Pastured poultry is a

sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem ser ...

technique that calls for the raising of laying chickens, meat chickens (broilers), guinea fowl, and/or turkeys on

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...

, as opposed to indoor confinement. Humane treatment and the perceived health benefits of pastured poultry are causing an increase in demand for such products.

Joel Salatin Joel F. Salatin (born February 24, 1957) is an American farmer, lecturer, and author. Salatin raises livestock on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. Meat from the farm is sold by direct marketing to consumers and res ...

Swoope, Virginia Swoope (pronounced S-W-O-P-E) is an unincorporated community in Augusta County, Virginia, Augusta County, Virginia. Swoope is located on State Routes 703 and 860 west of Staunton, Virginia, Staunton. Swoope has a post office with ZIP code 24479, w ...

, helped to reintroduce the technique at

Polyface Farm Polyface Farm is a farm located in rural Swoope, Virginia, run by Joel Salatin and his family. The farm is driven using unconventional methods with the goal of "emotionally, economically and environmentally enhancing agriculture". This farm is whe ...

, and wrote his book ''Pastured Poultry Profits'' to spread the idea to other

farmers A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mi ...

. Andy Lee and Herman Beck-Chenoweth expanded on Salatin's techniques, and created some of their own. The American Pastured Poultry Producers' Association (APPPA) was formed to promote pastured poultry. Its membership consists largely of pastured poultry farmers. Though pasture feeding improves the nutritive quality of ruminant meats, the effect of pasture feeding on poultry meat composition is not well established. One trial showed low impact of pasture feeding on vitamin E and fatty acid composition. The pens that house the fowl can be made from wood and scrap metal or out of PVC pipe and white tarps. Pastured poultry is also gaining popularity because it helps the farmer, through reducing

capital costs Capital costs are fixed, one-time expenses incurred on the purchase of land, buildings, construction, and equipment used in the production of goods or in the rendering of services. In other words, it is the total cost needed to bring a project to a ...

, and increasing pasture fertility. It is very well suited for incorporation within a system of

managed intensive grazing In agriculture, rotational grazing, as opposed to continuous grazing, describes many systems of pasturing, whereby livestock are moved to portions of the pasture, called paddocks, while the other portions rest. Each paddock must provide all the n ...

. Pastured poultry is not limited to chickens and turkeys. It includes a variety of other birds, including ducks, geese, and exotics in the poultry family. In the United States, "pastured poultry" or "pasture-raised" claims for poultry are not defined by the United States Department of Agriculture. Because there is no legal definition of the term, producers are not required to verify their claims on food packaging, as long as they are not misleading.

Free-range poultry

Herman Beck-Chenoweth reintroduced the free-range system that was the most popular way to raise poultry in the U.S. from the 1930s through the 1960s. The system allows birds to range freely during the day and be safely sequestered on secure skid houses over night. The addition of a guard animal, such as a

Komondor The Komondor (), also known as the Hungarian sheepdog, is a large, white-coloured Hungarian breed of livestock guardian dog with a long, corded coat. Sometimes referred to as 'mop dogs', the Komondor is a long-established dog breed commonly e ...

Anatolian Shepherd The Kangal Shepherd Dog (Turkish: ''Kangal Çoban Köpeği'') is a historic Turkish breed of large livestock guardian dog native to eastern Turkey. The breed name derives from that of the town and district of Kangal in Sivas Province, the eastern ...

dog, controls predators. In the modern American free-range poultry production system, birds are much less crowded and freer to practice normal bird behaviour than in any other pasture-based system. Although frequently listed as a "pasture" method, free-"range" refers to the length of the forage. Cattle graze "pasture" which is forage over six inches long. "Range" refers to short forage of 2-4 inches. Free-range is a very sustainable production system that improves the farmer's soil and produces poultry with strong bones and meat with good "mouthfeel". Combined with proper aging after slaughter, the meat is tender and flavorful.

External links

poultryOne's Guide to Raising Pastured Poultry

American Pastured Poultry Producer's Association

* ttp://richsoil.com/raising-chickens.jsp RichSoil Article on Raising Chickens
Permies.com Thread About Raising Chickens

Pastured Poultry Farms Listing

Poultry and Eggs Overview
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pastured Poultry Animal feed Animal welfare Poultry farming Sustainable agriculture

Free-range poultry

See also

External links

References