In early October, the outdoor air temperatures were low enough that it seemed prudent to reconfigure the ventilation system for the chicken coop. During the summer, the air was drawn from beneath the coop in order to cool the air as much as possible for the benefit of the birds. The ground beneath the […]
October Experimental Results Read More »
Ordinarily, we are disinclined to have young birds in the fall, but, this year, circumstances forced us to reconsider the matter. Our coop is divided into an 11’x11’ side and an 11’x4’ side. The larger side is where the hens and our single rooster live, cage-free. The external door opens to the smaller side of
I recently picked up a load of sawdust to use as bedding in the coop this winter. My trailer measures 4’x8’ and was filled a bit more than 4’ high. Thus, the load has a volume of close to 5 cubic yards. In past years, a similar volume of wood shavings has been sufficient for
Building the extension to the outer core of the biomeiler followed a procedure nearly identical to that which I described in my last post. I began by clearing away the insulating layer of wood shavings. Next, I attached the perimeter fence. Lastly, I filled the extension with alternating layers of used chicken litter and thatch
Biomeiler Outer Core Extension Read More »
Today, nature provided me with a cool, crisp fall day, with a clear blue sky and I decided to enjoy the day outdoors. So, shortly after finishing the morning chores, I set myself to the task of extending the inner core of the biomeiler. The first step of the operation was to clear the insulating
Biomeiler Inner Core Extension Read More »
The temperatures in the biomeiler pile are measured with thermocouples buried in several locations. Nine of them are found at three heights (1’, 2’, and 3’ above the ground) in the inner core, outer core, and mantle of the pile. The graph in today’s post shows the temperatures measured by thermocouples at 3’ height. These
July Experimental Results, part 2 Read More »
The graph shows the temperature in the chicken coop, the temperature of the air in the vent pipe coming from the biomeiler, and the temperature of the outdoor air. The electrical energy usage would be shown for any days when the electric heater was used, but it was not needed this month. During the month
July Experimental Results Read More »
Now that the ice cap has melted, the biomeiler temperatures are steadily increasing. A consequence of this temperature increase is that the air pulled into the coop through the air pipe in the pile is now being warmed, rather than cooled. Although this action is entirely in accordance with the original purpose of the biomeiler,
Biomeiler Air Duct Revision Read More »
The temperatures in the biomeiler pile are measured with thermocouples buried in several locations. Nine of them are found at three heights (1’, 2’, and 3’ above the ground) in the inner core, outer core, and mantle of the pile. The graph in today’s post shows the temperatures measured by thermocouples at 3’ height. These
June Experimental Results, part 2 Read More »
The graph shows the temperature in the chicken coop, the temperature of the air in the vent pipe coming from the biomeiler, and the temperature of the outdoor air. The electrical energy usage would be shown for any days when the electric heater was used, but it was not needed this month. During the month
June Experimental Results Read More »