Chickens Have Plenty of Room
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
When they arrive they are cute little peepers like we see at Easter, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, with malice toward no one. Each chick occupies approximately 1.75 square inches and the house in which they are going to live is 60 feet wide and 600 feet long. That is the equivalent of the 100-yard dash twice over from end to end.
The 1.75 square-inch space occupied by a chick has over 5,089,000 square inches to roam on a clay floor covered with sawdust. The environment is controlled with fans and misted water for cooling, and make up heaters for situations when the heat put off by the animals is not sufficient to keep them comfortable. They have water and feed available within 15 feet of any location in the house and are free to socialize as they choose, occasionally running around while flapping their wings in the air.
When they grow up they will occupy slightly less than 10 square inches of floor space per bird, which would be room for over half a million birds to stand, and have the freedom to stretch their wings if they would choose to. But there are only 45,000 birds so that means they have floor space equal to 10 bird spaces for each bird. The litter for the birds is kept dry, and the house and its ventilation help ensure that.
The farmer that has initiated this enterprise has taken animals to the fair as a member of 4-H, and has a desire to help feed a hungry world. Each of these birds fulfills a small step in the process by converting grain protein into meat protein. This unit of meat protein is portable, and available for sale so that young human family members can develop with good minds and healthy bodies.
In Kosciusko County we have access to the grain and the resulting animal feed components, such as soy bean meal produced at Louis Dreyfus and dried distillers grain from our neighboring Poet facility.
Grocers in Indiana have a need for locally grown, medication-free poultry to supply to their customers, and the availability of quality fresh poultry requires an investment in our future. Part of this is a large amount of capitol, as well as work and involvement 24/365 in the environment, food and water available for these small animals. Without the farmer there is no food.
If you find a bird raised in an environment that is totally dedicated to its growth and health as less than you require, you may have a difficult time locating any that will meet your specifications.
When you suggest that the citizens of Kosciusko County should be restricted in raising animals, while those on adjacent counties are free to grow the needed food for human consumption, you limit your neighbor, your community and yourself.
Craig Latham, farmer
North Manchester[[In-content Ad]]
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When they arrive they are cute little peepers like we see at Easter, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, with malice toward no one. Each chick occupies approximately 1.75 square inches and the house in which they are going to live is 60 feet wide and 600 feet long. That is the equivalent of the 100-yard dash twice over from end to end.
The 1.75 square-inch space occupied by a chick has over 5,089,000 square inches to roam on a clay floor covered with sawdust. The environment is controlled with fans and misted water for cooling, and make up heaters for situations when the heat put off by the animals is not sufficient to keep them comfortable. They have water and feed available within 15 feet of any location in the house and are free to socialize as they choose, occasionally running around while flapping their wings in the air.
When they grow up they will occupy slightly less than 10 square inches of floor space per bird, which would be room for over half a million birds to stand, and have the freedom to stretch their wings if they would choose to. But there are only 45,000 birds so that means they have floor space equal to 10 bird spaces for each bird. The litter for the birds is kept dry, and the house and its ventilation help ensure that.
The farmer that has initiated this enterprise has taken animals to the fair as a member of 4-H, and has a desire to help feed a hungry world. Each of these birds fulfills a small step in the process by converting grain protein into meat protein. This unit of meat protein is portable, and available for sale so that young human family members can develop with good minds and healthy bodies.
In Kosciusko County we have access to the grain and the resulting animal feed components, such as soy bean meal produced at Louis Dreyfus and dried distillers grain from our neighboring Poet facility.
Grocers in Indiana have a need for locally grown, medication-free poultry to supply to their customers, and the availability of quality fresh poultry requires an investment in our future. Part of this is a large amount of capitol, as well as work and involvement 24/365 in the environment, food and water available for these small animals. Without the farmer there is no food.
If you find a bird raised in an environment that is totally dedicated to its growth and health as less than you require, you may have a difficult time locating any that will meet your specifications.
When you suggest that the citizens of Kosciusko County should be restricted in raising animals, while those on adjacent counties are free to grow the needed food for human consumption, you limit your neighbor, your community and yourself.
Craig Latham, farmer
North Manchester[[In-content Ad]]
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