# Unearthed Concrete Slab, Use for Animal Pen?



## Locutus (Apr 24, 2012)

(I originally posted this on my gardening thread, but since it discusses animals I thought I should start a new one here in the livestock forum):

I was getting rid of the excess piles of dirt and other waste from the back yard and "discovered" this concrete slab:










Actually, I knew it was there but it's been buried by piles of yard waste for nearly 20 years. Since I was getting rid of the the dirt left over from the deep beds construction I thought it was time to clean this up too.

When we bought the house in 1989 this was the floor of a dilapidated shed, roughly eight feet square. We tore the shed down shortly thereafter but left the slab. what I didn't realize were there were the paver blocks in the foreground, which were covered in sod overgrowth.

So now, I'm debating on what to do with this. I'll probably remove the pavers, fill in with topsoil and sow grass. But I have several ideas for the slab:

1. Break it up and remove, plant another raised bed or just grass.

2. Build a new shed on top of the slab. (I have one already next to the house.)

3. Build a chicken coop and caged run for 3 adult chickens (max allowed).

4. Build hutches for 4 adult rabbits (max allowed).

5. Build a pig pen for 1 or 2 pigs. (Not sure if pigs are allowed).

6. Build a pen for 1 or 2 small-breed goats. (Again not sure if city ordinances allow goats.)

7. Build a second smaller greenhouse over the slab for potted plants and seedling trays, or hydroponics.

8. Build an aquaponics setup for raising fish and growing greens like lettuces and spinach.

What do you all think? Is a concrete slab a suitable floor for any animal pen? It would be easy to clean but would it suit the animals? As for housing for the pig(s) or goat(s), I'd build a small hut for them to be able to get out of the rain and wind, either on the slab (with its own raised wooden floor) or adjacent to it. The larger animals I'd have to keep confined to the pen, but chickens or rabbits could have limited acces to the rest of the yard. How much room would the pig(s) or goat(s) really need?

Another thing I'm keeping in mind is waste management. I can compost chicken, rabbit or goat droppings for the garden. But I don't think I'd want to do the same with pig manure for health reasons. So the question then becomes, if I get a pig or two, what can I do with the pig manure, given that I have a smallish yard in the suburbs?


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