Chicken coops plans

Click here for USDA info on defining the term “GRASS-FED” as it applies to livestock. Comments from the public are being sought. The deadline for submitting your opinion is August 16, 2006.

Research on the essential fatty acids has not been out very long, so it is no wonder that it is just now getting into the popular press. The gist of the discovery that is coming to light is that, by cleverly concentrating animal feeds using grains, instead of grasses, man has unwittingly led himself down the road to degenerative disease.

This is because our essential fatty acids, which control myriad bodily functions, fall into two families: the Omega-3′s and the Omega-6′s. The Omega3 group comes from the leaves of green plants (and plankton in the ocean), while the Omega6 group comes from the seeds (for example, grain used in animal feeds). Animals that eat quantities of green plants have very high levels of Omega3. Conversely, animals fed largely on grain, which includes virtually all American feed animals except lamb, are very high in Omega6.

We should have approximately equal amounts of Omega3 and Omega6 in our bodies, or at maximum, not much more than twice the Omega6 as Omega3. But almost all Americans have ten or twenty times more Omega6 than Omega3, a condition that leads to all sorts of degenerative disease. (See more detail at www.lionsgrip.com/omega3.html.)

The way to rectify this fatty acid imbalance is to consume animal products raised on grass or plankton. All sea life is ultimately based on plankton, so all seafood is balanced in favor of Omega3. The fattier the fish, the more Omega3. Lamb is almost all grass-fed, so that is another fine source of Omega3. Conveniently, simply adding flax seed to poultry diets increases their Omega3 concentration dramatically, and eggs from these chickens are now widely available, even at Safeway. Look for the words “Omega 3″ on the carton. (As I perused the breakfast menu at Denny’s recently, I asked if they have Omega 3 eggs. “Sure, we can make it three eggs,” I was told.) Outside Fresno, California there is now a fabulous dairy, Organic Pastures, whose cows are on glorious, irrigated pasture all year. They produce raw milk, butter, cream, and colostrum. They will ship their milk via UPS anywhere in the US. Searching the Internet for the words “grass-fed” will yield many meat producers who will ship their grass-fed products to you.

So with all these choices, there’s no excuse for not getting our fatty acids back into balance. But the very best, most vibrantly healthful way to eat, is to locate and build a relationship with a local farmer who produces grass-fed products, and eat them as fresh off the farm as possible. Something there is in farm-fresh produce of all kinds that imparts health like nothing else can.

Pastured Poultry:Thousands of small farms in the US and worldwide produce what is called “pastured poultry”. To these farmers, pastured poultry means chickens and other poultry raised right on top of living grasses. This is accomplished by keeping the birds in low, wide, bottomless cages called “chicken tractors” that are moved to a new spot of fresh pasture once or more often each day.

This enables the birds to eat all the varied, living grasses, other plants, insects, etc., that they can find. Since chickens also need grain, they cannot be totally grass-fed, according to several experts. In the chicken tractors are grain feeders, and watering devices. Chickens will eat up to 30% of their calories in grass (and that’s a LOT of grass), if allowed access to unlimited supplies. Pasturing the poultry assures that they have these supplies of living grass at all times.

A few purists want to reserve the term “grass-fed” for animals raised exclusively, 100%, on grass and nothing else. Now, ruminants, such as cows and sheep, can be raised totally on grass, but by all accounts, poultry cannot. (Nevertheless, certain of these purists claim they are raising their private poultry stock on 100% grass.) This confusion of terms has given rise to a false rumor among city meat handlers and restauranteurs that there is no such thing as “grass-fed poultry” because chickens cannot eat grass!!

A few purists say that “pastured poultry” cannot be raised in cages, that pastured poultry means poultry that is free to roam over pasture without physical restrictions. These folks include the addition of grain-based feeds for their “pastured” birds.

But in general usage around the world, “pastured poultry” means chickens raised in chicken tractors that are moved over fresh grass very often, with grain feeders available.

Grass-Fed:The term grass-fed poultry is a larger group, of which the pastured birds are a sub-set. Grass-fed poultry, among those who are discussing the topic, means birds that are allowed to forage on as much living grasses as they desire, whether in chicken tractors, small coops surrounded by pasture, or the exclusive French “Red Label” birds raised on glamorous par-courses. As long as they get all the grass they want, they qualify to be called “grass-fed.” (Experts, please comment below ~ thank you!)

The public, especially in cities but also in the country to a large extent, have no idea how badly the term “free-range” is abused. It is virtually meaningless as a marketing term. One thing must be understood about chickens: they will not walk very far out of their line of sight; they feed on what they see close to them. They won’t go around a see-through fence for water. But commercial poultry farmers, I’m told by many sources, have put little doors at the ends of their huge chicken barns, doors that open onto a bare dirt lot, and by doing so, are able to call their product “free-range,” whether the chickens ever go outside or not.

Free Range:”Free range,” as used commercially today, simply indicates chickens that are not in cages and do not have a physical barrier between them and the outside of their building. They do not get any living grass. In fact, one prominent health-food-store poultry producer who has slid the advertising words “forage on native grasses” into their advertising, admits to me on the phone that those birds have four square feet of dirt space per bird (2 feet inside, and 2 feet outside), no open range or living grass of any kind. The company cannot find anyone on their premises who can explain to me what “forage on native grasses” means to them. As of this writing, I have not found one company, health-food-store, restaurant or website that sells grass-fed poultry at anything like a fair price (one company will ship, but it comes to $18 per chicken, minimum four birds).

The sad part is, pastured poultry farmers have to allow their birds to be marketed under the term “free range,” because the public heads for that term like iron to a magnet. No other marketing term works as well to sell supposedly healthful birds. The fact is, out in the country, and in smaller cities, with some careful searching, people can undoubtedly find some grass-fed poultry among the birds called “free-range.” Almost always, it will be found at local farmers’ markets, where the small farmer is allowed to sell a certain minimum number of birds a year.

The term “pastured poultry” makes people think of pasteurization; it’s hard to say, confusing, and unsexy. It won’t sell a flea. “Grass-fed” is just now catching on, but again, the public is still uninformed of its benefits, in fact of the necessity of switching to this method of feeding poultry. It is an unknown term, requires education, is better than “pastured,” but it still isn’t as sale-worthy as “free range.” “Free range” conjures up a picture of chickens running around a healthy, bustling farmhouse, eating grass and other things to their hearts’ content. It is the term of choice.

IMHO, we need to get solid governmental regulation to define the characteristics of the term “free range” just as we did with “organic.”It should include the fact that the animal has close and immediate access to as much living pasture or range grass as it desires, each day for as long as it desires to forage. In addition, the animal is kept on a real range, that is, a tract of land, covered with natural pastureland or grassland vegetation, being of a size and to the extent that the number of animals kept on that land will not deplete the forage vegetation on that land.

WHY GRASS-FED IS BEST The Book and Website

by Jo Robinson

“Pastured” and “Grass-Fed” are similar terms, meaning the frequent moving of livestock over good grassland forage. Here is solid nutritional research on the fast-growing pastured farming trend, clearly demonstrating how livestock produced this way contribute to vastly better health in the consumer.

Poultry raised on open grass, instead of in over-crowded lots, are high in beneficial fats and other factors that lower cholesterol and greatly reduce degenerative disease in the consumer! Eating large proportions of living green plants, while foraging for insects and seeds and myriad other natural commodities that science hasn’t identified yet, and with minimal need for medication, grassfed animals create more vibrant health than other poultry. Moreover, the meat and eggs are incredibly tasty compared to general market chicken. Currently, restauranteurs are one of the largest groups of purchasers of pastured poultry, but even among the best chefs, there is still very little awareness of the existence of this type of meat, much less about its health benefits.

Jo Robinson is one of those rare writers who (1) completely understand and have widely read the scientific research, and (2) can put it into plain English for the public to read. Here in Why Grassfed Is Best! are many cleanly-constructed charts of data and a full range of pertinent information and research on pastured poultry.

Treat yourself to Why Grassfed Is Best!. Farmers agree this is THE source

Pastured Poultry Profits by Joel Salatin Net $25,000 in 6 months on 20 acres Paperback, 371 pages, 150 x 230mm, USA, 1993. $30

Top pastured poultry farmers agree that this is THE book for professional instructions in getting started with pastured poultry. This book is even featured in Europe. The store says: “If you are considering a home business in agriculture, you owe it to yourself to buy this book and study it. If you want to raise chickens for income READ THIS BOOK FIRST.”

If you like it simple

The Pastured Poultry Committee of the SoCNY RC&D. If you could have only one contact person for info on pastured poultry, the man at SoCNY, Jim McLaughlin, is the one to know.

What Is Pastured Poultry? by Farmer/ Author/ Instructor, Andy Lee

[NOTE: See our Posts Section for responses to this wonderful FAQ, posted 2/22/00.]

Contents below includeSources for More Information (letter N below)Processing Equipment & Supplies Sources

A. WHY RAISE POULTRY ON PASTURE?Public perception in some areas is that antibiotics, growth hormones andmeat by-products are routinely fed to commercial poultry to increase profitsfor large integrator corporations. However, growth hormones and meatby-products are illegal for use in poultry, and antibiotics are usedsparingly because of their expense. Additionally, some people feel thatconcentrations of poultry houses in any given area can lead to environmentaldegradation and real estate property devaluation. Some people also feel thatcommercial poultry are treated inhumanely, and that some diseases andillnesses are caused by over-crowding in huge barns without properventilation, long-distance transporting in all kinds of weather, andunsanitary commercial processing facilities.

As a result of these perceptions, a steady market exists for poultryproducts that are grown in a more natural way, such as on pasture. Farmerswho take advantage of this public perception can often sell theirpasture-based poultry products for premium prices by using well-establishedlanguage such as “Free-Range” and “Organic”. Other reasons to raise poultryon pasture are:

1. Better Food. Recent research in Pennsylvania (see APPPA GRIT! #11)revealed substantial increases in nutritional value of pasture poultry,particularly in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin A, and a significantdecrease in total fat.

2. More Satisfying Flavor. Many people feel that poultry raised on pasture,in fresh air and sunshine, taste superior to confinement raised poultry.Many also think the naturally raised poultry has a firmer texture and moresatisfying “bite”.

3. Lower cost entry. Small-scale and limited resource farmers can start aprofitable farm enterprise for a fraction of the cost of conventional,integrator-controlled poultry housing. Pasture poultry investments as low asonly $1,000 can potentially earn a net return of several hundred dollars peryear.

4. Fertility and Pasture management. Moving poultry across the pasture is away to spread manure and fertility without using excessive equipment orlabor.

5. Multi-Cropping. Poultry can be used to scavenge crop residue, and hogdown weeds and grasses in multi-crop fields being used for horticulture andfloriculture.

C. ARE THERE ANY FEED SAVINGS WHEN POULTRY ARE ALLOWED TO GRAZE?Experience of many pasture poultry producers is that 3.5 to 4 pounds of feedare required for each 1 pound of gain. Conventional poultry requires about 2pounds of feed to get 1 pound of gain. It is entirely possible that pasturepoultry requires up to twice the amount of feed as confined poultry.

D. HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I MAKE RAISING PASTURE POULTRY?Pasture poultry generally commands higher prices, therefore the potentialfor profit is higher than with conventional, confinement poultry. Pasturepoultry is usually sold locally, with only minimal processing. Broilers sellfor between $1.50 and $2.50 per pound, dressed weight. Turkeys sell between$1.75 and $2.50 per pound. Prices vary between producers. The pricedifference often depends on whether the birds are sold from the chill tank,or are bagged, weighed, labeled and ready for the freezer. Production costsare usually about 1/2 to 2/3 the sale price. Many producers do not add theirlabor into production costs. Pasture raised eggs sell for $1.50 to $3 perdozen.

E. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RAISE POULTRY?Costs vary between regions and between producers. Pens can range from $100to $400 depending on size and type. Electrified poultry netting can costbetween $1 and $1.50 per lineal foot. Feed costs vary widely across thecountry, from a low of 8-cents per pound in the Mid-West, to as much as13-cents per pound in the East and West Coasts. Organic feed generally costsfrom 50% to 100% more than conventional feed. Many growers add supplementalvitamins, enzymes, probiotics and minerals to their feed ration to overcomestress and to help poultry grow better.

F. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PROCESS POULTRY?Most pasture poultry producers choose to do their own processing. Reasonsgiven include close to home, earn extra money, and concern about qualitycontrol. The biggest reason many growers do processing, however, is thatthey dont have a processing facility nearby that they can take their birdsto. In recent times, almost all local poultry processing houses have goneout of business. Large integrator processors that only do company birds havereplaced them. In some areas, pasture poultry growers have banded togetherto build Mobile Processing Facilities. In other cases, growers are choosingto support centralized facilities that are privately owned. Processingequipment costs range from less than $1,000 to more than $20,000, dependingon the level of sophistication. Small-scale commercial poultry facilitiesthat will take small quantities of poultry for processing charge from $1 to$3 per broiler, and from $3 to $8 per turkey.

G. WHAT METHODS ARE USED TO RAISE POULTRY ON PASTURE?

There are FOUR basic methods, including PASTURE PENS, CHICKEN TRACTORS, FREERANGE, and DAY RANGE. Each method has regional refinements:

1. PASTURE PENS are bottomless pens that hold layers, broilers or turkeys,and are moved daily or as needed to give the poultry fresh pasture. Thismethod was pioneered by Joel Salatin and popularized in his book PASTUREPOULTRY PROFITS. It is the most commonly used pasture poultry method atpresent. A typical pen is 10- x 12- x 2-feet, and holds 80 broilers. About2/3 of the top is roofed; the rest of the top and sides are covered withpoultry wire. Each broiler requires 3-inches of feed trough space, a 10-footlong 6-inch sewer pipe sawed in half lengthwise is a typical feed trough.They need a continual supply of fresh water, up to 15 gallons per day per 80broilers. Some growers use these pens for layers, and raise 30 or 40 hens,with nest boxes fixed to the pen side. They reach in from outside the pen togather eggs. These pens are not well suited for turkey production, althoughsome growers do grow up to 20 turkeys per pen.

2. CHICKEN TRACTOR is not really a method, but is often a popular name forthe pasture pen system. It has several permutations including free range andday range. It is a permaculture design used to acknowledge the whole systemthat includes the poultry, the garden, and the grower. This idea was firstpresented by Bill Mollison, and was further popularized by Andy Lee andPatricia Foreman in their book CHICKEN TRACTOR.

3. FREE RANGE has been practiced for a century or more. This method fell outof favor in the 1960′s due to disease and predator inroads, and was mostlyreplaced by commercial confinement poultry production. Free Range generallymeans a fenced pasture surrounding the barn or poultry shelter.

4. DAY RANGING is a recent hybridization of chicken tractors and free range.This method is presently being developed by Andy Lee and several leadingpasture poultry producers across the country. In the day range system, thepoultry are sheltered at night from predators and weather, and allowed tograze in the daytime where they are held in, and predators held out, byportable electric poultry netting.

H. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF PASTURE PENS AND CHICKEN TRACTORS?1. The small shelters are easy and inexpensive to build. When placed onlevel or gently sloping land they are relatively easy to move with the aidof a dolly or scoot.

2. The small-scale and easy-to-learn method makes it possible for beginningpoultry growers to start and be successful with limited financial means.

3. The controlled moves will harvest grass and spread manure uniformlyacross the field.

4. Perimeter fencing is not required, since each flock is contained withinthe pasture pen.

5. The pasture pens are nearly predator proof. Daily moves keep predatorsoff-balance. Wire sides and heavy wood frames deter predators. Some deathsdo result however, from predators scaring the chickens, causing them to pileup and suffocate. Determined dogs will sometimes get inside these pens.Poultry are safe from flying predators.

I. WHAT ARE THE DIS-ADVANTAGES OF PASTURE PENS AND CHICKEN TRACTORS?1. The small pens hold relatively few poultry, compared to their cost.

2. Poultry are removed from the brooder at two to three weeks of age andplaced outdoors in minimal shelter. This sometimes results in stress,hypothermia and frequent mortalities.

3. The two-foot high roof on the pasture pens can trap heat, leading to heatstress that causes losses in weight, and sometimes mortalities. The roof istoo low for turkeys to stretch and raise their heads to full height.

4. In rough or hilly land the heavy pens are difficult to move withoutinjuring the person, or crushing chicks or poults. Recent innovations withPVC pens make the pens lighter and easier to move. These PVC pens are moreexpensive, and can blow over in high winds.

5. Pasture pens offer only minimal protection from weather. Even under thebest of circumstances the poultry grown in these pens require up to a thirdlonger, and require up to two times as much feed, as confinement raisedpoultry.

6. Daily chores are time-consuming, given the small number of birds servicedat each location.

7. Even though the pasture pens are moved daily, the poultry only has abrief period of fresh graze before the new site is contaminated with manure.And, unless the pen is moved again at dusk, the birds have to bed down inmanure-soaked grass. This is unhealthy and unsightly, and leads to dirtyfeathers, feather loss and skin sores.

8. The individual pens are hard to move around in market gardens so thepoultry can harvest grass and weeds and insects.

J. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF FREE RANGE?1. More birds can be held in a given area, and can be taken care of in lesstime, compared to pasture pens.

2. Poultry are free to move around, thus able to forage more naturally forgrasses, legumes and bugs. This is especially useful in market gardens wherepoultry are used to harvest weeds and grasses and insects, and to spreadmanure as fertility for the following crop.

3. Poultry are often cleaner, since they dont bed down in manure as in thepasture pens.

K. WHAT ARE THE DIS-ADVANTAGES OF FREE RANGE?1. Predator losses can decimate entire flocks in a short time.

2. Perimeter fences required to keep in poultry and keep out predators canbe very expensive to install and hard to maintain.

3. Flock pressure is greater on some portions of the site, leading toover-grazing and soil/sod damage. Areas around doorways and near the shelterare often muddy, fecal laden sites which are ugly and unhealthy.

L. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE DAY RANGE SYSTEM?

1. After they leave the brooder, poultry are housed in a mini-barn, whichprotects them from weather extremes and predators. This gives them anintermediate hardening off area before going onto cold or wet ground.

2. Because the poultry only use the shelter at night, each shelter cansafely handle twice as many poultry as the pasture pens and chickentractors.

3. Expensive perimeter fencing is not required because the grower keeps theflock in, and predators out, with portable electrified poultry netting.

4. The area for poultry to graze is moved regularly by repositioning thepoultry netting. This eliminates over-grazing, and gives the poultrycontinual access to fresh, growing pasture.

5. In inclement weather, the poultry can be held longer in the shelter thusprotecting them from stress and illness.

6. Chores are much faster, since feeding and watering are done in the openfenced area and the shelter is only moved infrequently. Sometimes theshelter is moved weekly, other times the shelter will stay in one locationfor a month or longer, even for an entire season.

M. WHAT ARE THE DIS-ADVANTAGES OF DAY RANGING?1. This method requires more manager attention to pasture rotations, ratherthan just methodically moving the pens each day.

2. The shelter is more expensive than the pasture pen, because it has afloor. The floor is covered with bedding to soak up manure. The bedding iscleaned out at the end of each flock, and used for compost. Planer shavingsor sawdust are best, since they soak up the moisture from the manure.Keeping the bedding deep enough and dry is important, otherwise it willcake, leading to dirty birds and unhealthy conditions.

3. About 1/3 to 1/2 of the poultry manure is captured in the bedding. Thisis good from a composting standpoint, but the bedding does require handling,whereas the pasture pen is moved daily, and the manure is spread evenlyalong the path of travel.

4. Poultry are protected from most predators by the electric poultrynetting, but it does not deter flying predators such as hawks and owls.

N. WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?

BOOKS:CHICKEN TRACTOR, $20, 350 pages, Andy Lee and Patricia Foreman.PASTURE POULTRY PROFITS, $30, 350 pages, Joel Salatin.FREE RANGE POULTRY, 2nd Ed., $40, 180 pages, Katie ThearCHICKEN HEALTH HANDBOOK, $20, 340 pages, Gail DamerowGUIDE TO RAISING CHICKENS, $15, 340 pages, Gail DamerowRAISING YOUR OWN TURKEYS, $10, 135 pages, Leonard MerciaAll are available from your bookstore, or through Good Earth Publications,20 GreenWay PlaceBuena Vista, VA 24416Ph. 540-261-8874Fax 540-261-8775Email: Info@GoodEarthPublications.com

PERIODICALS and INTERNET GROUPS:

PasturePoultry, via Yahoo!Groups. Read all the recent posts by expert farmers about the terms Grass-Fed, Pastured, and Free-Range, even if you don’t join the group.

APPPA GRIT!, the quarterly newsletter of the 500-member American PasturePoultry Producers Association, c/o Diane Kaufmann, 5207 70th St, ChippewaFalls, WI 54729. $20 annual membership dues, includes newsletter.

SMALL FARM TODAY Magazine regularly carries articles on pasture poultry andsmall-scale sustainable agriculture. $21 year, 6 issues, 3903 West RidgeTrail Road, Clark, MO 65243, phone 800-633-2535. Has an excellent bookcatalog.

ACRES USA, 12 issues, $24. PO Box 91299, Austin, TX 78735, phone512-892-4400. Covers wide range of sustainable agriculture topics. Has anexcellent book catalog.

STOCKMAN GRASS FARMER, 12 issues $28. PO Box 2300-M, Ridgeland, MS 39158.800-748-9808. The graziers voice, regular in-depth articles on pasturebased poultry and livestock systems. Has an excellent book catalog. Email to Alana Britt, Sales Coordinator

PROCESSING EQUIPMENT:Ashley EquipmentPO Box 2Greensburg, IN 47240812-663-2180Brower EquipmentPO Box 2000Houghton, IA 52631R and R PluckersRob BaumanRD 1Oxford, NY 13830607-843-7415Pickwick Zesco7887 Fuller Road Suite 116Eden Prairie, MN 55344800-808-3335JAKO Inc6003 E. Eales Rd.Hutchinson, KS 67501David SchaferRte 5 Box 33Trenton MO 64683Koch Supplies (bags, supplies, food processing)Kansas City, MO800-777-5624Matthiesen Company (bags, supplies)San Antonio, TX800-624-8635Cryovac Sealed Air CorporationDuncan, SC800-662-9335waterproof, shrink wrap bagsend of FAQPlease send comments and suggestions to:Andy LeeGood Earth Organic Farm1702 Mountain View RoadBuena Vista, Virginia 24416Phone and Fax 540-261-8775Email: goodearth at rockbridge.netWebsite: http://www.goodearthpub.com

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