Poultry Your Way - Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems ...

The Center for Integrated
Agricultural Systems
(CIAS) surveyed nine
Minnesota and Wisconsin
farmers who raised
an average of 14,500
chickens on pasture in
2000 to learn about labor
on large-scale pastured
poultry operations. All
nine farmers had been
raising poultry for at least
six years and had, at one
point, raised chickens
using daily move pens.
Five had switched to dayrange
management and,
at the time of the survey,
MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES
PASTURE: DAY-RANGE
Figure 29: Average Labor Requirements for Pastured
Chicken Production at Two Farm Sizes.
Average # hours/year
Average # days/year
Average # hours/day during pasture season
Average # minutes/chicken in production
Average # family members
Average # hired workers
Average % of labor contributed by family
Source: Center for Integrated Agriculture Systems, 2003.
moved housing weekly and fences daily. All of the farms performed their tasks by hand and relied heavily on
family help. They spent an average of 2.6 hours per day managing their birds during the pasture season. Detailed
labor results are reproduced from the CIAS report in Figure 29.
Finances. In addition to some one-time start-up costs, the biggest ongoing expense is feed. Some observers
suggest that feed costs may be reduced with the day-range alternative because birds obtain some protein naturally
from insects, worms, and plants on pasture (Fanatico, 1998). Reduced feed intake and expenses, however, may
not translate into improved bird performance. No trials have been conducted to test bird performance and feed
intake on pasture.
Minnesota and Wisconsin pastured poultry growers who took part in the CIAS survey mentioned above, reported
earning $2.19 to $2.24 profit per bird in the year 2000. The profits come from reduced feed and housing expenses
as well as above-average gross income. See Figure 30 for more financial detail.
Figure 30: Gross and Net Income from Pastured Poultry
Gross income from pastured poultry
Gross income per bird sold
Cash expenses per bird sold**
Net income per bird sold
NUMBER OF CHICKENS SOLD
4,000-10,000
(FIVE FARMS)
656
254
2.6
7.4
2.0
0.4
83
NUMBER OF CHICKENS SOLD
4,000-10,000
(FIVE FARMS)
$39,000
$7.30
$5.06
$2.24
10,001-25,000
(FOUR FARMS)
$155,863*
$8.61
$6.42
$2.19
Source: Center for Integrated Agriculture Systems, 2003.
*Does not include the largest farm with 50,000 chickens; however
this farm’s information is included in the per bird statistics.
**Includes feed, chicks, buildings, and hired labor. Does not include family labor, capital, and land costs.
10,001-25,000
(FOUR FARMS)
1,814
264
6.9
6.0
3.75
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MANAGEMENT
ALTERNATIVES