What is a mobile farmyard?

A mobile farmyard is a structure designed for the ecological production of birds, primarily the production of ecological eggs and organic meat of hens, chickens, turkeys and geese.

Its lightweight structure makes installation very easy, since it is composed of galvanized profiles and insulating sandwich panels of 40 mm thickness. It is much more economical than a traditional pen as the latter requires works, foundations and heavier structures, not to mention the assembly costs of specialized companies.

A very important specificity of mobile farmyards is that all models can move on the terrain. This is vital when developing an organic production, since the animals’ diet is largely based on the nutrients contained within the soil they tread: the more nutrients in the soil, the better quantity and quality of products. This may even be a differentiating factor of sale with respect to other similar products.

All mobile farmyards can be moved using a kit attached to a tractor. The kit contains a tool to elevate the pen and two wheels to move it on the terrain. You will need a tractor to raise the mobile corral and move it on the terrain.

With ease and very little investment, you can start an every-growing business in the world of food and catering.

What types of mobile farmyards can you find?

A mobile farmyard is a support for sustainable production. The industrial concept completely differs from ecological production. The latter is characterized by smaller productions and more mobility space for birds.

Developing ecological production implies increasing the number of pens, while respecting the living space defined by each autonomous community (which do not necessarily have to be the same).

Mobile farmyards made by COPELE come in two pillar heights: 1 m (3.2 ft) and 1.80 m (5.9 ft). Both models offer the following:

• 1 m mobile farmyards preserve heat better and are ideal for the rearing of chicks. They also work very well in cold areas with mild summers. For this type of corral offer a unique size of 5x6x1 m, for a surface of ​​30 m².
• 1.80 m pens are more versatile when it comes to the ecological production of birds mentioned above. All pens are 6 m wide and 5.10 and 15 m long. These mobile farmyards can be adapted to different climates thanks to the two side-panel options: canvas side-panel for cold areas and mesh side-panel for warmer areas or Mediterranean climate.

COPELE offers a wide range of mobile farmyards to meet any market need in organic poultry equipment.

What equipment or accessories do we need to complete our mobile farmyard?

Once you purchase our mobile farmyard, you will need to think about installing all the accessories to insure a correct production. If you are thinking about producing meat or foie gras, you will need to install mainly feeders and drinkers. Depending on the type of bird, you will need a greater number of automatic or manual feeders and water dispensers:

• Feeders: they are generally in metal or plastic. We recommend using large-capacity, suspended feeders such as 20 kg metal hoppers and 16 kg plastic hoppers, which can be manually loaded or automated with a motor, a silo and an auger. A wide variety of feeders is suitable for these productions.
• Water dispensers: in the range of dispensers, we recommend the automatic bell or pendant dispenser for hens or chickens and the mini water dispenser for chicks. As a manual option, we recommend siphon dispensers of 20.30 or 40 liters
• Automatic door elevator: this automatic door elevator allows to raise the exit and entrance doors of the mobile farmyard. No need to raise the doors or close them manually at dusk to prevent pest from entering the farms.
• Traps: in farms, it is not uncommon to find rodents taking advantage of the food and comfort inside the mobile farmyard. On many occasions, this unwanted presence causes both stress and illness for our animals. To counteract this threat, we suggest placing traps to control the rodents that try to enter the pen.

If the production is focused on organic hen eggs, in addition to the above-mentioned feeders and dispensers, add the following accessories:

• Nesting boxes: to protect the eggs as much as possible and to make the hen comfortable and safe when laying eggs, use nesting boxes . Within the range of nesting boxes, we recommend nesting boxes with bucket as they are the best suited for use in ecological facilities. For medium-sized farms, we recommend 12-cell nesting boxes consisting of 4 nesting boxes with 3 compartments each, a plate that separates the two sides, and two legs. These batteries can be installed in the center of the pen with 5 hens per compartment.
• Tray of eggs: to collect eggs in an orderly and safe manner, we offer the option of a tray of 30 eggs and the possibility to stack them together. These trays are made of plastic and can be reused without any problem.

What products to ensure a 100% self-sustainable mobile farmyard?

Ecological production is, or can be, sustainable. By adding accessories, you will be able to supply energy and water to the electrical devices and dispensers within the pen.

• Use gutters to collect and redirect rainwater and dew towards a water storage tank that will automatically fill the drinking dispensers without any need for consumption.
• In the case of having any electrical device, solar panels may be used to produce and store electrical energy. These can also be combined with a wind generator in less sunny places.
• For a more balanced diet and to reduce the cost of food, study the possibility of hydroponic cultivation in order to produce fresh grass for birds. No doubt, the results of the productions will improve.

Sustainable, environmentally-friendly production is a major commitment in the agenda of 21^st century citizens.