Establishing the Facilities - Humane and Healthy Poultry Production - page 18

An “eggmobile,” or movable-style range shelter.
As monogastric animals with a small cecum (the organ that processes roughage), chickens
are not designed to utilize forage in large amounts, but they can make use of high-quality for-
ages, particularly legumes. Useful forages include Ladino clover, Sudan grass, oats, wheat, and
alfalfa plus many other grasses and broadleaf plants. There are typically more unsaturated fatty
acids in legumes, particularly the leafy portion of the plant. 14 Many grass-based poultry farm-
ers have developed favorite forage mixes, which they seed into their pastures or simply encour-
age to thrive with proper liming and mowing. The forage types chosen will vary according to
the type of poultry and other livestock being grazed. While geese and older turkeys can actually
be grazed on grasses, chickens and ducks are better suited to foraging legumes and other
broadleaf plants. 15
Actual utilization of pasture by various types of poultry varies from 100 percent of needed
nutrition by geese to possibly 30 percent by chickens. Producers and researchers have estim-
ated that forage constitutes anywhere from 5 to 30 percent of a pastured chicken's diet. 16 The
high end of this estimate is rarely seen, and many pastured-chicken producers actually find an
increase in grain consumption regardless of forage intake. The amount of forage actually util-
ized by birds may vary considerably according to forage quality, breed of bird, and amount of
grain ration provided. Also, birds cannot be expected to fully utilize fibrous pasture plants
without being provided with grit. In light of all the above factors, most producers choose to
keep a diverse, perennial mix of forages that are managed by grazing (by ruminants) or mow-
ing to maintain leafy growth.
One recommended pasture mix used by producer Herman Beck-Chenoweth 17 is as fol-
lows:
½-1 lb. ladino clover
6 lbs. medium red clover
2 lbs. alsike clover (for wet soils)
6-8 lbs. brome grass
Seed mixes should be formulated according to a variety of soil and agronomic factors in-
cluding other grazed livestock using the pastures.
Managing any type of poultry on pasture requires proper fencing and access to feed, water,
and shelter. The ATTRA publication “Sustainable Poultry Production” (available online)