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

MANAGEMENT
ALTERNATIVES
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FARM PROFILE • Organic
Broilers are raised in batches of about 500 to 600 at a time. They initially lost a number of baby chicks to rats, so
now keep a cat in the brooder—interestingly, the cats tend to leave the chicks alone.
The Desenses have not kept close tabs on the mortality of the chickens out on pasture, but don’t have a big
problem with predation. Loss to predators is a weakness of the day-range model of production since there is no
net, or canopy, to protect the flock from airborne predators, such as hawks or owls. “I’ve actually been kind of
surprised by [low predation losses]. Occasionally, we’ll get a hawk that will pass through the area,” Arthur said.
Ron added, “It’s during August when the young hawks are kicked out of their nests, then you have trouble.” By
October, hawks are no longer a problem. This year, the Desenses are starting the chickens early enough so they
will have reached full growth by August.
The Desenses also use a video monitoring system that Arthur constructed to keep an eye on the flocks. “If we see
them run for cover, we’ll come out and chase the hawk away,” said Arthur. Ron adds, “We haven’t found the final
solution to the predator problem, but we’re working on it. The biggest predator problem you have is your dog,”
said Ron, “The second biggest predator problem you probably have is somebody else’s dog.”
Pasture management
The best way to characterize their production system is “grass
organic,” with most of their 300 acres in pasture. The hillsides are
permanent pasture, but they seed much of the remaining pasture.
They have a six-year crop rotation—soybeans in the first year,
followed by oats and alfalfa with grass the second year, the third
and fourth year hay, the fifth and sixth year pasture again. “So, we
only plow once every six years. And that is only on land that is not
highly erodable. We use grass as much as we can in our production,”
Ron said.
His ruminants are fed grass only, and the poultry get as much grass
as possible. “The laying hens we want to have out on pasture as
much as possible. We’re building shelters that are sufficient for them
to stay out there all winter.”
Layer shelter on skids that gets moved every
three to five days.
Layers on pasture on the Desenes farm.
Organic feed
The Desenses mix their own feed to supplement the grass-based
diet. They raise their own soybeans and oats and have the soybeans
extruded at a nearby certified organic facility. There are several
organic farmers in the Litchfield area from whom they buy corn.
Crab meal and calcium are added as mineral supplements. Ron said
he tried buying prepared organic feed elsewhere, but the chickens
didn’t eat it as well.
About 30 to 40 percent of the chickens’ diet comes from grass. By
moving the pens at least 50 feet every day, the chickens get new
pasture. Ron adds, “They eat grass. They eat the leaves right off of the
alfalfa plant.” Arthur adds, “The Cornish Cross chicken isn’t as good at
foraging for its own food as the standard laying breeds.”