Generating Knowledge for Sustainable Agriculture Systems: Pastured Poultry Research

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David L. Trott, Jeff G. Cox, Joy L. Chisholm, Catherine E. Zivnuska.
Dr. Michael Seipel, Faculty Mentor.

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Many independent farmers who are unable to compete with the economies of scale employed by mass poultry producers and seek a system which is environmentally friendly cater to a niche market of consumers. These consumers desire meat that was not raised indoors in confinement and are even willing to pay higher prices for “pastured poultry”, thereby enabling producers to profit from a small-scale operation. Since only a minute percentage of poultry is produced in this manner, very little objective research has been conducted by the major universities to date. However, as consumer interest in pastured poultry rises, the need for controlled studies increases, as well. Our research compares three common poultry production systems: a control group raised on a dirt floor indoors, an outdoor group raised in a Salatin-style pen*, and a day-range group. Feed consumption and weight gain within each group are monitored in order to compare the feed efficiency and determine how access to foliage impacts the amount of feed consumed. Additional data collected includes mortality rates, presence of internal parasites, and observations of the foraging habits of the day-range chickens. Tissue samples from each group will also be analyzed for levels of protein, fat, conjugated linoleic acid, and toxins, in collaboration with the Chemistry Department. Pastured poultry producers in northern Missouri were interviewed in order to gain insights into the methods of production and marketing successfully employed in this region. (*Based on the book Pastured Poultry Profits by Joel Salatin [Polyface, Inc.: Swoope, VA, 1993])