The Efficiency of Gain of Cornish Cross Broilers
on Free Choice Feed vs. Gain of Broilers Supplemented with Pasture

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Jeff Cox, Joy Chisholm, and David Trott.
Dr. Michael Seipel, Faculty Mentor.

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Farmers seeking to reach niche markets are direct-marketing chickens raised in a pasture poultry production system developed by Joel Salatin. Salatin claims his production model increases animal health and reduces feed concentrate consumption by thirty percent. To test this assertion, this research compares the feed efficiency of fifty Cornish Cross broilers fed free-choice indoors versus fifty broilers fed free-choice concentrates outdoors, supplemented with pasture (Salatin model). Each group was fed a 15% protein ration of cracked corn and poultry crumbles. Each group was divided into two subgroups for replication. Individual weights were taken on days one, twelve, and twenty-six of the trial. Contrary to our hypothesis, inside broilers had average feed conversion of 2.24 lbs feed per lb gain versus 2.49 for outside broilers (p<0.053). (Eight outliers with feed conversion rates greater than 3.5 were eliminated.) However, inside broilers experienced a mortality rate of 20.4 percent versus 14.3 percent for pasture broilers. Cool weather during the first half of the trial favored inside broilers, and warm weather at the end of the trial improved feed efficiency of pastured broilers. Future research plans include another feed trial and an investigation of the consumer-farmer relationships that develop in such niche marketing efforts.