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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 sw ...
, 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 re ...
of
Swoope, Virginia Swoope (pronounced S-W-O-P-E) is an unincorporated community in Augusta County, Virginia. Swoope is located on State Routes 703 and 860 west of Staunton. Swoope has a post office with ZIP code 24479, which opened on March 6, 1838. Polyface Far ...
, helped to reintroduce the technique at Polyface Farm, 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 mig ...
. 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, and increasing pasture fertility. It is very well suited for incorporation within a system of managed intensive grazing. 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 or
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.


See also

* Chickens as pets *
Chicken tractor A chicken tractor (sometimes called an ark) is a movable chicken coop lacking a floor. Chicken tractors may also house other kinds of poultry. Most chicken tractors are a lightly built A-frame which one person can drag about the yard. It may hav ...
*
Free range Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day. On many farms, the outdoors ranging area is fenced, ...
*
Free-range eggs Free-range eggs are eggs produced from birds that may be permitted outdoors. The term "free-range" may be used differently depending on the country and the relevant laws, and is not regulated in many areas. Eggs from hens that are only indoors ...
*
Grass-fed beef There are different systems of feeding cattle in animal husbandry. For pastured animals, grass is usually the forage that composes the majority of their diet. Cattle reared in feedlots are fed hay supplemented with grain, soy and other ingredi ...
*
Heritage turkey A heritage turkey is one of a variety of strains of domestic turkey which retains historic characteristics that are no longer present in the majority of turkeys raised for consumption since the mid-20th century. Heritage turkeys can be different ...
* Organic eggs


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