Time For Change?

I had been toying with some ideas...not quite sure if it is a GO or not....we'll see in the next days :) This post made me think I should GO and move.

This morning at the farm, I chanced upon a bedding change being done.

When do you change? Better than scientific 1 2 3, let your senses tell it is time:

1) When you enter the housing or when you clean up and feed, if you feel teary eyed...it is time for change.

2) When you pass the housing and there is a foul smell, it is time for change.

3) I doubt if you will taste it :)

How to change?

1) Some have a thick layer of beddings and they just turn over the layers every so often.

2) In this case, they gathered the used rice hull. They will shovel that into an empty sack. Lay a new layer of fresh rice hull. The used sacked ones may be used for your compost pile for organic fertilizer.

CRH

Carbonized Rice Hull

Some people really make CRH for use in organic fertilizers. In Isabela where we are based, we have the luxury of CRH from the many rice mills around. The coveted CRH is a byproduct and can be taken with a telephone call :)

How do you, as a raiser of free range chickens, acquire for yourself? You may use some charcoal and rice hull as alternative source of heat. Put holes around tin pails/drums. Have rice hull and some charcoal and ignite. The burning rice hull will give off heat. You may also burn coconut husks or shells :)

Instead of throwing away the resulting material inside your drums, mix them with sand and make them as beddings in your brooders and pens. Very good for diarrhea prevention...remember your own medication?

I like Black..looks clean to me. I also like the caring detail the grower here has given to his babies. He built them a perch stand! Thoughtful that it is natural for chickens to want to perch and that also helps them safe from predators.

Incidentally, you may even sell your organic fertlizers to your neighbors, from your Sunshine's waste :)

Take Time

Yesterday was week2 of the 5000 heads in a brooder of an entrepreneur. At week1, Doc Rey already suggested moving some to ease up space. They were using pig pens and Doc Rey was instructing to open up the walls to let fresh air in.

At week2, the farm manager was alarmed that the pens were crowded as the Sunshines were growing fast. He said the ranging pens were ready. Doc Rey said he will check that day.

When we got to the farm, the chicks were ranging, happily! We caught the farm manager nervous as it was starting to rain and the skies were gloomy.

His nervousness was right and with basis!!!! If he took time and waited, he will have had several options:

1) Doc Rey may have suggested to open up the brooding area more
2) Just release in the ranging area the number o Sunshines that will ease up the space in the brooders
3) Have rice hull (ipa) as beddings in the shelters
4) Elevate or install bamboo floorings for the shelters

Why?

1) They are just 2weeks old, they would be better off inside brooders for protections from predators.
2) They need the heat from their beddings
3) When ranged, even with adlib feeds, they will still prefer grass. They will prefer to play, instead of ensuring that they be able to get first their nutrition for the 21days
4) Rain water will make the ground wet, so elevation will be a good idea

Everything said and done, the farm helps had to work double time last night. So far, no calls. No news is good news :)

Moral of the lesson....don't be too excited and in a hurry. Assess situations. There are no rules to follow in natural farming...but let common sense guide you. AND, when asked by your veterinarian to wait...surely he knows that it isn't a life or death situation yet.