ENVIRONMENT | April 28, 2016

NET-0 Egg Barn Blog – Managing Manure

Net-Zero Egg Barn, Blog Post #6 – Managing Manure: April 28/2016

Brant Colony has paid close attention to every detail throughout the design and construction of their net-zero barn, including their plan for chicken manure.  Effective manure management is a key component of environmentally responsible farming for the entire colony.

A dedicated 60′ x 30′ room was built to efficiently collect and remove manure, which included an ominous looking tunnel back in September 2015.  The manure room uses in-floor heating, so no electricity is required to heat the room.  Framing and insulating were completed in October.

Once the hen housing was installed in January 2016, the features of the barn’s manure management system made much more sense.  The manure belts running under the housing structure all empty through the holes in the ground shown above, onto another belt that runs the length of the tunnel, into the manure room.  The tunnel allows the colony complete and easy access to the manure belt, should any repairs or replacements be required.

In April, with the layer barn in full operation, the final step of the manure removal process is complete, with a truck in position to take the manure out for composting.  The walls and ceiling are all clad in an easy-to-clean material.

Here’s the view from outside the manure room.

 

Blog Post #5 – Hen Housing Installed

Blog Post #7 – Egg Collection