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Day-range Management: Pasture
Day-range production is one of several popular pasture-based management systems. Housing is semi-permanent
with perimeter fencing used to create multiple yards or pasture areas. Birds have continuous access to pasture
from the house during the day and are locked in at night when predation is more likely to occur. Shelters made
from relatively inexpensive materials are moved each week, month, or season, depending on bird species, flock
size, pasture composition, and other management factors.
Day-ranging in the Upper Midwest is a seasonal management alternative. Most growers day-range their birds for
six months or so each year, though there are exceptions like the Coon Creek Family Farm in Wisconsin, which
allows winter ranging (www.cooncreekfamilyfarm.com). In Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, the typical
pasture poultry season stretches from early May to late September or October.
During this short season, however, farmers in the Upper Midwest use day-range practices (also called “net
range”) to manage broilers and layers in commercial flocks of up to 25,000 birds (Hamilton and Hamilton, 2004).
Commercial growers are drawn to the day-range alternative because it can be less labor intensive than the system
developed by Virginia farmer Joel Salatin, who moves pens and birds to new pasture on a daily basis (see Daily
Move Pens: Pasture).
In the words of Indiana day-range managers Andy Lee and Patricia Foreman, “This new production model [dayrange]
is less costly, higher yielding, and [has] lower labor requirements than other pasture-based poultry models,
and can result in near zero mortality” (Lee and Foreman, 2002). Much of the information in this section comes
from Lee and Foreman’s book: Day Range Poultry (see Resources under Day-range/Free Range).
Day-range Management Overview
Birds: Waterfowl, Bourbon Red turkey, heavier and dual-purpose chickens,
light colored breeds and replacement pullets
Land: Level, well-seeded grass and legume mix pasture
Stocking density: 200 to 300 chickens per acre
Buildings: Floored, machine-moveable shelter with lots of shade
Equipment: Electric fencing, poultry netting, feed troughs, water fountains
Labor: Feed and water daily; move fence daily or weekly; move shelter weekly,
monthly, or seasonally.
Operation: Seasonal
Finances: Minimal investment
MANAGEMENT
ALTERNATIVES
PASTURE: DAY-RANGE
Advantages: Niche marketing opportunities; no daily movement of shelters;
low entry cost; complement to other livestock enterprises
Disadvantages: Need tractor or skid steer loader to move shelters; increased risk of parasite/
pathogen build-up around shelter; independent marketing; risk of predators.
Birds and Performance. Your choice of poultry species and breed is important if you want to make maximum
use of your pasture forages and encourage healthy breeding stock. However, there are few specialized breeds for
pasture in the United States at this time. The recommendations below come from a range of sources, including
farmers themselves. Your decision about which species and breed to raise will depend on a host of factors
including climate, soil topography and type, pasture composition, target markets, and your own management
preferences.
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MANAGEMENT
ALTERNATIVES