Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer

8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer

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Free-Range Poultry

Production &Marketing

Herman Beck-Chenoweth


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Popular Range Poultry Production

Methods

Andy Lees Chicken Tractors

10-12 chickens per tractor

Advantages:

Easily moved, keeps chickens out ofgarden plants, adds fertility to garden

Disadvantages: Labor intensive, notcommercially viable due to small size


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Popular Range Poultry Production

Methods

Pasture Poultry Pens, Salatin style

80 500 chickens per year

Advantages:

Cheap Keeps Birds Protected & Confined Disadvantages:

Prone to wind damage, high laborrequirement, keeps birds confined, no floor to collect compost or keep chicks dry


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Free-Range: Suitable for 100-20,000

Chickens or Turkeys Per Year

Advantages: Low labor requirements, goodpredator protection, sturdy skidconstruction, suitable for meat birds or

layers, highly scalable skid design, Floorcollects composted manure for a marketgarden, year around capability.

Need machine or horses to move skids,higher initial construction cost


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European Free-Range Standards 400 meat chickens per acre per flock run

(you can raise 4-8 flocks per year so thismeans up to 3200 birds per acre per year)

400 layers per acre 100 Turkeys per acre; one 24 week or

longer cycle per year

Rest land every 1-2 years for parasite anddisease control. (1-2 on; 1 off)


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Features ofReal Free-Range Meat

Great texture and superior mouth feelwhen properly aged

More vitamins, minerals

Best customer acceptance

Easily sells for highest price


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Potential Free-Range Profits Chickens sold at $2.49 per pound will net $5.00

per bird net profit. Many producers get $3-3.50 # Eggs sell for $2.00 - $3.50 per dozen netting

$1.00 to $2.50 per dozen profit

Turkeys sold at $2.49/pound produce a net profitof $30-$40 per bird

These are bottom end prices in todaysmarketplace !


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Take good notes or see Back40Books

for the Production Manual & Video


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Suggested Feed Formula


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The Debate about

Meat & Bone Meal

Studies affirm the importance of meat andbone meal in the diet of poultry

There is NO danger of transmitting Mad

Cow Helps build strong bones (legs)

Costs $195/ton Contains 50% Protein & 4% Phosphorus


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Meat & Bone Meal

Sources

Inland Products (bulk only)

Jeremy: 614.444.1127

Google: National Renderers Association

Note: You will have to mix it in by handunless you have your own grinder/mixer


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A Good Way to Brood Baby Chicks or

Poults for the First Few Days


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Melvin Fisher Farm

Parke CountyIndiana


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10,400 Dozen Eggs, 25,000 Chickens,

500 Turkeys Per Year


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Combination Brooder, Rabbit Center

and Winter Layer House


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400 Chickens Per Skid


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Melvin Fishers Skid


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Melvins Shade & Storm Panel


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New Skid Design with

Construction Call-Outs


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Free-Range Essentials

Maintain at least 150 between skid houses and

perimeter fencing to minimize predator problems.

Keep skids 100 apart to maintain flock separation.

Move skids ahead 50 to fresh range as necessary,

usually every 2-4 weeks, or anytime an area 3 or

larger around skids is worn down.

Expect the birds to range about 40 from each skid.


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300 Gallon Skid Water Tank


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Pullet Complex with Guard Dog and

Premier Electric Poultry Fence


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What Killed This Bourbon White?


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The Proof Lies Here!


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A Meal Fit for A

Free-Range Poultry Farmers Family!


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Pullet Skid


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Layer Skid


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Eggs Are Collected Twice A Day

Note Roosts on Right


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Good Looking Range After Moving

Chicken Skids


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Remember!

While feed savings will be realized fromrange usage the goal is not so much feed

savings as to provide vitamins, mineralsand exercise for improved meat flavor and

quality.


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Poultryized vs. Unfertilized

Range


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Turkey Paddock One Week

After Thanksgiving


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Poultry Fertility vs. Cattle Fertility

+ Composted Manure for the Garden


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The Saga of the Chickens & the Pie

Day 1


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Day 2


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Day 3


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Day 4 & the

South End of Chickens Going North


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Lets Talk Turkey

T k P dd k i


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Turkey Paddock in

Early Morning

O i h A R R f


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One with A Roost Roof

& one With A Shade Roof

T k & C l W k


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Turkeys & Cattle Work

Well Together

F P l i St i P t


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Four Polywires on Step-in Posts

Use a high Joule Fencer

T k d W ll R


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Turkeys do Well on Range

in the Winter


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Lets Do the Numbers


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Remember: To maximize your profits you need to have

a branded product produced in your ownon-farm State or USDA inspected

processing plant OR an excellent processorthat can butcher and package your birdsbetter than what folks see in the store.

Tacky processing will result in lower profits!

Small Scale on Farm USDA Inspected


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Small-Scale on-Farm USDA Inspected

Poultry Processing Plant

A well designed 14 x 30


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A well designed 14 x 30

economical slaughter facility


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Processing Plant Options & Costs Under 1000 chickens per year minimal

investment, no ability to sell to restaurants orhealth food stores. Cost less than $1000

10-20,000 chickens per year State inspected plant

required, no bird-by-bird inspection. Cost is lessthan $10,000.

State or USDA approved plant with bird-by-birdinspection. Costs $15-$30,000; birds can be soldto restaurants or health food stores.


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Financing Options USDA County Revolving Loan Funds

SBA loans

Equipment leasing

Conventional bank loans Tax breaks for adding new employees

Minorities eligible for preferential treatment

Resources for


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Resources for

Range Poultry Producers

www.Free-RangePoultry.com

www.BACK40Books.com

Ask the Turkey!


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Ask the Turkey!

(Question Time)

Free-Range Poultry Production


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Free-Range Poultry Production

From Farm to Consumer Herman Beck-Chenoweth

2005

Pleasant Valley Productions

P.O. Box 8 Hartshorn, Missouri

Available on DVD from Back40Books.com Call Toll free:866.596.9982

Documents

Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer