8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
1/52
Free-Range Poultry
Production &Marketing
Herman Beck-Chenoweth
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
2/52
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
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
3/52
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
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
4/52
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
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
5/52
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)
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
6/52
Features ofReal Free-Range Meat
Great texture and superior mouth feelwhen properly aged
More vitamins, minerals
Best customer acceptance
Easily sells for highest price
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
7/52
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 !
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
8/52
Take good notes or see Back40Books
for the Production Manual & Video
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
9/52
Suggested Feed Formula
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
10/52
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
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
11/52
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
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
12/52
A Good Way to Brood Baby Chicks or
Poults for the First Few Days
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
13/52
Melvin Fisher Farm
Parke CountyIndiana
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
14/52
10,400 Dozen Eggs, 25,000 Chickens,
500 Turkeys Per Year
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
15/52
Combination Brooder, Rabbit Center
and Winter Layer House
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
16/52
400 Chickens Per Skid
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
17/52
Melvin Fishers Skid
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
18/52
Melvins Shade & Storm Panel
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
19/52
New Skid Design with
Construction Call-Outs
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
20/52
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.
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
21/52
300 Gallon Skid Water Tank
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
22/52
Pullet Complex with Guard Dog and
Premier Electric Poultry Fence
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
23/52
What Killed This Bourbon White?
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
24/52
The Proof Lies Here!
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
25/52
A Meal Fit for A
Free-Range Poultry Farmers Family!
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
26/52
Pullet Skid
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
27/52
Layer Skid
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
28/52
Eggs Are Collected Twice A Day
Note Roosts on Right
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
29/52
Good Looking Range After Moving
Chicken Skids
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
30/52
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.
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
31/52
Poultryized vs. Unfertilized
Range
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
32/52
Turkey Paddock One Week
After Thanksgiving
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
33/52
Poultry Fertility vs. Cattle Fertility
+ Composted Manure for the Garden
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
34/52
The Saga of the Chickens & the Pie
Day 1
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
35/52
Day 2
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
36/52
Day 3
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
37/52
Day 4 & the
South End of Chickens Going North
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
38/52
Lets Talk Turkey
T k P dd k i
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
39/52
Turkey Paddock in
Early Morning
O i h A R R f
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
40/52
One with A Roost Roof
& one With A Shade Roof
T k & C l W k
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
41/52
Turkeys & Cattle Work
Well Together
F P l i St i P t
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
42/52
Four Polywires on Step-in Posts
Use a high Joule Fencer
T k d W ll R
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
43/52
Turkeys do Well on Range
in the Winter
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
44/52
Lets Do the Numbers
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
45/52
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
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
46/52
Small-Scale on-Farm USDA Inspected
Poultry Processing Plant
A well designed 14 x 30
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
47/52
A well designed 14 x 30
economical slaughter facility
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
48/52
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.
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
49/52
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
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
50/52
Resources for
Range Poultry Producers
www.Free-RangePoultry.com
www.BACK40Books.com
Ask the Turkey!
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
51/52
Ask the Turkey!
(Question Time)
Free-Range Poultry Production
8/6/2019 Free Range Poultry Production From Farm to Consumer
52/52
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