{"id":535,"date":"2014-12-11T23:52:06","date_gmt":"2014-12-11T23:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/?page_id=535"},"modified":"2025-12-17T11:29:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:29:05","slug":"organicfarmpoultry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/archive-wsu-puyallups-legacy-of-urban-and-organic-systems-research\/organicfarmpoultry\/","title":{"rendered":"Archive: Pastured Poultry"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\r\n\t\tArchive: Pastured Poultry\t<\/h1>\r\n\t\t<\/header>\r\n\n\n
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Overview:<\/h2>\n

Raising pastured poultry is a simple way to integrate livestock onto small farms. They are suitable for farms that do not currently have livestock, or they can be raised in a system that includes other types of animals.<\/p>\n

This page summarizes our experience with small-scale pastured poultry production on our organically certified land at WSU Puyallup from 2005-2012. We began raising pastured broilers with the goal of integrating them into a vegetable-pasture rotation in our organic farming systems experiment.<\/p>\n

Methods:<\/h2>\n

We used small (5\u2019x 10\u2019), lightweight traveling cages for housing the birds on pasture (see design plans below). Each cage held up to 35 birds and contained two feed troughs and two independent watering units. Cages were rolled daily onto fresh pasture using a dolly system. We supplied feed and water to birds as needed once to twice daily. The pasture areas were enclosed with a portable electric fence to provide extra protection from predators.<\/p>\n

Chicks were moved from the brooder to the field at 2 to 3 weeks of age, and were slaughtered at 8 weeks (Fast Cornish Cross) to 11 weeks of age (Slow Cornish Cross varieties). Our birds were slaughtered on farm using a mobile slaughtering unit.<\/p>\n

Each bird was weighed when moved to the field, at intervals during their life cycle up to the time of slaughter, and after dressing. We also measured daily and total feed supplied to the flock to determine feed conversion. In 2007 and 2008 we participated in a project to study lactic acid as an organic alternative to chlorine bleach for carcass sanitation during processing (see Publications).<\/p>\n

We raised Fast Cornish Cross, Kosher King, and Slow Cornish birds in 2005, Fast Cornish Cross in 2006, Freedom Rangers in 2007, and Slow Red Cornish Cross and Fast Cornish Cross in 2008-2009 2011, and Red Freedom Rangers and Fast Cornish Cross in 2012.<\/p>\n

Cage Design<\/h3>\n

Photos and designs of portable poultry cages<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Results:<\/h2>\n

Bird survival and weight, feed use, and feed conversion are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 below. Fast Cornish Cross chickens had much better feed conversion than the other breeds, but otherwise did not function as well in the pastured poultry environment. This was especially true in 2006, when we lost many birds late in the season because of heart attacks or inability to walk. The Fast Cornish Cross also tended to have more difficulty moving with the cages, especially in the final weeks before slaughter. Feed conversion was lower in the spring of 2005 than in the later trials, likely as a result of not switching from chick grit to hen grit after they were moved to the field. Feed consumption and bird weights were down in 2009 due to a 10 day hot period when birds didn’t eat or gain as much.  In 2012 the Fast Cornish Cross ate more feed than previous years, but didn’t grow as well as previous years.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n

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Publications:<\/h2>\n

Break-Even Analysis of Small-Scale Production of Pastured Organic Poultry<\/strong> (PDF-Online)<\/a> and Excel Spreadsheet for Calculating Costs <\/strong>(Excel Xlsx file-Online).<\/a> Painter, K., E. Myhre, A. Bary, C. Cogger, and W. Jemmett. 2015. Pacific Northwest Extension Publication PNW 665.<\/p>\n

Validation of a 2 Percent Lactic Acid Antimicrobial Rinse for Mobile Poultry Slaughter Operations<\/strong> (PDF-Online). <\/a>Killinger, K.M., A. Kannan, A.I. Bary, and C.G. Cogger.  2010. J. Food Prot. 73:2079-2083.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Above-Movable pasture pens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Photo<\/a>
Above-Cornish Cross, final size. Fast growing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Photo<\/a>
Above-Freedom Ranger, final size, hen named “Rufus.” Slow growing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n
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Table 1. Pastured poultry data summary 2005-2012, fast growing White Cornish Crosses.<\/strong><\/p>\n

NOTES:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 2005 (spring) only chick grit was used which affected feed conversion. For following groups we used chick grit in the brooder then hen grit in the field.<\/li>\n
  • 2009: very hot period (10 days) when birds didn’t eat\/grow much.<\/li>\n
  • 2012: Birds ate a lot but Fast CornishX didn’t grow like previous years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Pastured Poultry: White Cornish Cross, 2005-2012<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
    Parameter<\/th>2005 spring<\/th>2005 summer<\/th>2006<\/th>2008<\/th>2009<\/th>2011<\/th>2012<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    No. Received Alive<\/td>81<\/td>78<\/td>156<\/td>78<\/td>76<\/td>70<\/td>75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    No. Slaughtered<\/td>69<\/td>75<\/td>129<\/td>72<\/td>63<\/td>67<\/td>66<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    No. Small Birds (<3lb live weight at slaughter)<\/td>11<\/td>1<\/td>0<\/td>0<\/td>1<\/td>0<\/td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Age at Slaughter (weeks)<\/td>8<\/td>9<\/td>8<\/td>8<\/td>8<\/td>7.7<\/td>7.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Average carcass weight (lb)<\/td>3.9<\/td>5.0<\/td>4.9<\/td>4.6<\/td>4.0<\/td>5.0<\/td>3.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Total Feed Used (lb)<\/td>1472<\/td>1293<\/td>2408<\/td>1363<\/td>875<\/td>1137<\/td>1291<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Feed Used\/Bird (lb)<\/td>21.3<\/td>17.2<\/td>18.7<\/td>18.9<\/td>13.9<\/td>17.0<\/td>19.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Feed Conversion (lb feed\/lb meat)<\/td>5.5<\/td>3.5<\/td>3.8<\/td>4.1<\/td>3.4<\/td>3.4<\/td>4.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
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    Table 2. Pastured poultry data summary 2005-2012, slower growing broiler varieties.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    NOTES:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • 2005 (spring) only chick grit was used which affected feed conversion. For following groups we used chick grit in the brooder then hen grit in the field.<\/li>\n
    • 2009: very hot period (10 days) when birds didn’t eat\/grow much.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Pastured Poultry: Broilers varieties, 2005-2012<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
      Parameter<\/th>2005 spring<\/th>2005 summer<\/th>2007<\/th>2008<\/th>2009<\/th>2011<\/th>2012<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
      No. Received Alive<\/td>69<\/td>97<\/td>85<\/td>78<\/td>78<\/td>74<\/td>77<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      No. Slaughtered<\/td>52<\/td>54<\/td>75<\/td>77<\/td>73<\/td>69<\/td>69<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      No. Small Birds (<3lb live weight at slaughter)<\/td>13<\/td>23<\/td>0<\/td>0<\/td>0<\/td>0<\/td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Age at Slaughter (weeks)<\/td>10<\/td>11<\/td>11<\/td>11<\/td>11<\/td>11<\/td>11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Average Carcass Weight (lb)<\/td>3.4<\/td>3.2<\/td>4.8<\/td>4.1<\/td>3.3<\/td>3.6<\/td>4.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Total Feed Used (lb)<\/td>1336<\/td>985<\/td>1860<\/td>1592<\/td>1270<\/td>1450<\/td>1690<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Feed Used\/Bird (lb)<\/td>25.7<\/td>18.2<\/td>24.8<\/td>20.7<\/td>17.4<\/td>20.4<\/td>23.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Feed Conversion (lb feed\/lb bird)<\/td>7.6<\/td>5.7<\/td>5.2<\/td>5.1<\/td>5.2<\/td>5.9<\/td>5.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":681,"featured_media":0,"parent":2311,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[55,49],"wsuwp_university_org":[396],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/535"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/681"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=535"}],"version-history":[{"count":73,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2390,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/535\/revisions\/2390"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=535"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=535"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puyallup.wsu.edu\/soils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}