Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
despite more recently added restrictions. Some new ordinances and laws could curtail
your operation. If you build a structure only to find out later you have to tear it down,
your birds could be suddenly homeless.
Where to Put Them?
Selecting a site for your building depends upon your local climate.
If you live in a very windy area,
situate your building in a somewhat protected spot
and don't face the windows into the prevailing winds.
If you are in a hot sunny area,
try to locate the building in a spot that's shady for at
least part of the day, preferably during the hottest part of the day.
Here in the Midwest, it is generally a good idea to face the structure to the south
and have a tree somewhere close by to provide shade during the heat of the summer.
Superhot, humid days more than 95°F (35°C) with no shade can be as deadly to fowl
as a −30°F (−1°C) day with wind. Areas that have climate extremes at both ends make
situating your structure a challenge, because just as you want sunshine in the winter to
help warm up the building, you want shade in the summer for cooling. Do some careful
planning and think about seasonal changes before you locate the building. It works best
to place your building somewhere near a deciduous tree that provides shade in summer
and opens up when leaves fall for sunlight to reach the building in the winter.
Indoors or Outdoors?
The backyard flock owner is probably not considering a confinement operation in the
true sense of the word. You may be forced to have a clearly defined area for your poultry
if you live in urban or suburban areas, making “free range” not an option. You may even
be forced to use a cage.
It's possible to construct a cage of sorts with poultry netting and lumber that is far
more humane than a confinement cage in a laying house where birds are crowded into
a small space. Use the square-footage-per-bird guidelines in the box on
page 23
and be
sure you don't overpopulate your space.
FLOCK LIFESTYLE TERMINOLOGY
FREE RANGE
A domesticated bird that has a life of limited confinement, with as few restrictions
as possible, is said to be free range. A flock kept free range has no pens, roams the
