Thursday, February 19, 2009

GreenHouse Poultry Initiative

GreenHouse Poultry Initiative
February 2009

The residents of the GreenHouse aim to initiate a student-led project of animal husbandry at Sewanee, bringing to light the relationships between academic study, lifestyle and the community at large. The project will fulfill the following objectives:

• Demonstrate the University’s commitment to sustainable living practice, education, and social justice (Strategic Plan for Environmental Education and Sustainable Living, October 2008)
• Serve as an experiential educational tool for LLCs, environmental studies courses, and general urban-derived student body
• Produce wholesome food for the University community and encourage dialogue regarding sustainable agricultural production in today’s world



Animal Management and Care

Students will be responsible for every aspect of the care of the animals. This will be done with advice from local community members, with the goal of encouraging student understanding of and involvement in food production and creating opportunity for positive community-student interactions.

• Students will purchase the chickens as soon as continual caretakers can be identified. This will likely be Summer or Fall 2009, depending on summer schedules.
• Chickens will spend their first 8 weeks in a small cage and then be moved into their coop.
• Caretakers will be identified for university vacations & breaks.
• Each week students will clean the coop and replace the bedding. They will compost used bedding at the Old Farm Road garden.
• Students will gather the eggs each day.
• Students will herd the chickens into their coop at night and release them into their pen each morning.
• Sewanee Elementary & St. Andrew’s teachers can use the chickens in their curriculum with their students
• Students, in collaboration with experienced farmers, will discretely butcher animals when deemed necessary.
• Chicken updates will be posted on the GreenHouse website (usgh.blogspot.com)

Equipment & Costs

The project has been designed to minimize costs at all levels. Total start up costs will be under $250. Operational costs will be approximately $25 a month. Funding will come from current GreenHouse budget, interested LLCs and academic departments.

• 12 chicks: $20
• Water dispenser & feeding dish for chicks: homemade from mason jars
• Small pen or cage: obtained from current supplies or classifieds
• Heat lamp: borrowed from LAL
• Bedding: pine needles from Domain
• Adult-sized feeder & water dispenser: $15
• Feed: $20/month (Feed will be organic if at all possible)
• Incidentals: $5/month
• Coop and Fence Construction: Second hand materials + $150 in new materials

Potential Concerns

The project has been discussed with all neighboring community members and the Assistant Dean of Students for Residential Life. The following addresses previously identified concerns with raising animals here at Sewanee. Further stakeholder input is encouraged.

• Appearance
o Small coop (8x6 ft, 4 ft tall) strategically located behind Greenhouse
o Fenced in area adjacent to coop (10x8 ft, 4 ft tall), constructed from chicken wire with net covering to protect from hawks and dogs
o Coop built to maximize aesthetics
o Hidden by trees & vegetation, not visible from Alabama or Mitchell Ave.
• Smell
o Minimized by well ventilated & maintained coop with fresh bedding
• Noise
o All-female flock, no roosters.
o Asleep at night; only active during daylight hours
o More quiet than current fraternity neighbors

No comments:

Powered by Blogger.