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Constant activity by hens over any given area causes compaction of the upper layers of the soil, and this effect is particularly noticeable on clay soils (2). This is caused mainly by the passage of feet, together with the natural foraging behaviour of the hens, scratching the ground looking for invertebrates and eating vegetation and roots.
Constant activity by hens over any given area causes compaction of the upper layers of the soil, and this effect is particularly noticeable on clay soils (2). This is caused mainly by the passage of feet, together with the natural foraging behaviour of the hens, scratching the ground looking for invertebrates and eating vegetation and roots.
Although difficult to quantify, any decrease in porosity of the upper layers of the soil will increase run - off, in terms of both volume and speed of onset. This will make flooding, or at least much wetter ground, more likely over the ground downhill from the free range area, and it is not only water that will be flowing downhill.
Although difficult to quantify, any decrease in porosity of the upper layers of the soil will increase run - off, in terms of both volume and speed of onset. This will make flooding, or at least much wetter ground, more likely over the ground downhill from the free range area, and it is not only water that will be flowing downhill.
Laying hens produce ca. 100 - 150g of guano per day (3) , approximately one eighth of which will be caecal droppings, which are normal, but particularly unpleasant. Making a few assumptions .... that 16,000 birds (25% of the flock) are outdoors at any one time, for a period of 8 hours, then that equates to 16,000 x 42g (one third of a daily total of 125g) of guano = 672 kilogrammes of droppings per day over the free range area, all of which will be subject to rain, washing the droppings downhill as a slurry mixture of droppings, water and soil.
Laying hens produce ca. 100 - 150g of guano per day (3) , approximately one eighth of which will be caecal droppings, which are normal, but particularly unpleasant. Making a few assumptions .... that 16,000 birds (25% of the flock) are outdoors at any one time, for a period of 8 hours, then that equates to 16,000 x 42g (one third of a daily total of 125g) of guano = 672 kilogrammes of droppings per day over the free range area, all of which will be subject to rain, washing the droppings downhill as a slurry mixture of droppings, water and soil.
This process, known as solifluction, is well documented and problematic, and the options of dealing with it are either to ignore it, if conditions are suitable, or to manage it in some way either by capturing it in terminal strips of vegetation and / or ponds or vessels of some sort for eventual crop fertilisation (4)
This process, known as solifluction, is well documented and problematic, and the options of dealing with it are either to ignore it, if conditions are suitable, or to manage it in some way either by capturing it in terminal strips of vegetation and / or ponds or vessels of some sort for eventual crop fertilisation (4)
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