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American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Issue # 87

ISSUE 87

May/June 2015

American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Newsletter

this issue Approach to Avian Influenza P.1 President’s Corner P.2 Director’s Report P.3 Pastured Poultry Biosecurity P.5 Highlights from APPPAPlus P.7 Family Egg Production P.8 Scaling Up Infrastructure P.13 Start-Up Business Advice P.18 Value of Brooder Bedding P.20 Community Corner P.24 Check Your Renewal Issue P.28

Fostering Health: The Pastured Poultry Approach to Dealing with Avian Influenza —Susan Beal, DVM, Mike Badger, Terrell Spencer

Pasture-based production for poultry provides

several natural barriers to the transmission of

diseases such as Avian Influenza. These natural

barriers are not often discussed from the

conventional biosecurity point-of-view, but are

validated by the experience of pastured poultry

producers, poultry research science, and the

common-sense that is the cornerstone of any

agricultural system.

A Pastured Perspective to Flock Health A pastured poultry approach to protecting the flock

from Avian Influenza starts with a production

environment that promotes a healthy immune

system, and in some cases, directly contrasts the

conventional confinement production environments. Sunlight: Avian Influenza is particularly sensitive to

ultra-violet radiation, and that’s what’s found in direct

sunlight. A foundational principle to a pastured

poultry model is the regular movement of the birds to

fresh pasture; pasture that has been sterilized by the

sun before and after poultry actively forage on it.

Incorporating natural sunlight into the winter housing

and the brooder also bring the sanitizing effects of

sunlight into all phases of production and should be

practiced as much as possible. Forage: Ideally, pastured birds obtain a diverse and

complete diet by foraging on green vegetation and

insects, consuming a balanced feed ration, and

drinking clean, fresh water. Poultry texts prior to the

1950’s promoted the importance of green, natural

feeds to the health and nutrition of the flock. As the

birds were moved inside and nutritional “balance”

was achieved by the addition of vitamins to the feed,

the importance of forage as a natural source of

vitamins and other nutrients diminished. Currently,

conventional poultry management opinion actually

considers access to forage as a threat to flock health,

despite research suggesting otherwise. Pastured

poultry producers continue to prove, through

profitable flock production, that natural forages result

in healthy flocks, typically with no antibiotic inputs. Pasture Rotation: By using planned, regular pasture

rotation, the birds do not spend time on a buildup of

moist litter. By removing the birds from their litter at

an early age when the chicks are old enough to leave

the brooder, the air quality within the flock’s living

(Continued on page 4)

American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Newsletter

Photo courtesy of

Grady Phelan.

American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Issue # 87 2

per day, but we have no good answers for capricious

regulations. We have a strong message to deliver

about health, nutrition, and environment and we are just

beginning to be recognized and heard on a national

scale. Our trajectory is vertical. I remember the meeting where APPPA was birthed. I

was three years into my farmer’s market career and

discovering firsthand the prophetic wisdom of Joel

Salatin’s words, “If you want to sell beef, start with

chicken!” The notion of poultry as the “gateway” meat

became so evident to me that the path of service to the

pastured poultry movement easily found me and this is

where I have been focused since 1999. To make pastured poultry growers successful has been

my personal mission, so I embrace the opportunity to

serve APPPA. The talent and energy on our board is off

the charts. And our ever-willing Director, Mike Badger,

is matching that energy, idea for idea. Expect much

from us. A sneak preview of coming attractions includes an

exciting media campaign, photo contests, a

membership drive, focused research projects, an

annual Pastured Poultry School, podcasts, stronger

relationships with heritage breeders and backyard

layers, and a renewed emphasis of service to the core

membership. Please ask yourself, “What do I least like doing with my

poultry that APPPA may be able to make easier?”

Phone or email Mike. All stumbling blocks are

opportunities for innovation.

ScalingUp Speaking of innovation, a most exciting break-through

recently hit the GRIT. A pastured vehicle incorporating

a greenhouse on skids is now being advertised by three

separate entities across the continent! Talk about

harmonic convergence! Since one of the advertisers is me, that definitely gets

my attention. When the beloved 10 x 12 pastured pens

are so cumbersome that folks drop out of production, it

is time for an alternate model. The new model retains


PO Box 85 Hughesville,

PA 17737

[email protected] | www.apppa.org | (888) 662-7772

The APPPA GRIT magazine is published six times a year.

The American Pastured Poultry Producers Association

(APPPA) is a nonprofit educational and networking

organization dedicated to encouraging the production,

processing, and marketing of poultry raised on pasture.

Staff Mike Badger, Director/Grit Editor

Board of Directors David Schafer, President, 2013-2015 Terrell Spencer, Vice President, 2015-2017 Jeff Mattocks, Treasurer, 2013-2015 David Hale, Secretary, 2015-2017 John Benoit, 2014-2015 Grady Phelan, 2014-2017 Craig Haney, 2014-2017 Susan Beal, DVM, 2015-2017 Joel Salatin, board member at-large

APPPA on the move Though we stand on the shoulders of many caring

stockmen and determined land stewards, pastured

poultry is still in its infancy. We are still the pioneers.

APPPA’s mouthpiece, the Grit, expands in volume

(and color), and now reaches over a thousand

member households per issue, but we are still

researching rations, still designing new field

contraptions, and still perfecting processing

techniques. We have a virtual meeting room – see “Best

Highlights from APPPAPlus” debuting in this issue - where hundreds check in daily and receive expert

advice collectively worth tens of thousands of dollars


In this issue, I teamed up with the coolest ho-listic veterinarian I know, Dr. Susan Beal, and Arkansas producer Terrell Spencer to write an article about how some of the foundational principles in pastured poultry create healthy flocks that inherently provide a defense against diseases, such as Avian Influenza. Given the popular coverage of Avian Influenza, it’s easy to see where producers would start

having a lot of doubt and concern. We were into the outbreak for 20 million commercially confined casualties before the obvious ques-tions started to pop up in the media reports. The questions go something like this, “If wild

ducks are the primary carriers, than why aren’t more backyard flocks showing up posi-

tive around the outbreaks? How are the com-mercial operations still getting infected at a frequent rate with their heighted biosecurity?” But we can’t rely on doubt alone.

In our article, “Fostering Health: The Pastured

Poultry Approach to Dealing with Avian Influ-enza,” we lay out the case for why pastured

flocks aren’t popping up positive at a rate like

the commercial flocks are. The pastured approach models itself after nat-ural systems and builds healthy, robust im-mune systems within the flock. Health is our primary defense, and we layer farm-appropriate biosecurity measures for addition-al protections. Our article draws out the pastured advantages as a practical defense against Avian Influenza. It won’t take your risk to zero, but the odds

are definitely in your favor. You raise pasture-raised poultry because you believe it’s a better way to raise birds. Now it’s

time to trust the model and stand pastured. Mike Badger


space is fresh with minimal ammonia and levels that

stress poultry health. Less Stress: The lower stocking rates common in

pastured flocks typically yield a lower stocking

density. A lower density results in a less stressful

environment for the pastured flock, allowing for

natural flock behaviors and preventing the stress of

overcrowding. Additionally, poultry do not have to

undergo invasive procedures such as debeaking or

dubbing, as the stimulation of the natural

environment prevents poultry from attacking each

other because of high stocking rates. Just as in

humans, less stress promotes an immune system

functioning at optimum levels. As we look at flock health and biosecurity from the

pastured poultry perspective, we should pause long

enough to ask the question, “Does confinement

actually favor the rapid mutation or spread of highly

pathogenic avian influenza within a flock that’s

(Continued from page 1) confined inside?” A confinement poultry operation

houses tens of thousands of individual birds inside a

climate controlled space, and a single farm may house

millions of birds at any given time. This provides

several favorable conditions for avian influenza to

thrive. Birds are in a close proximity to one-another,

and the poultry houses are proximal to each other as

well, facilitating the bird-to-bird spread of the virus. The

chicken barns exclude natural, sanitizing and drying

environmental factors, such as sunlight and heat, both

of which work to naturally destroy the virus. By

excluding natural environment factors and restricting

movement to the barn, the flock is continually exposed

to accumulating dust, litter, and feces as the flock

grows, compromising the immune system of the flock.

About Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza virus is classified as either low

pathogenic (LPAI) or high pathogenic (HPAI).

Migratory wildfowl are typically carriers for the LPAI

strains, and this has minimal, if any, effect on the

waterfowl. However, in the current United States



The primary sources of infection of poultry with Avian

Influenza appear to be coming from migratory water-

fowl and husbandry practices by humans. Waterfowl

are ubiquitous hosts for low pathogenic viruses, but

it’s the high pathogenic form that ultimately infects

poultry with a high mortality rate. Producers should

focus on keeping the flock’s immune system at opti-

mum health and preventing contact with the disease

through sound biosecurity practices. Cool, wet weather favors the viability of the virus

while heating, drying, and disinfecting destroys it.

The virus is extremely sensitive to ultraviolet light –

sunshine. Transmission is often by way of direct con-

tact and droplets such as nasal discharges.

Keeping the Flock’s Immune System at Optimum

Health

Ensure the feed is balanced for the species,

class and age of bird.

Keep brooder and winter bedding dry; allow natu-

ral sunlight.

Move birds often enough to keep the flock on

fresh, clean pasture.

Incorporate natural sunlight into the daily living

environment in the brooder, winter housing, and

pasture.

Maintain low-stress stocking densities. Based on

market age flocks, those spacing requirements

are typically 1.5 to 2 sq. ft. for broilers, 4 to 5 sq.

ft. per laying hen, 6 to 8 sq. ft. per turkey.

If possible, reduce the use of GMO feeds, because

there is evidence in other situations that this may pre-

dispose the birds to inflammation, immune stress and

microbial imbalance.

Protecting the flock with physical biosecurity

Avoid waterfowl and wild birds.

Keep flocks from accessing farm ponds, sloughs,

and other bodies of water.

Watering sources should be disinfected, espe-

cially if using surface water.

Design feeders, waterers, and housing so that it

is not attractive to wild birds.

Dispose of dead poultry to discourage feeding by

and contamination of crows, scavengers, and

raptors.

Prevent cross contamination from other flocks.

Source poultry from reliable sources.

Avoid poultry shows, fairs, and backyard flocks.

Disinfect footwear and equipment after coming

into contact with other poultry or after visiting

feed and supply stores.

Disinfect the undercarriage of the vehicle and the

bottoms of the tires.

Restrict the access of feed trucks, delivery vehi-

cles, processors, and other services to non-production areas of the farm.

Request government officials, who can be trans-

mission routes for spreading Avian Influenza,

conduct all business at the end of the farm lane.

If they are sampling other than dead birds, do not

return the live birds to your flock; sacrifice them

or isolate/sequester them at the border of your

farm.

Train as a certified poultry health technician so

you can legally sample your own birds should

you find your flock under government surveil-

lance because of local outbreaks. Check with

your state department of agriculture for more in-

formation.

Holistic Approach to Pastured Poultry Biosecurity

—Susan Beal, DVM, Mike Badger, Terrell Spencer


Due to federal response, the actual mortality in any

flock that tests positive for HPAI is always 100%

fatal, as all surviving birds are destroyed in an

attempt to prevent the further spread of the virus. The

federal depopulation strategy is one of the most

frightening aspects of the virus because the loss and

destruction of all poultry on a farm carries grim

economic and emotional realities. The pastured poultry community needs to cut through

the fear and understand some fundamental realities. Avian Influenza is found in virtually all wild waterfowl,

and short of exterminating all wild populations, Avian

Influenza is not new and will not go away anytime

soon. This makes all poultry vulnerable to some risk

of infection with Avian Influenza. Consider, however, poultry that have been infected

with low pathogenic forms of H5 and H7 have been

shown to develop immunity to the related subtypes of

the high pathogenic forms. That means a prior

infection with H7 LPAI is protective against H7 HPAI,

but not against highly pathogenic H5 strains and vice

versa. Pastured poultry producers have reason to be

positive and to stay the course. There is a clear

disparity in the number of backyard flocks testing

positive compared to the large-scale commercial

flocks despite increased surveillance and awareness.

In the USDA context, the backyard designation fails

to distinguish the pastured poultry flocks grown for

market and profit, which adds further ambiguity to the

make-up of the infected backyard flocks. Also,

commercial poultry operations continue to be infected

at a frequent rate, despite heightened biosecurity. Pastured poultry producers need to stay informed

about the risks associated with Avian Influenza, but

realize physical biosecurity cannot provide complete

protection for a flock with compromised immune

systems. Producers should stand firmly behind

pastured poultry production as a natural model of

prevention against infection, while also focusing on

common-sense biosecurity practices to lessen the

farm’s exposure to all poultry diseases. APPPA will continue to provide updates as needed.

outbreak, the USDA has observed HPAI strains in wild

fowl in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, and

Utah (as of May 1, 2015). Domestic poultry infected

with LPAI may go undetected because such infections

often result in no symptoms or very mild symptoms,

such as a slight reduction in egg production or feed

conversion in meat types. The H5 and H7 low pathogenic subtypes of Avian

Influenza are capable of mutating into the high

pathogenic forms (H5N8 and H5N2 in the current

outbreak), which can quickly spread throughout a

susceptible poultry flock. Depending on the species of

fowl, mortality can be high. In the current outbreak,

turkeys have a very high mortality, whereas laying

hens seem to be showing moderate morbidity and

lower mortality. After the initial cases of dead or overtly

ill birds, the rest of the laying flock levels out and does

not show extreme symptoms.

(Continued from page 4)


provided the best presentation. Shrink bags cost

more per unit than vacuum sealer bags, but a shrink

bag setup does not require additional equipment be-

yond a pot of hot water. An egg producer in Minnesota asked the group if

there were any alternatives to using chlorine to

sanitize eggs. One recommendation was to use

hydrogen peroxide at a 3% concentration. While the

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) governs egg

washing and sanitizing, individual states provide ad-

ditional guidance/regulation. In New Hampshire, a producer was looking for lia-

bility insurance and having problems finding suita-

ble coverage; on-farm processing is a stumbling

block. In Indiana, a producer found luck with Farmers

Mutual. A member from New York who experienced

problems getting coverage for 4,000 broilers a year,

eventually checked into “excess and surplus carri-

ers” (offshore insurance) and ultimately received

insurance through a company called Colony Insur-

ance Company, which was found while working with

a local insurance agent. Westfield Insurance via Hal-

loway Insurance in Columbiana, Ohio, was also of-

fered as an option. For an easy online application, try

Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP). In Virginia,

the Campbell Risk Management and Commercial

Insurance Services were recommended. Try Farm

Family Insurance was yet another recommendation. In North Carolina, a member wanted to hear some

recommendations for a grinder capable of grinding

feet, neck, and backs. A #32 Weston Pro Series elec-

tric meat grinder is capable of grinding 300 pounds

per hour. How much fishmeal do you add to broiler grower

feed to get a suitable starter for turkeys? To boost

the protein of a grower feed, add four pounds of fish-

meal per 30 pounds of feed (a five gallon bucket).

Feed that mix for four weeks. Then for weeks five

through seven, add two pounds of fishmeal per five

gallon bucket. Then feed standard grower until

slaughter. You can supplement free choice wheat

and grit in a 4:1 ratio from week eight through slaugh-

ter.

APPPAPlus is a private Yahoo! Group (email

listserve) for Producer Plus members. Members use

the list to ask questions, troubleshoot, and collabo-

rate on a far-ranging slate of topic area. I’ve selected

some recent highlights to share. To join the conver-

sation, select the Producer Plus option when you re-

new. You can renew at any time. A producer asked the group for recommendations

on a vacuum packer for an expected volume of 200-400 birds a month. Look for a used commercial ma-

chine (for a good price) with dual chambers for quick-

er operation was the first recommendation from a

member in California. Recommended machines in-

cluded Vacuum Packer Pro 2300 from LEM and ARY

VP540. However, several producers commented that

they preferred to use shrink bags for whole carcass-

es and the vacuum packaging for parts because that

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Highlights from APPPAPlus —Mike Badger


I’m often amazed at the false expectations people

have about their hen’s ability to lay eggs. The two

main false beliefs commonly held are: Hens are regular egg machines providing con-

sistent production year round—no matter what.

A hen that stops laying is done forever. For this,

she is often prematurely sentenced to capital

punishment. Destined for the stewpot. A one-way

ticket to freezer camp. Bone-broth biddie.

Chicken keepers need to know that there are many

factors that affect a hen’s egg laying ability. Without

this knowledge and understanding, many fine laying

hens are put down way too early in life. The gold standard for egg laying are the high-production, single-purpose factory farm layers. These

hens have been specially bred to lay about an egg a

day in their prime. Think about that. These biddies

produce a high-quality protein about the size of their

heads, every day. But—unlike pastured and family

flocks—commercial layers are kept in strictly con-

trolled, indoor environments. They have constant ac-

cess to feed and water and are forced into molting to

control the timing of the replacement feathers. This

gets all hens in sync for the second (and last) round

of egg production. Commercial layers have a short-fuse life expectancy with egg-a-thon production of

about 2 years before becoming chicken soup. In backyard and truly free-ranging flocks with access

to grass, sunlight, fresh air and exercise, hens should

not be expected to produce eggs as consistently, or

as abundantly as commercial, specific-purpose birds.

Some reasons are below.

Factors That Affect Egg Laying

Multiple Ages in Flock. Family flock and pastured

birds can be of different ages. My flock has baby

chicks and mature birds up to 9 years old. The

younger pullets are not mature enough to lay eggs. It

takes five to six months for a chick to mature and

begin laying eggs. This causes a variation in bottom

line statistic for net egg production/bird. Egg Production Decreases with Age. As your hens

get older, they don’t lay as many eggs as they did in

their first 1.5 to 2 years—which is their highest-production phase of life. After about 2 years old, a

hen’s egg production drops around 10% per year.

But an older heritage hen has a 5 to 7 year produc-

tion life [1] and can still lay a significant number of

eggs, but not as many as younger hens. The older

hen’s eggs tend to be larger, but fewer. I knew one

10-year old Plymouth Barred Rock hen. She was the

matriarch of her coop. At about 7 years old she would

lay one, or two, eggs in the spring. Then went broody

and hatched out young ones. In the poultry-sphere,

being a hen is not just about producing eggs for hu-

mans. It’s about raising the next generation of chick-

ens. Molting. Hens in molt—growing new feathers—

causes egg laying to decrease, and even stop, until

the new feathers grow back. Molting is usually in the

fall, but it can happen at different times throughout

the year. To a chicken, which is more important: us-

ing your body’s protein to grow a new suit of feathers

to survive or produce eggs? A hen chooses a new

suit of feathers every time—it’s a hot-chick glamor

thing. Dual and Multiple Purpose Birds. Many pasture

and family flocks keep heritage, dual-purpose chick-

ens that produce both meat and eggs. The egg pro-

duction in these flocks will be lower, but at the end of

their egg laying, these birds can provide quality meat

and nutritionally valuable bone broth. In my opinion,

these birds are multiple-purpose because, in addition

to human food, their skill sets include (but are not

limited to) being insecticiders, herbidicers, and ferti-

lizer-generators that create and enhance topsoil.

Chickens bring a plethora of talents and diversity to

local food production systems. (Continued on page 10)

Egg Production in Family Flocks vs. Factory Farms PART 2 OF THE EGG SHED SERIES —Patricia Foreman


Roosters. Many flocks have roosters to help

with predator protection. Roosters can’t con-

tribute to egg production, but they have

charms and talents helpful to a flock. The Next Generation. When a hen goes

broody (wanting to sit on eggs to hatch

chicks) her egg laying ceases. Incubating

eggs takes 3 weeks. A hen mothering and

mentoring her chicks takes 5 to 7 weeks until

the chicks are old enough to fend for them-

selves. This puts a hen out of egg production

for about 2.5 months. It is unrealistic to ex-

pect a hen to produce eggs while she is incu-

bating and rearing the next generation. Temperature Extremes. Hens slow, or

cease laying, during high heat or cold stress.

High summer heat and frigid cold in winter

can put a hen out of production because

these are the challenging environmental con-

ditions for a bird to incubate eggs and find

forage (food) for chicks. Quality Protein and Nutrition. To lay an

egg masterpiece that contains all the ele-

ments to form a baby chick (protein, lipids,

minerals etc.) requires constant access to

quality high-protein feed. I’ve talked with

many chicken keepers who buy the cheapest

feed they can find (with low protein levels)

and still expect to get abundant eggs. The

crude protein percentage in most livestock

feeds consists of offal and leftover products

not fit for human consumption (including in-

gredients from down, diseased, dead or dy-

ing animals). This gives new meaning to

“crude protein” and the quality of the lipids,

amino acids, minerals, and co-factors in that

protein. Hydration. An egg is about 75% water. Hens

need access to abundant, fresh, clean water

to form their eggs. Lack of water translates to

fewer eggs.

(Continued from page 8) Stress. Overcrowded, ill-fed, or insecure flocks cause stress.

Hens need to feel secure and safe to lay well. Fat Hens. Overweight hens tend to lay fewer eggs. Cut back

on the carbohydrates (corn and scratch grains) and make

sure they get enough exercise, fresh air and graze. Seasonal Dark and Light. Changes in daylight affect egg

production. As the days get shorter, egg laying slows, and

often stops. Then, as days get longer, egg production increas-

es. That’s Nature’s way. In winter, when the days are shorter

and temperatures drop toward freezing, it is a hard time for a

hen to incubate eggs, keep the chicks warm and find enough

food for the babies to eat. Spring is the natural time for a hen

to increase egg laying for rearing chicks.

Your Egg Updated Family Flock Egg Shed Formula

In Part 1 of The Egg Shed Series, the formula to calculate an

egg shed was based on the extreme-sole-purpose-commercial breed for egg production: the White Leghorn. The

flocks are indoor factory farms of same-age birds. With all these egg production variables we covered in this arti-

cle, how can you realistic estimate the number of hens need-

ed for your family or local egg shed? It’s easy. A US Department of Agriculture poster from 1918 has the for-

mula for how many heritage hens are needed to meet your

local egg shed. The USDA states that: “2 hens per every member in the household will keep a family

in fresh eggs.” —USDA Poster, 1918 Why two-hens-per-capita instead of the one-hen-per-capita in

the egg shed formula from Part 1 of the Egg Shed Series?

Because, your hens should not be expected to lay consistent-

ly throughout the year for the reasons listed above. Age,

weather, feed, exercise, brooding, molting, heat, cold, stress,

and other factors all affect egg laying. The USDA advice of having two hens for every household

member was based on heritage breeds and allows for the

young chicks to mature, and the older hens to decrease or

stop laying for a variety of reasons we discussed. This poster

goes on to declare: “Uncle Sam Expects YOU to Keep Hens

and Raise Chickens.” (Continued on page 12)


Notice that Uncle Sam didn’t just suggest, or simply

imply it was a good idea. No! No clucking around!

Uncle Sam “Expects you to do your duty and keep a

family flock.” In other words, be a responsible citizen;

keep chickens.” Our benevolent Uncle Sam continues to explain that:

“Even the smallest backyard has room for a flock

large enough to supply the house with eggs. The cost

of maintaining such a flock is small. Table and kitch-

en waste provide much of the feed for the hens. They

require little attention—only a few minutes a day. An

interested child, old enough to take a little responsi-

bility, can are for a few fowls, as well as a grown per-

son. Every back yard in the United States should

contribute its share to a bumper crop of poultry and

eggs.“ You can credit and quote Uncle Sam’s declaration

that keeping chickens is, “in peace a profitable recre-

(Continued from page 10) ation. In war a patriotic duty.” —US Department of

Agriculture or Your State Agricultural College, 1918.

There you have it! Before farming went into intensive

indoor factory production, our USDA and Uncle Sam

campaigned across the United States that you are

expected to “keep hens as a profitable recreation and

a patriotic duty.” Well, I say today—here and now—that you strive to:

“Be all you can be! Be a Chickeneer!” Keep family

flocks in both backyards and front yards and manage

your yard as a mini-pasture. In the third part of this series, we’ll explore Egg Miles.

How you can determine how far an egg has traveled

from hen to table—May the flock be with you!

Resources

1.The Live Stock Conservancy: Heritage Chicken Definition

www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/

heritage-chicken 2.American Egg Board website: www.aeb.org/egg-industry/

industry-facts/egg-production-and-consumption


If you read my article in the last “Grit” issue, you

might be wondering about the nuts and bolts of scal-

ing up. Its one thing to talk pretty about thinking in a

way that will allow you to grow your business to the

destination you dream about, but it’s another thing to

see it being done and gather ideas from others plow-

ing ahead in large scale pastured poultry production

systems. Today I want to share with you some prac-

tical ideas and examples of how you can actually im-

plement a scaled up version or your pastured poultry

system. Cobb Creek Farm currently has a system in place

that allows 2 guys to raise 600 birds per week, 52

weeks a year, or a little over 30,000 birds per year.

That’s not too impressive, but think about this; if we

needed to we could double production without adding

any more team members. This is because our sys-

tem is efficient and designed to minimize chore time

and maximize our time spent inspecting chicken

health and comfort. The first thing to consider when scaling up is your

field shelter design. I was trained on Salatin Style

pens and I still believe they are the starting point for

any pastured poultry enterprise. Once I got to Texas,

everything got bigger. We now use what we call a

Mobile Range Coop. Together with Poly-Tex Green-

house and Display Systems in Minnesota, we have

developed a great, large scale field shelter that can

house up to 600 broilers. The Mobile Range Coop is essentially a high tunnel

on skids that was engineered to withstand strong

winds and be robust enough to hold together for

many years. We pull it forward each day to provide

each batch of broilers with fresh pasture. It is 20 feet

wide, 36 feet long, and 10½ feet tall. We enjoy 7 feet

of head clearance, which makes chores super ergo-

nomic. Each end wall has a four-foot door which al-

lows us to enter into the coop from either end. This

is important because we designed the coop to be

pulled in either direction. A palindrome coop, if you

will.

One of the aspects of raising Cornish cross broilers

we tend to miss is they were never intended to be

raised out on pasture. The Cornish cross broiler of

today is being bred to grow in a commercial poultry

house with all the comforts of home. Every aspect of

their comfort is regulated precisely to allow them to

grow optimally. We are kidding ourselves to think

that the Cornish cross broiler of today is capable of

“roughing it” out on pasture the same way a heritage

laying hen or broiler can. That being said, I think if we are going to use Cornish

cross broilers, we need to provide some level of pro-

tection and comfort to them as they grow on pasture.

There is a tipping point where you can spend too

much money on infrastructure and also take away

some of the principles and values intrinsic to a pas-


Scaling Up: Infrastructure —Grady Phelan


tured poultry system, but we need to reach for that

tipping point as much as makes sense. The standard death loss for Cornish cross broilers

raised on pasture is said to be around 10%. If you

can keep it under 10%, you're doing pretty good.

What other business do you know of that allows for a

loss of 10%? It’s time we step up to the plate and do

a better job of raising poultry on pasture, especially if

those birds were never meant to be raised on pasture

in the first place. One of the improvements we were able to make with

the Mobile Range Coop was one of poultry comfort.

The coop is always topped with a 55% white poly

plastic sheet allowing us to harness the heating pow-

er of the sun when we need it. The end walls are

equipped with wiggle wire channel so we can quickly

and easily install plastic walls to block cold winds.

We usually install these walls right before the first

cold snap in the fall and remove them in the spring

when the warmer temperatures stabilize. For warmer weather, each Coop is supplied with a

90% Shade Cloth that is mounted directly over the

55% white plastic top. Together with the 55% plastic,

it blocks 95.5% of the sunshine, making the coop a

big shade mobile. Each four foot sidewall has man-

ual roll-up sides to allow for proper ventilation. We

have also designed a misting system to further lower

the temperatures of the broilers during the middle of

our hot Texas summers. That brings me to our water system. The beauty of

water is that it flows through a pipe to the destination

of your choosing and with a little engineering. You

can make it go right to the chickens with very little

labor or cost, even if you need to pump it out of a

well. Since we also have a need for misting the birds

during the summer, we needed an extensive, pres-

surized water system. Luckily for me, when I moved

to Hillsboro, Ian Gerrish (our cattle manager) had

already installed a very extensive electric fence and

water system throughout the farm.

(Continued from page 13) Every 250 feet along most of our main-line electric

fences, Ian installed a quick-couple riser for water

hose access. We hook into these risers with water

hose and run it right up to each Mobile Range Coop.

After going through a quick coupler at the front of the

coop, it transitions into ½ inch PVC, which runs up

and overhead the chickens, right down the center of

the coop, and out the back in the same fashion. This

allows us to hook up each coop from either end de-

pending on which way we are moving along the pas-

ture. To water the birds, we tee into the line, add a pressure

regulator (25 PSI), and run a separate drinker line

right down the center of the coop. We use bell drink-

ers, and for a little extra money, you can buy special-

ized couplings with integrated valves that connect di-

rectly to the PVC. The misting system is also con-

nected into the feed line without a pressure regulator,

ensuring full pressure at each misting nozzle. We

even have the ability to irrigate behind each coop, and

last fall we experimented with a couple different follow

-along irrigation designs. Getting stored feed as close to the feeder as possible

was next on the list of improvements. To solve this,

we use a custom feed wagon that is pulled behind the

truck used to move the Mobile Range Coops. Its origi-

nal use was for feeding cattle, but it works great to

carry feed with us as we service each coop. We au-


Mobile Range Coop at Cobb Creek Farm.


ger feed into 5 gallon buckets at the back of the feed

trailer and use them to fill the 12, 35 pound hanging

feeders in each coop. All of the bell drinkers and feeders are suspended

from the frame of the coop. Each one is attached to

a rope and the rope is fitted with a height adjustment

board to allow us to adjust the height within millime-

ters of where it needs to be. Maintaining the correct

height for feeders and drinkers is crucial to bird

health and comfort, and it's crucial to limit wasted

feed. To this day, we haven’t lost a single bird to a preda-

tor. I know it will happen someday, but we feel really

good about the protection we provide each coop.

Each coop has two barriers, one physical, one men-

tal. In order to physically protect the broilers, we

installed 12 inches of base board on each sidewall

and 15 inches of canvas belting along the front and

back of each coop. Out mental barrier is electric

fence. We install a single strand of electric fence

around the base of each coop, about 6 inches off the

ground. This fence is powered by a feed line ex-

tending out from our mainline electric fences. You

could very easily mount a solar charger onto the co-

op if you didn’t have access to a main line. What does all this look like during chores? Each

morning our two “Chicken Tenders” go out and ser-

vice the Mobile Range Coops. One person drives a

pick-up with the custom feed wagon and hooks onto

the coop. As it is pulled forward, the other person

helps scurry chickens to the new pasture from inside

the coop. The only thing they need to do before

moving the coop, is to unhook the water hose at the

quick coupler, drag it forward to the next spot, and

unhook the electric fence from its source. After mov-

ing the coop they put out fresh feed and making sure

the water and electric fence are hooked up and oper-

ating correctly. After recording some data about how

much feed they put out and if their was any death

loss, they move onto the next coop.

(continued from page 14) Our Chicken Tenders can service each coop in ten

minutes or less. We shoot to butcher most of the

birds at 49 days and average a four pound carcass.

After adding the labor time at the brooder with the

labor time in the field, each chicken takes about 2

minutes of field labor to produce. We do this 7 days a

week, so with 3 guys working a rotating schedule, we

could easily raise 90,000 broilers each year. Want to

raise 180,000? Hire 3 more guys, get a truck and

feed wagon, build more brooder space and Mobile

Range Coops and away you go! We are always improving and tweaking, but if you

want to see what our Mobile Range Coop in action,

search for Cobb Creek Farm on YouTube. Grady is an APPPA board member and farm manager at

Cobb Creek Farm in Hillsboro, TX. Cobb Creek Farm offers

consulting for poultry, sheep, cattle, fencing, and business

strategies. To learn more, visit www.gradyphelan.com and

www.cobbcreekfarm.com, call 254-300-9921, or email

Grady with [email protected].

http://www.gradyphelan.com

http://www.cobbcreekfarm.com


[editor’s note: This story originated on the APPPAPlus

list and is a response to the question: “If you were a

young up and coming chicken/turkey farmer with more

time than money, and not too much experience, what

would you do?” Jerica provided this response, which

has been modified from her original post.—Mike B.] I would say, being five years into full-time, full-scale pro-

duction, we're still closer to the rookie side of things—

boy is there a lot to learn in farming! Here are some tips

we have picked up along the way. Never sell crummy product. Your reputation is one of

your most valuable assets. Go work for someone else for a time (preferably

someone successful and experienced). If we had it to

do over again, we'd have attended one of Polyface's

Intensive Training Workshops before we were totally

tied down to daily farm operations. $700 per person to

be immersed in professional farming for two whole days

at no risk to yourself—that’s a great deal. We're in the

thick of it now with 50 head of cattle, 100 pigs, 800 lay-

ers, and raising 4-8,000 broilers in the summer, plus

three young children, so it's too difficult to go that far for

that long. We’ve learned the hard (and expensive) way

a lot of things that the Salatins teach through their

books, DVDs, and workshops (we have several col-

leagues that have attended the intensive training).

Though it seems really expensive to attend something

like that, or to intern without pay for a few months, the

cost is just a drop in the bucket compared with the po-

tential savings you’ll gain by avoiding common mis-

takes. Run numbers and make sure you're selling

at a profit. Always consider worst case scenar-

io when planning production and pricing. First

batches a lot of time will have beginner's luck

or will do well simply because they're very

small and you're very careful the first time

through. Disaster can begin to strike if you re-

lax or when you scale up and don't address

problems properly. Go ahead and budget for loss so

you don't totally lose your shirt as you grow and en-

counter mishaps. DON'T copy other folks' prices

blindly. How do you know if they're making money or

will stay in business?? This is the number one area

I've observed other small farms fail at. They pop up,

everyone gets really excited, they grow, but they

never really look at pricing and "feel bad" about

charging too much. Then they go out of business.

I've personally seen it happen to at least six different

farms in our area in the last five years. You’ll never

be successful if you don’t charge the full value of

your products. Learn to be observant. This is a farmer's most valu-

able skill. See the gate left open. The gopher hole

forming in the cow paddock. The coyote roaming the

perimeter. The cow not chewing her cud. The wind

changing direction. The "open" cow bagging up. To

give you an example of how this could turn out,

here’s a story. We bought an old grass-fed cow for

$800 and planned to slaughter her for hamburger,

but my hubby noticed that she was starting to bag up

and seemed like she would calve soon, so we decid-

ed to wait. That was in 2010. Since that time, she

and her offspring have produced 9 additional fe-

males that are our best calf producers, hands down.

She has bred back every 10.4 months since we

bought her. A little observational skill goes a long

way. :-)

Start-Up Business Advice for Pastured Poultry Farmers —Jerica Cadman


When deciding whether to buy a piece of equip-

ment, make sure you have an immediate, money

-making use for it. Even better, make sure it’s stuff

that can be used for multiple purposes. Don’t buy it

simply because you’re afraid you won’t see that

good of a deal again or because “it’s a good invest-

ment.” If you, like most farmers, have limited capital,

you need your cash to work for you now. That’s not

to say you shouldn’t save, but at least through sav-

ing, you have time to really think through whether

you really need something. Don't invest in stuff that

will sit in the field and never get used. Your money

is rusting if that happens. Be really careful with debt. Debt can be a great

tool to set a person up with the things they need to

function and profit at the beginning of their business

life cycle. But debt tricks you into thinking you can

afford more than you really can, and it is a very slip-

pery slope, best to be avoided if at all possible. Debt

places extra stress on you, in addition to the stress

of being so intimately connected with uncontrollable

things like weather, disease, and bureaucracy. Hire a CPA that is willing to teach you, and read up

on farm tax law as much as you can. It's super com-

plex but may influence the way you do things. Never

blindly trust a CPA to know everything and do every-

thing correctly year in and year out. Invest in good genetics. Crappy breeding stock

will produce crappy offspring and you will pay for it

over and over again until you cull the crappy genet-

ics. We've learned it the hard way with guardian

dogs, pigs, cows, and chickens (don't get the dis-

counted hatching eggs). TANSTAAFL—There Ain’t

No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. You get what you

pay for. Take time to reenergize yourself. Farming can be

really fun at first, but after about 3 or 4 years, you

start to get tired and lose that initial excitement. No

vacation, frequent disaster, poor pay, etc. It wears

on a person. If you're really dedicated to farming,

reconnect frequently with your reasons for doing it,

and never be afraid to question an industry's viabil-

ity. For us, doing deliveries and connecting with our

customers is really helpful because we remember those

whom we serve. When you’re out in a thunderstorm at

3 am flipping over dying chickens, you’ll need a remind-

er of why you’re doing this. Read Proverbs. There is all sorts of great business

advice out there. Here's one of our favorites from Prov

27 (vs 23-24): “Know well the condition of your flocks,

and pay attention to your herds; For riches are not for-

ever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.” It

means get out there and check the livestock, even if it's

rainy, cold, you're tired, you're sick, whatever. If they

are your livelihood, you'd better take good care of them,

because you are not entitled to success. You have to

earn it. Jerica Cadman raises pastured poultry at Shady Grove Ranch

in Jefferson, Texas.


In 19 years of working with poultry producers, I’m

amazed at how little value they give to their poultry’s

bedding. I constantly get calls or inquiries about

what type of bedding to use. Of course I recommend

high quality professional grade peat moss. The

response is usually, “Oh my, that’s too expensive.” Well is it really? Everybody wants to be cost conscious and save a

little money where they can. I get that! But really,

what are you saving by cutting corners? I could go

on for days about the fallacies of corner cutting, but

today, we are talking about bedding. What is the purpose of the bedding? First and

foremost, bedding is used to provide a clean,

pathogen-free living environment for our poultry. The

bedding also absorbs moisture from urine and

manure and works for you as a floor insulation to

keep their feet off the cold damp floor. It is supposed

to be a carbon based material to capture the nitrogen

(ammonia) given off by the fresh manure. Wow,

that’s a lot of positive functions for one aspect of

poultry production! Bedding management is one of the biggest issues

that is overlooked, but has some of the greatest

impact to poultry performance. Bedding is directly

associated to air quality, ammonia levels (eye burn,

respiratory disease), coccidiosis, necrotic enteritis,

internal and external parasites, viral arthritis, foot pad

dermatitis, and probably a couple I forgot to mention. As in previous writings, you may recall I talked about

ammonia in the chicken house or brooder. This is a

well-documented problem that poultry’s tolerance for

ammonia in the air they breathe above 10 ppm WILL

cause respiratory distress, blindness from cornea

burning, and poor feed efficiency. The human nose is

NOT able to detect ammonia levels until they reach

25 ppm. That’s more than double the tolerance level

for poultry. The respiratory problems that will follow high

ammonia are sneezing, snitting, coryza, infectious

bronchitis, Mycoplasm Gallisepticum, New Castle’s

disease, and a host of other respiratory illnesses.

This is a two-fold problem because first the ammonia

in the air is displacing oxygen, which in turn is

lowering the immune system function, followed by a

disease that the poultry is unable to fight off naturally. Okay, what does this mean to you? Each of the

illnesses or diseases I mentioned will result in delayed growth and development in broilers. Most

likely you will lose at least a week of profitable

growth. Smaller carcass sizes (1/4-1/2 pound) due to

the lack of oxygen in the air will impede the digestive

tract’s ability to convert nutrients to the blood stream.

Poor air quality and higher ammonia will also cause a

What’s the Value of Brooder Bedding —Jeff Mattocks


higher mortality rate, probably 2-3% higher than

necessary. In layers, there will be higher risks of disease, lower

lay rate (10% or more), unnecessary mortality (more

than 1% to disease is unacceptable), irritability, and

feather picking. Bedding, regardless of type, needs to remain loose

and dry. When bedding becomes air tight, clumped,

or too wet it is perfect breeding ground for protozoa,

clostridium, salmonella, E-Coli, parasites and

Reovirus. Other bedding related issues you can

expect to see when not properly managed are

Coccidiosis from protozoa, Necrotic Enteritis from

Clostridium, carcass quality issues from Salmonella

and E-Coli, and Viral Arthritis from the Reovirus. All

of these will increase your mortality 5% or more. Or

decrease your rate of lay by 10% - 20%. It will also

(Continued from page 20) increase your potential for eggs to be positive for

Salmonella. How much more do I need to tell you about the

importance of bedding? A quick internet search shows peat moss for $14 per

3.8 cubic foot bale compared to pine shavings at $6

for 3.0 cubic foot. The peat moss will last twice as

long as far as moisture wicking and ammonia control. So the peat moss is $8 more. One bale of peat moss

should easily brood 100 chicks for three to four

weeks in the brooder. If you figure a three percent

loss due to poor air quality, a $14 investment will

save three chickens for sale. At three weeks, when the chicks are most likely to

die, you have the $1 in chick cost, $1.50 in feed cost,

and the loss of income of 12 pounds of chicken. For

three chickens, that’s $7.50 in dead chicken cost +

$12 of lost income from mortality. Add ¼ of lost


178 Lowry Rd, New Holland, PA 17557 717-354-5950 | Fax: 717-354-0728 www.jmhatchery.com | [email protected]

Specializing in hatching guinea keets, bantam silkie chicks, Muscovy ducks, and Khaki Campbell ducks.

To order ducks, please contact Fifth Day Farm, Inc. 717-445-6255. To order Guinea keets or silkies, contact JM Hatchery.

Call for our free color brochure.

growth potential X 100 birds = 25 lbs. at $3 plus per

pound makes a grand total of $94.50 of lost profit

directly connected to the quality of the brooder

bedding. For layers, 100 layers at a 10% reduction of

lay is 10 eggs per day for 150 (winter) days = 1500

eggs lost. That’s 125 dozen at $4.00 per dozen is

$500 lost profit. That would be enough to buy 35.7

bales of peat moss. You probably wouldn’t need that

many to get through the winter though. It’s not just about peat moss or not peat moss. It’s

about maintaining a CLEAN, DRY, AMMONIA-FREE

living environment all of the time so your poultry can

maximize your profits. Simply put, if you’re not willing to live in that

environment, it’s not good enough! Jeff Mattocks is head animal nutritionist at The Fertrell

Company.

Raising Poultry on Pasture by Jody Padgham ($34.50)

Feeding Pasture-Raised Poultry by Jeff Mattocks ($15.95)

Pasture Poultry Profit$ by Joel Salatin ($30)

5 Disc DVD Set on Diversifying Poultry with turkeys, ducks, and guineas ($35)

All prices include shipping. Order online at apppa.org or mail a check to PO Box 85, Hughesville, PA 17337.

tel:717%20445%206255


Abattoir at a rate of 2500-3000 birds a week.

Maintain feed orders for starter, grower, layer feed 3

times weekly. Order and place 250,000 broilers, 4000

layers, 7000 ducks, 3000 geese, 6000 turkeys, 7200

guinea annually. Plan the construction and operation

of an on-farm poultry hatchery adjacent to our

brooder with a production capacity of 20,000 eggs

per week. Maintain standards and record keeping for

all poultry through the following certifying

organizations. Global Animal Partnership, Animal

Welfare Approved, Certified Humane, Whole Foods

Standard, and Georgia Grown. Contact White Oak

Pastures at (229) 308-3783.

5 HP Dairy Vacuum Pump

Pump in good working order. $1600. Jefferson, TX.

(903) 665-7076.

3 Compartment Stainless Deep Sink.

25' long. Two faucets. $975. Jefferson, TX. (903) 665

-7076.


PRODUCER MARKETPLACE To place an ad, email [email protected] or call 888- 662-7772.

Pastured Poultry Manager

White Oak Pastures, in Bluffton, Georgia, needs a

pastured poultry manager. Accountable for 7,000

pasture-raised, laying hens. Oversee, but not

manage, a 2-person crew to collect, maintain 10

mobile houses, and shepherd flocks. Oversee a

poultry brooder with a weekly rolling collective

capacity of 24,000 broilers, layers, turkeys, geese,

ducks, guinea, and rabbits. Oversee, but not manage,

6 crews to maintain up to 250,000 pastured poultry

including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and

guinea. Oversee, but not manage, duties and routines

for 6 poultry crews to water, feed, shepherd, maintain,

move 80 mobile houses, clean, catch, and deliver for

slaughter to our on-farm USDA inspected Poultry


poultry related questions to a panel of APPPA

representatives.

Dates: June 16 and July 21 at 8:00 PM EDT Number: (712) 432-1212 Meeting ID: 709-102-625

Mike Badger will moderate, and the call will last no

longer than one hour. Lurkers welcome. If you would

like to submit your questions ahead of time, please

contact APPPA (see page 2). Select questions will

also be answered in future editions of the APPPA

Grit magazine.

Pastured Poultry Talk Podcast

Mike Badger and Grady Phelan teamed up to launch

Pastured Poultry Talk. This weekly podcast series

aims to inspire pastured poultry producers to build

better businesses, solve problems, and integrate new

ideas. Initial episodes feature author Patricia Foreman,

author Harvey Ussery, Anna Bassett from Animal

Welfare Approved, Casey Rogers from the Fertrell

Company, and more. Listeners can subscribe via iTunes or access the

shows at http://pasturedpoultrytalk.libsyn.com/.

Alabama Processing Changes

Alabama is making regulation changes to on-farm

processing. Producer Charles Ritch would like to

form a coalition to make sure pastured poultry

producers are represented. Contact him at

[email protected] or you can call at (256) 751-0987.

Hiland Naturals under new ownership

There are exciting changes happening at Hiland

Naturals. We are under new ownership, are now

using Fertrell minerals to fortify our rations, and have

even begun operations in a new Ohio mill! We are

very excited to continue our growth among both bulk

farm customers and in retail and want to personally

thank everyone who uses Hiland Naturals products. Contact us for more information: (330) 377-4016 |

[email protected] | hilandnaturals.com

Small Dairy Pipeline Set-Up

Balance tank, DeLaval electronic pulsator, weigh

jars, receiver tank and pump, stainless pipe, 8 claws,

and CIP. $2300. Jefferson, TX. (903) 665-7076.

Pastured Poultry Pens

Patent pending design developed by Absolute

Pastured Poultry's years of experience. Contact us at

[email protected]. (570) 788-1044.

Pennsylvania.

Gibson Ridge Egg Washer

Sink-top unit scrubs eggs with hot water and brush at

a rate of 28 eggs per minute. Suitable for a 3,000

layer flock. Made in U.S.A. of as much U.S. materials

as possible. $1,875 plus shipping.

Gibsonridgefarms.com or (740) 698-3330. Ohio. EVENTS June 17, 2015. Pastured Poultry 101 at Eli Reiff’s in

Mifflinburg, PA. Contact Pennsylvania Association for

Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) to register: (814) 349

-9856 July 10, 2015. Poultry Processing Day (Broilers)

at The Fertrell Company. $20 per person, includes

lunch. 600 N. 2nd Street, Bainbridge, PA, 17502. Call

(800) 347-1566 to register. August 21, 2015. Poultry Processing Day

(Broilers) at The Fertrell Company. $20 per person,

includes lunch. 600 N. 2nd Street, Bainbridge, PA,

17502. Call (800) 347-1566 to register. November 18, 2015. Poultry Processing Day

(Turkeys) at The Fertrell Company, PA. $20 per

person, includes lunch. 600 N. 2nd Street,

Bainbridge, PA, 17502. Call (800) 347-1566 to

register.

COMMUNITY NEWS Ask APPPA Teleconference

APPPA is trialing a new advice line called “Ask

APPPA.” APPPA Members and Subscribers will be

able to dial into the teleconference and ask pastured


Chickens are Cool! And speaking of scaling up, did you know that the

fastest growing “pet” in America is the backyard

chicken? She’s the cheeky, chic, yard-ornament,

functional pet who cleans up table scraps, snipes

backyard bugs, oh yeah, and delivers a real orange-yolked egg … all for chicken feed! Star Chicken

Whisperer Pat Foreman shares her chicken smarts

here in the Grit and in her popular online courses. Chickens are cooler than ever. They are now on TV

selling fast food, insurance, and luxury cars! Doesn’t

that just makes us look like the brilliant flock of

leading edge innovators we truly are! I’m having fun but dead serious about the importance

of our contribution. Let me leave you with a thought

to frame the magnitude of our pastured poultry


the all-important daily shift, but shifts 500 broilers (or

200 layers) at a time rather than 70. A chicken wire

exterior and heavy base members preclude predation.

Chickens may run a 40-foot dash and engage in

leaping mock battles to their heart’s content. Best of

all, the time required per bird is less than the little pens

according to Grady Phelan, who has clocked both

models. But wait, there’s more! Thanks to board member/

innovator Cody Hopkins and his Arkansas Sustainable

Livestock Cooperative, we also have a nifty self-anchoring, remote-controlled winch so that one

person, sans vehicle, can move these large pens! His

cooperative will have over fifty of these units

operational in 2015, with plans for more in 2016! This

is a game changer for scaling up.

(Continued from page 2)


DDOTSONOTSON FFARMARM

ANDAND FFEEDEED Distributors of Fertrell Poultry Nutri-Balancer and the complete line of

Fertrell Products.

Also Available : Certified Organic Hay

Dotson Farm and Feed 2929 N. 9th Street Rd.

Lafayette, IN 47904 Ph 765-742-5111 cell 765-404-9826

Fax 765-429-5601

Fertrell

undertakings – be they monumental or modest – in

the grand scheme of things. Allan Savory, international hero of graziers, puzzled

out nature’s template to define for us the near-miraculous benefits of pasture shifts with domestic

livestock to mimic the large herbivores' bunching and

migrating actions. In light of the magic our pastured

poultry perform on pasture, I humbly submit a similar

analogy for pastured poultry as our mimic for the

Prairie Chicken, once as thick as feathers (technically

a grouse, not a chicken).

Keystones and Gateways

Conservationists classify the Prairie Chicken as a

“keystone” species. Remove the keystone in a stone

arch and you have a rubble pile; remove a keystone

species in an ecosystem and you have an ecosystem

collapse. Wonderfully, it works in reverse to rebuild

ecosystems. Our pastured poultry's "coveys and

shifts" produce the land birds' magical benefits to

pasture health just as Savory's dense herbivore shifts

do, if not more so. Mimicking the impact of this “keystone” prairie

species as we do leverages the ecological

revitalization of our land base to maximum

advantage. Add that ecological stimulation package

to the economic level-up achieved by growing the

“gateway” meat and our humble pastured poultry

operation takes on superhero powers. Sprinkle in

children friendly and lightening-fast turnover and we

have a too-good-to-be-true opportunity. It is the

catalytic farming enterprise, rightfully the centerpiece

of every farm. The pioneering and innovating have just begun.

APPPA needs you at the front lines with us to lead

the charge. Be active, engage with us, synergize

your excitement and enthusiasm with ours. Meet your

directors, host an event, capture your best photos,

and dialogue with Director Mike. Be outstanding in

your field! David Schafer

Producer Information (if changed) Name ____________________________ Farm _____________________________ Address ___________________________ City, State, Zip _____________________ Phone ____________________________ Email Address ______________________ Website ___________________________

Membership Level (check one) Producer Plus with online benefits: □ w/ print subscription Grit—$60/yr or $105/2yrs □ w/ PDF of Grit—$50/yr or $95/2yrs

□ Print Only Subscription to Grit—$30/yr □ Business (Renewal Only)—$200/yr

Renew Membership (Renew at apppa.org or return form with check.)

APPPA, PO Box 85, Hughesville, PA 17737-0085

If the number printed above your address is #87 or earlier, renew by mailing the form on page 27 or renew online at www.apppa.org.

APPPA PO Box 85

Hughesville, PA 17737

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