Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and removing any sleeping hens at the last night check. For clean eggs we find it is
important to break hens of this habit as soon as it is noticed.
What Equipment and How Much?
Many types of feeders, drinkers, nest boxes, and other housing equipment are appropriate for
rent U.S. organic standards do not provide guidance for the feeder, drinker, roost, or nest-box
space needed for poultry, it behooves the organic producer to carefully consider proper capacity
of all equipment for the well-being of the birds. In order to use this equipment to the benefit of
the birds certain ideals should be kept in mind.
• Feeders and drinkers should be labor efficient but not so large that you needn't
check on the birds frequently.
• Birds should have enough feeder space to allow all birds to eat simultaneously un-
less you are providing continuous free-choice feeding.
• Drinkers should be kept full, thawed in cold weather, cool in hot weather, and free
of contamination.
• Roost space should be sufficient for all birds (layers, turkeys, and guineas) to roost
simultaneously.
• There should be a sufficient number of nest boxes or nesting areas so birds are not
competing for space or breaking and soiling eggs.
• Dust baths or boxes must always be available to birds for the exercise of natural be-
havior and the control of external parasites.
The British Columbia certification program's recommended equipment capacities are shown in
table 4
in the next section.
Under section 205.239 of the USDA's National Organic Program Regulation (NORP) Final
Rule a producer of organic livestock must establish access to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exer-
cise areas, fresh air, and direct sunlight suitable to the species, its stage of production, the cli-
mate, and the environment.
Table 4. Recommended Equipment Capacities
Brooding, all poultry
5 ft. of feed trough/100 birds for first 4 wks.
2 bucket feeders/100 birds for first 4 wks.
Feeder space
