the elements'. How does
this matter?
I have a real problem with keeping animals, manure and food in the same
building. Is this just my modern sensibilities? Was it *usually* not a
problem, or what?
Likewise, and here's my immediate question: I'm assuming that the majority of
the floors in these barns were wood, although the lowest floor was typically
earth, dirt, sand, stone, or maybe something similiar to concrete. Now a days,
it seems like all animal barns have concrete (or dirt) floors. Concrete seems
like the easiest to keep clean, what with animals pissing and shitting all over
the place (let's not mince words :-}).
How well would a wood floor stand up to being under an animal, and getting this
treatment? I imagine it's difficult to get/keep clean, and any wetness would
promote rot. Or did the old timers prevent this by providing plenty of
'litter' / 'bedding', changing it frequently, and depending on the litter to
catch all the animal 'waste'?
I have also seen a couple of early 1900 multistory chicken barns where all the
wood floors were covered with light weight gypsum cement.
More to the point, I've built a number of light sheds for my animals out of
scavenged wood. I've developed a very healthy respect for 150 year old Red
Oak! Outhouse 3x3, Doghouse 3x6, Tool Shed 12x12, Feed Shed 4x8, Sheep Shelter
8x8, and now a Chicken Coop 6x10. They are all intended to be semi-movable,
and all but the sheep shelter have wooden floors.
It there something I can put over the wood floors (other then cement) to
protect them from the animal manure? My immediate case is my Hen Hyatt, which
will be the first wood floors under animals a great deal of the time. I have
some old rubber backed carpets which I figure I can lay in the shed upside
down, and then spread a few garbage cans of sawdust on that for the chickens to
scratch around in, absorb any moisture and filth, and then sweep that out
every six months. What do you think? My only other options that I can think
of, is some kind of tarp (flimsy), sheet metal (overkill)...
What do you think? Any Feedback welcome...
Jim.
"Excuse me, did He say "Love Each Other?"
"Well, actually He meant, 'try to control everyone, make them who you think they
should be, run their lives for them, and make them miserable'."
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Richard A. Smith
>In BHLTBHB, they talk about using pigs to "work" manure. I'm assuming that
>they mean that if you put a pile of manure and dirt (sand? 'waste') in a pig
>pen, the pigs will root around in it, and mix it together. Then you
supposedly
>load the mixed manure in a spreader, and spread it in your fields. Can anyone
>give me more how, why details on the process. Seems quite labor intensive.
>Why not just spread the manure on the fields in the first place?
I suspect that here they are talking about letting the pigs root around in the
manure pile, rather than putting the manure in the pig pen. Remember that many
times pigs are let to roam or or fenced in large pastures. Allowing the pigs
to root in the manure pile would have the same effect as turning your compost
pile! Have you ever seen pigs do a number on something like that? Depending on
the kind(s) of manure in the pie, it might be desired to allow it to compost
for a while so it wouldn't be too "hot" when it is spread on the fields.
>Likewise, they talk about "soiling" sheep in a shed. No thank you, I like
>*my* sheep Snowy Bleach white! :-]. I assume they mean that they keep the
>sheep in the shed to collect the manure?
Seems like a good assumption to me, too.
>Likewise the typical barn layout is Hay in the top stories; granary, vehicles,
>machinery, tools, workshop and other storage on the main floor (ground level
>on the uphill side of the barn); and root storage, horses, cattle, pigs on the
>lower floor (ground level on the downhill side of the barn), and a manure pit,
>and maybe root storage below that.
Generally this is a common layout. I'm not too sure what your question is. In
this type of a banked barn the lower floor is ideal for animals as the earth
that surrounds part of it provides insulation making this level warmer in the
winter and cooler in the summer. The hay is on upper levels as the hay wagon
can "drive" in on the uphill side and deposit the hay. Then the farmer doesn't
have to carry the hay upstairs all winter long, but can let gravity assist in
throwing it down. Besides, cows and sheep just don't seem to be able to
negotiate those narrow ladders, which makes keeping them on the topmost level a
real pain!
>There are a couple of references to the manure being 'better' stored indoors,
>rather then being left outside all winter, 'exposed to the elements'. How
>does this matter?
Much of the nutrients of the manure is from the urine. When stored outside the
urine drains off into the ground and the other nutrients are leached out of the
manure by the rain and snow.
>I have a real problem with keeping animals, manure and food in the same
>building. Is this just my modern sensibilities? Was it *usually* not a
>problem, or what?
Just your modern sensibilities, and the fact that there might not have been
another alternative. After all, most of us have garbage and food in the same
kitchen and think nothing of it.
>Likewise, and here's my immediate question: I'm assuming that the majority of
>the floors in these barns were wood, although the lowest floor was typically
>earth, dirt, sand, stone, or maybe something similiar to concrete. Now a
>days, it seems like all animal barns have concrete (or dirt) floors. Concrete
>seems like the easiest to keep clean, what with animals pissing and shitting
>all over the place (let's not mince words :-}).
Right, I think you have just about covered the available choices. Of course
the material of preference will depend on when the barn was built.
>How well would a wood floor stand up to being under an animal, and getting
>this treatment? I imagine it's difficult to get/keep clean, and any wetness
>would promote rot. Or did the old timers prevent this by providing plenty of
>'litter' / 'bedding', changing it frequently, and depending on the litter to
>catch all the animal 'waste'?
Woods such as hemlock were used which withstood a lot of abuse. I can show you
a barn floor that is over 100 years old, and while it hasn't had animals on it
for 40 or so is still as strong as ever. Of course, the flooring can always be
replaced when necessary.
>It there something I can put over the wood floors (other then cement) to
>protect them from the animal manure? My immediate case is my Hen Hyatt,
I wouldn't bother with it. If anything the carpet or tarp or plastic will
just retain the moisture and cause the floors to deterioate faster. I would
just start with the wood floor and some bedding and let the manure build up.
I don't recall that chicken manure stays wet for a very long time. Certainly
not like cow manure.
Laura Ann White
: >It there something I can put over the wood floors (other then cement) to
: >protect them from the animal manure? My immediate case is my Hen Hyatt,
Didn't get what part of the country your in, but did you ever consider a
chicken tractor?
Laura
--
<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>--<<>>
Laura White e-mail: lwh...@unm.edu
Senior Accountant
University of New Mexico-CIRT snail mail: 2701 Campus Blvd. N.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Richard A. Smith
writes:
>Didn't get what part of the country your in, but did you ever consider a
>chicken tractor?
O. K. I'll bite! What's a chicken tractor???????
I'm in Central New York. Would a chicken tractor be different here as opposed
to someplace else??
Laura Ann White
: writes:
No but they may be more popular because of the weather. A Chicken
tractor is a chicken coop built on wheels and without a floor. This
allow you to move the chickens around your orchard or yard on a regular
basis. They eat the bugs, scratch and fertilize the soil and after a few
days you move them to the next spot. No cleaning the bottom of the cage
etc.
Richard A. Smith
writes:
>No but they may be more popular because of the weather. A Chicken
>tractor is a chicken coop built on wheels and without a floor. This
>allow you to move the chickens around your orchard or yard on a regular
>basis. They eat the bugs, scratch and fertilize the soil and after a few
>days you move them to the next spot. No cleaning the bottom of the cage
>etc.
Laura
Thanks for the information. I have never seen nor heard of such a thing, but
it sounds like a good idea. Just goes to show that you can always learn a new
thing or two!!
Richard
Ronald Florence
It there something I can put over the wood floors (other then
cement) to protect them from the animal manure?
Why not use slatted floors in the portable buildings? If you taper
the slats so they are wider at the top, the feet of the animals will
drive the manure through the floor. When an accumulation has built
up, hook up a tractor, move the building, and you have an
easy-to-clean layer of manure that you can spread or throw on the
compost heap.
--
Ronald Florence
Laura Ann White
: Why not use slatted floors in the portable buildings? If you taper
: the slats so they are wider at the top, the feet of the animals will
: drive the manure through the floor. When an accumulation has built
: up, hook up a tractor, move the building, and you have an
: easy-to-clean layer of manure that you can spread or throw on the
: compost heap.
Without a floor at all the chickens can scratch the dirt, spread the
manure theirselves and get more bugs.
Laura
vn...@cox.nsac.ns.ca
>Without a floor at all the chickens can scratch the dirt, spread the
>manure theirselves and get more bugs.
>Laura
Unless you go in the other extreme. We spread wood chips on the floor (from
a local saw mill), adding more as needed. Then, a couple of times a year wet
the floor and mix it up (a small tiller would be ideal) - you get a
composting chicken coop floor. The coop doesn't smell since there are always
wood chips on top and the chicken manure underneath has been composted.
Vilis Nams