Raising Chickens for Meat on Pasture

Funding for this presentation was provided by USDA's Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (OASDFR) program (Project number 2009-00705), part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Risk Management Agency (for Pastured Poultry)

What is Pastured Poultry?

•Raised outdoors on grass and other vegetation•Birds express natural instincts•Seasonal production •Birds balance their diet•Insects•Plants•Feed

•Challenges and benefits

Pastured vs. Free Range

Pastured Hen “Free Range” Hen

*Picture from the Cornucopia Institute

Pasturing Advantages

• Broilers - Easy in, Easy Out– Minimal investment– Quick turn around• 7 – 10 wks

• More Marketable – Perception = $– Real Chicken Flavor – Higher Meat Quality

• Pasture Fertility– Productivity and Diversity– 1 broiler ≈ 10 lbs manure

• High in N, P, K

– Manure applied directly to pasture; saves labor

• Health and Hygiene– Movement = Clean– Sanitation of Elements– No Ammonia

Pasturing Advantages

• Predators– Kill your birds and profits

• Wet Weather– Damage to Pasture– Birds get Cold

• More feed/less profits

• Processing– Where and how?

• Labor– Moving pens– Feeding – Watering – must automate

Pasturing Challenges

Pasturing Enterprise Diversification:Multi-Species Grazing

• Grazing ruminants and broilers on same ground

• Broilers can follow cattle, sheep, or goats– Ruminants “mow” the grass

• Graze ruminants once pasture responds to poultry manure; avoid health risks

• Ruminants search for and clean up spilled feed

• Utilizes acreage multiple ways = $$$

Can raise broilers between orchard/vineyard rows

Pasturing Advantages•Inexpensive to get started•Easily marketable•Fertilizing the pasture•Clean and sanitary food

Predators

• Everything eats chicken• Successful strategies – Physical Barriers

• Fencing• Netting• “Trained” Local Predators• Woodline Distance

– Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD)• Can’t shoot/trap out of predation problems• Control methods depend on predators

Success in Pasture Poultry

• Knowledge of Costs– Detailed Record Keeping

• Production as a System– Efficiency/Reduced Labor

• Proximity to Good Markets– Keep Good Customers

• Very Low Mortality• Strategic Expansion• Solid Processing Methods

• Transparency w/ Customer• Problem Solvers

– Technical, Financial, Marketing

– Ability to create markets• Excellent People Skills• Effective Marketing

– High Quality Products– Farm Identity

Resources• Organizations

– ATTRA – the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service – http://www.attra.org

– American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA) http://www.apppa.org/

• Magazines– GRIT! – APPPA Trade Magazine

• Books– APPPA. 2006. Raising Poultry on Pasture – Ten Years of Success. 246 p.– Salatin, Joel. 1996. Pastured Poultry Profit$. 371 p.– Damerow, Gail. 2011. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. 356 p.