Farm Interns: A Polyface Point of View, Daniel …...American Pastured Poultry Producers Association...

American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Issue # 83

ISSUE 83

September/October 2014

American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Newsletter

this issue Farm Interns P.1

President’s Corner P.2

Director’s Report P.3

Want a Soy-Free Feed? P.6

Optimizing Feed Withdrawal P.9

Guide to Feeding Grit P.11

Tour of Polyface Poultry P.13

2015 Board Elections P.16

Community Corner P.20

Duck Production by Breed P.21

Farm Interns: A Polyface Point of View, Daniel Salatin’s Perspective —Christie Badger

Recently, at the Polyface Farm Field Day, I had the

opportunity to hear Daniel Salatin and several of the

past and current Polyface Farm interns and

apprentices share their thoughts and experiences on

internships on the farm. Their insights started me

thinking that having an intern on our farm could be a

real possibility.

Daniel’s first piece of advice is to know your skillset.

Specifically, he encourages those considering inviting

an intern onto their farm to “do a personal skillset

evaluation. If you’re not interested in teaching and

educating someone else, don’t have interns.”

He stressed that there is a greater responsibility to

having an intern working with you than simply having

extra hands around the farm. “If you just need

someone to help you because you have too much

work to do, then get someone to help you,” he stated.

When it comes to training future farmers, internships

are an important part of the educational experience.

Salatin notes, “This (being an intern or an apprentice)

is how people learned skill sets and learned to do

something for thousands of years.”

Communication, goal setting, daily evaluation and

teaching are keys to successful internships on the

farm, according to Daniel. “If you’re not a great

teacher, but you’re a good farmer and need help and

want an intern, find someone who is a great teacher.

Build partnerships. Everyone has skills and

strengths. Use them.”

Daniel is big on collaboration and finding the right

people for the right job. This goes for finding the right

interns to work and learn at Polyface Farm. He

encourages those seeking interns to “be specific;

don’t do it willy-nilly.” Keys to success include setting

a start and end date for the internship. In addition,

you should have a clear application process. Of

note, last year Polyface had over 500 applicants for

10 internship positions on the farm.

(Continued on page 4)

Hens at Polyface Farm.

American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Issue # 83 2

As the summer heat rages on, we have been blessed

with an abundance of rain.

Our turkeys are in the brooder and doing well. There

are another 500 broilers on the go as well. We have

just set another batch of Rhode Island Red eggs.

As the daylight decreases, it is time to think about

extra lighting. All important parts of the poultry

keeper’s year.

We are now about to set our fall plants, mostly Cole

crops and transplanted greens. We continue to

harvest and, yes it is late, sweet potatoes. We will

plant our Christmas potatoes next week.

Your APPPA board continues to work on numerous

projects and we are now in the process of selecting

replacement board members from an excellent list of

very qualified candidates (see the recommended

candidates on page 16).

The magnet of APPPA continues to draw great people.

The business membership drives of both Fertrell and

Featherman continue to attract new members. Our total

membership is now 777, representing pastured poultry

producers across the globe.

May the fall bring abundant harvests and continued

progress from your organization.

Sincerely,

Tom Wadson

Wadson's Farm, Bermuda.

PO Box 85

Hughesville,

PA 17737

[email protected] | www.apppa.org | (888) 662-7772

The APPPA Grit newsletter is published six times a year.

The American Pastured Poultry Producers Association

(APPPA) is a nonprofit educational and networking

organization dedicated to encouraging the production,

processing, and marketing of poultry raised on pasture.

Staff

Mike Badger, Director/Grit Editor

Board of Directors

Tom Wadson, President, 2009-2014

Vice President, David Schafer, 2013-2015

Greg Gunthorp, Treasurer, 2009-2014

Jennie Watkins, Secretary, 2009-2014

Will Harris, 2013-2015

Jeff Mattocks, 2013-2015

Brenda Ostrom, 2009-2014

Val Vetter and Deb Aaron, 2010-2014

Grady Phelan, 2014-2015

Joel Salatin, board member at-large


Like most of you, I spend a lot of time thinking about

chickens and poultry at large, and day in and day out,

I find myself focusing on the production details.

Lately, however, I’ve been thinking more about

pastured poultry literacy.

We all know what literacy is in terms of being able to

read and write. My son Cameron is just learning to

read and he’s sounding out letters and trying to put

words together. His vocabulary is quite large, but

he’s not literate. And he won’t become literate

anytime soon.

The comprehension associated with reading and

writing develops over a lifetime. The more practiced

Cameron becomes with reading and writing, the

more literate he becomes. The more he questions

what he reads, and the more he seeks to understand

the “why” behind what he reads, the more literate he

becomes.

Literate people can identify problems and create

solutions. Illiterate people just eat what they are fed.

I think about APPPA’s mission in terms of pastured

poultry literacy. I don’t want to focus on what makes

you literate or illiterate, but I did want to explore the

ways that APPPA helps its members become more

literate members of the pastured poultry community.

The APPPA Grit is the cornerstone of your lifelong

pastured poultry library. Over the course of your

lifetime, you’ll find practical tips and philosophical

views that can be applied to your business. It covers

a broad range of topics across all skill levels.

The newsletter may provide insight into a problem

you’ve experienced, provide motivation for a future

change, or explain a topic in more detail. However, it

doesn’t always address a need you have right now.

That brings us to the number one mistake young

producers make with regard to their APPPA

membership. The abbreviated scenario goes like this.

A new producer signs up for an APPPA membership

and receives the newsletter for the first one or two

years. During that time, the producer has success

and things appear to go well. By the end of that

second year, the producer thinks they’ve outgrown

the knowledge presented in the Grit, so they don’t

renew. A surprising number of these people come

back with problems in a couple of years. So why

leave?

The less hopeful scenario to producers who expire

their membership is embodied in this response, “I

can’t afford an APPPA membership.” Depending on

the day, I see this either as my failure or as a natural

filter for people who aren’t really serious about raising

poultry on pasture to begin with and have no

intentions in investing in their literacy or developing a

literate community. If a $30 or $60 membership is the

break point on your success, your pastured poultry

business will follow your APPPA membership into the

compost pile.

Don’t misunderstand, I appreciate failure. Failure is

how we learn what we shouldn’t do, so that we can

have success on the next try. But you should take

ownership of your failures.

I would venture a guess that approximately two-thirds

of the questions asked on the APPPAPlus list (for

Producer Plus members) can be answered, in part,

by previous writings in the APPPA Grit.

The APPPAPlus discussion list (for Producer Plus

members), is really the best membership value you’ll

find anywhere, even for lurkers. The discussion on

this list personifies your membership and enables

near real-time communication and troubleshooting

among your peers. It’s the short-term solution to

finding specific knowledge to a problem you’re having

now.

Put another way, the APPPA Grit can be seen as a

longer term investment in your learning while the

APPPAPlus list is more like insurance for your daily

production.

Regards, Mike Badger


Daniel noted that reading intern applications is like

“reading the same chapter of a novel over and over

again. Keep your application short and to the point.”

Polyface includes questions such as, “Why do you

want to come to Polyface Farm?” They want to make

sure the intern’s interest fits what they have to offer.

Due to the number of applicants, Polyface has a bit

more intense selection process than you or I might.

Next in their process, 40-50 applicants are selected

for a two-day checkout on the farm. This allows the

Salatins to assess teachable attitude and team fit, as

well as provides for one-on-one time with each intern.

It also allows the interns the opportunity to see what

being on the farm long-term will be like. On a smaller

scale, this step could be accomplished through an

interview if a two-day on-farm experience isn’t an

option.

After the two-day checkout period, the Salatin family

sits down and chooses their top 10 individuals to

accept into the internship program, as well as two

alternatives. Each Salatin weighs in and they see

who they all agree upon. After common candidates

are identified, other candidates are selected by

looking at team dynamics to see how the team would

work together. Acceptance letters are sent and

Polyface waits to see who will accept or back out.

At some point, you need to consider your list of

compensation for your interns. Daniel noted that

housing and food are two of the big costs of interns.

At Polyface, they have an on-farm chef for evening

meals, and all interns and the Salatin family eat

together.

Total compensation as a Polyface intern includes

food, housing, and $100/month stipend. “Education

is expensive,” says Daniel, and what they are

providing is the type of education that one cannot

gain through study alone.

Daniel noted that housing is critical, but was

emphatic when he said with a smile, “But not my

house!” He went on to talk about the fishbowl

(Continued from page 1) mentality and the importance of having your own

space. “Are you ready to live in a glass house?

Because everything you do will be questioned and

studied.”

Temporary housing for interns was a challenge for

Polyface to meet legal requirements. What did they do

to overcome the challenge? Daniel encouraged, “Be

creative. As soon as you become more creative than

the law, you can beat it.” After going to their zoning

board and asking what options they had in their area

for exemptions on temporary housing, Polyface settled

on a hunting camp for their interns. What are they

hunting for? The truth, according to Daniel.

As far as a timeframe for the internship, Daniel feels

that four months is critical for best business practices,

stating, “You lose money in the first two months and

gain money in the last two months.”

You might find yourself asking, “How do I find people

that want to work with me?” Daniel encouraged, “Start

with your customers, start with your friends; chances

are, you have people within your circle of influence that

are interested in working with you.” Use social media,

Facebook, websites, whatever you have access to.

“There is someone out there who loves to do what you

hate, and when you try to do something you don’t like,

you are robbing someone else of the opportunity to do

something they love.”

Although Daniel talked about the challenges of

bringing diverse individuals together to live in close

proximity, he rounded out his comments on an

inspirational note. “What a rewarding way to live your

life, to have people involved in your life who think what

you are doing is cool. The things that you do every

day and have become mundane to you, they’re excited

about and it makes you excited, too. Super cool.”

Farm Interns: A Polyface Point of View, Interns &

Apprentice Perspectives

After Daniel provided us with his wealth of information,

he introduced several interns and apprentices who

shared what inspired them to apply for a Polyface

education.


“What I was doing wasn’t a net benefit to me, the

environment, or society.” - PF Intern, Greer

“Everyday, we have to try to be thankful for the things

we have in our lives because we take so much for

granted. If you don’t like hard work, then don’t do it,

because farming can be emotionally, physically, and

spiritually draining – most of the time all at the same

time.” - PF Intern, Tim

“I’ve heard you don’t know what you do or do not know

until you teach someone else, and that has been so

true during my apprenticeship!” - PF Intern, Hannah

Resources

Thinking that inviting interns to your farm might be

something you would want to consider? Check out the

resources below to help you get started.

Eager Farmer, eagerfarmer.com – Our mission is to

establish connections, kick-start partnerships, and

encourage healthy agricultural landscapes that span

generations. Eager Farmer is an online connection

for experienced farmers, educated farm managers,

established land owners and eager wannabe

farmers. Browse the site for the best fit for you or if

you don’t see what you need, place your own ad for

the perfect partnership.

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms,

wwoof.net – WWOOF organizations link people who

want to volunteer on organic farms or smallholdings

with people who are looking for volunteer help.

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable

Agriculture, pasafarming.org – The Classified Ads

on the PASA web site offer both in-state and out-of-

state opportunities.

Christie Badger is co-owner of Badger’s Millside Farm in

north central Pennsylvania where she raises pastured

broilers and operates a mobile processing unit

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You can't build a well-balanced, well-designed soy-

free poultry (or swine) recipe with local protein and

grain inputs. The inputs required to meet all of the

nutritional needs of the animal are not available on a

local basis to 99% of producers. A nutritionally

balanced soy-free diet would have a minimum of

three different sources of protein, with four or more

being best.

Geographic Limitations

Each region of the country manufactures limited

amounts of protein sources. The Pacific Northwest

has the advantage, as they have access to linseed

meal, camelina meal, fish meal, crab meal, field

peas, lentils, and more in a close proximity.

The Southeast and South Central regions are limited

to peanut meal, cottonseed meal, and solvent-

extracted soybean meal.

The Northeast truly doesn't offer any soy-free

alternatives. The regional growers don't grow peas,

flax, camelina, or any of the others. In reality, the

Northeast imports all soy-free feed ingredients.

The North Central region, or Plain States, has access

to linseed meal, field peas, and small amounts of

camelina meal, but fish meal and crab meal would

need to come from over 1,000 miles away from a

coastal state.

The Southwest doesn't grow anything in terms of

protein sources. Some spotty amounts of peas are

available, but they usually import even soybean meal

into the region.

Canada produces much of the field peas, linseed

meal, and flax meal used in poultry feeds today.

Ingredient Limitations

With all of these ingredients, there are limitations.

Camelina Meal: Thanks to the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA), camelina meal is limited to

10% of the ration; however, I heard an unconfirmed

rumor that the FDA is now allowing up to 15% of the

diet to be camelina meal. Camelina meal is my

favorite soy substitute because it has 36-38% protein

and 1500 Kcal of energy (identical to that of a

roasted soybean). Currently, camelina meal is only

really available in Montana, Washington, and some in

Oregon.

Cottonseed and Cottonseed Meal is NOT suitable

for any type of nutrition because of a naturally

occurring chemical called gossypol. Chickens that

have been exposed to high amounts of gossypol will

have discolored eggs, labored breathing, pulmonary

issues, and swollen livers.

Do not ask me to use cottonseed/cottonseed meal in

a formulation!

Crab Meal: Protein can vary anywhere from 25-50%

depending on the crab processor, type of crab, and

the geographic location. Crab does not have a high

fat content and therefore does not have any off-

flavoring issues. Its use is only limited by the salt

content of the meal, which is typically up to 3%. The

use of crab meal in poultry diets should be limited to

10% due to the salt content, as anything above that

will lead to kidney problems.

Field Peas are high in tannins and are lysine

deficient. Young poultry should be limited to 15% of

the diet. Developing poultry should not exceed 20%

of the diet while mature poultry should be limited to

30% of the diet.

Fish Meal has to come from a coastal state. It can

vary anywhere from 55-74% protein, based on the

type of fish and the quality.

The 55% protein fish comes from farm-raised, GMO-

fed, antibiotic treated catfish. Catfish meal has a very

poor amino acid profile and has a very poor quality

protein for poultry.

Want a Soy-Free Feed? Forget About Local —Jeff Mattocks and Casey Rogers


15% of the diet, and mature poultry should be limited

to 20% of the diet.

Peanut Meal poses several complications. First,

peanut meal is prone to alfatoxins which are a known

carcinogen. Very low levels (20 ppb) are enough to

cause severe growth retardation, health issues, and

death. Peanut meal is also lysine deficient so it will

therefore require the added supplementation of

lysine, which generally comes from synthetic

sources. It is also only available in the south, and is

generally solvent-extracted, which means that it

would come with a hexane residue.

Summary

Unless you live in the Pacific Northwest, adequate

alternative protein sources will not be in your local

area. Soy-free feeds are always more expensive to

manufacture than soy-based feeds. Typically, soy-

free feeds are on average 25-30% more expensive

than the standard corn and soy-based feeds. So, if

you are looking for a good soy-free feed for your

livestock, consider the fact that your feed ingredients

will be traveling some extreme distances to get there.

And sometimes the consequence of miles traveled is

worse than being fed some soy.

Most fish meals on the market for use in poultry feed

are made from Menhaden or Sardines. These will

have 60-63% protein content and a 7% fat content.

The fat is the reason that the use of fish meal is

limited in poultry feed. Too much of it leads to off-

flavoring of both meat and eggs.

Good fishmeal should be limited to 7.5% in starter

feeds, 5% in developing feeds, and 2.5% in finishing

and laying feeds.

Linseed/Flax Meal: Linseed meal is flax that has had

its oil reduced or removed. It also reduces overall

palatability of the feed for the chickens, which

reduces feed intake and therefore growth and

performance of the chickens. Finally, linseed and flax

meal can cause egg and meat taint, often giving the

products a fishy or a paint-like smell. Limit young

poultry to 10% of the diet. Limit developing poultry to

(Continued from page 6)


As a contract poultry processor, I spend much time

educating people about poop. If someone gives me

birds to process that have not been taken off feed,

they will hear about it for the entire time I’m working

with them. I will show them the poop that tends to

leak out all over their poultry carcass—the carcass

they’re going to eat.

For most of us reading this article, removing feed is

just something we do because APPPA members are

highly informed and attentive to the details. As we’ll

explore, a well-thought out feed withdrawal program

affects cleanliness, pathogens, and yield.

Optimum Withdrawal Time

Before we address the effects of feed withdrawal,

let’s look at the optimum withdrawal time. Generally

speaking, a withdrawal time between eight and

twelve hours is considered optimum. At least, that is

the time frame you see cited most often.

Some of you are likely thinking that the last time you

tried eight or ten hours for a withdrawal time, you still

had food somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract.

This is particularly annoying when you exert a bit of

pressure on the abdominal cavity prior to making the

opening evisceration cut and feces oozes out of the

vent. For this reason, I recommend higher withdrawal

times. I always recommend a minimum of 12 hours,

but the time required for the bird to empty out the

digestive tract is variable.

The Purdue Extension publication “Optimizing Feed

Withdrawal Programs” lists several environmental

factors that could affect the time it takes feed to pass

through the digestive tract:

Birds in crates pass feed at a slower rate than

uncrated birds;

Light improves the digestion of feed in crated

and uncrated birds;

Broilers with access to continuous feed digest

feed faster than “meal-fed” broilers.

The implication of these factors shows us that even

feed withdrawal is situational, and if you’re having

problems cleaning those birds out prior to pro-

cessing, the preceding list is a good place to start

troubleshooting.

When I remove my birds from feed, I typically pull the

feeders late afternoon/early evening on the day prior

to processing. I’ve found that allowing the birds about

three hours of daylight after I pull feed produces good


Optimizing Feed Withdrawal for Cleanliness, Pathogens, and Profits —Mike Badger


results. The birds remain in the shelter on pasture

until they are crated early in the morning. This proce-

dure illustrates the first two points: uncrated birds and

light facilitates the passing of feed.

I used to tell the farmers I work with to remove feed

prior to processing. However, I discovered that there

are a surprising number of people who interpret

“remove feed” with just don’t refill the feeders in the

morning. And those results are disappointing.

Feed typically lasts longer in the bottom of a feeder

than most people realize. And those birds that won’t

eat the fines the other 55 days of their lives will lick

that feeder clean when you’re trying to fast them.

They’ll get every last particle of feed that you didn’t

remove, and as a result, the birds will be full of feed

and feces at processing.

Now, I always direct farmers to pull the feeders. I rec-

ommend the same for you.

Feed Withdrawal and Pathogens

Feces is a concern with pathogen contamination,

such as salmonella. When the digestive tracts of the

birds are empty, there is less feces to deal with in the

crates, in the kill cones, in the scald water, and at the

evisceration station.

It should make sense, with a bit of reflection at least,

that a full intestinal tract is larger than an empty one.

An empty intestinal tract is less likely to be ruptured

during processing, and therefore, less likely to cross-

contaminate the carcass with feces and other diges-

tive material.

There is a risk to an empty intestinal tract. According

to “Optimizing Feed Withdrawal,” the small intestine

becomes weaker and more prone to breakage after

the birds have been off feed for more than 14 hours.

A broken intestine may contaminate the carcass, ta-

ble, or knife with pathogen laden feces.

As the withdrawal time increases beyond 14 hours,

changes in the intestine favor the growth of salmonel-

(Continued from page 9) la, compounding the risk of contamination from

breakage.

Carcass Yield Decreases with Feed Withdrawal

“Optimizing Feed Withdrawal” reports that for every

hour a broiler is off feed, the live weight decreases by

as much as 0.3%. In a 24 hour feed withdrawal sce-

nario, which some pastured poultry producers advo-

cate, the carcass will lose up to 7.7% of its starting

weight. That turns a six pound broiler into a five and

a half pound broiler. If you assume a 70% dressing

percentage, the carcass loses up to 0.35 pounds of

salable meat over the course of 24 hours.

The financial ramification of .35 pounds means more

as the size of the flock scales up. At 1,000 birds, the

producer loses $1,460 assuming an industry average

price of $4.17/lb. At 15,000 birds, the loss becomes

$21,892.

Actual results may vary, of course. And we have to

accept the fact that the birds need to be fasted for at

least some length of time to address the cleanliness

and fecal contamination concerns during processing.

But the numbers suggest that the longer you withhold

feed, the more money you lose.

The take away point is that if you’re fasting your birds

for 24 hours, then you might be able to pad the bot-

tom line while reducing the risk of pathogen contami-

nation just by tweaking the feed withdrawal program

by adjusting the environmental factors outlined in the

Optimal Withdrawal time section. Using the sample

numbers for a 15,000 bird flock, shaving 12 hours off

the feed withdrawal time could put $10,946 back into

your pocket for an average bird that weighs six

pounds at the start of feed withdrawal.

For a well researched look, including many studies, check

out the Purdue Extension publication, Optimizing Feed

Withdrawal Programs by Kristi L. Thompson et al. https://

www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS_576_W.pdf or

888-EXT-INFO.


Lack of grit can result in as much as 20% greater

feed consumption. Poultry which are fed grit have

gizzards which are as much as 50% larger than

those not fed grit. This results in a more powerful

masticating muscle and, consequently, better diges-

tion.

Grit requirements vary depending on poultry species,

soil type, feed type/grain size, and forage type/

quantity/size.

Cost

Gran-i-Grit currently costs $78.50/ton ($0.04/lb. or

$1.96/50 lb. bag). Prices are rounded for clarity and

are based upon current Gran-i-Grit direct sales pric-

es.

Layers

Each will consume 1/6-1/3 lbs. of grit per month (2 to

4 lbs./yr.). Highest consumption is in early winter and

when new feathers are being formed. Lowest con-

sumption is in spring and summer.

Budget one to two tons of grit per year for a flock of

1,000 Layers (between $78.50 and $157 for each

1,000 Layers/yr.).

On average, grit results in 7% to 9.6% greater egg

production coupled with a 6.3% to 7.1% decrease in

feed consumption. The highest percentage improve-

ments are made by feeding both insoluble grit

(granite) and soluble grit (oyster shells or limestone).

For the purposes of this document, “grit” refers to

“insoluble granite grit.”

Grit intake also results in thicker egg shells and an

overall increase in flock health.

Soluble grit consumption varies depending on egg

production. Higher lay rate equals more soluble grit

consumed. Consumption averages 0.64 oz./layer/

week or 2.08 lbs./layer/yr.

Broilers

Each will consume up to 1/20th their diet in grit.

Therefore, a bird eating 12 to 14 lbs. of feed over the

course of its life will eat up to 0.6 to 0.7 lbs. of grit.

Budget as much as 60 to 70 lbs. of grit for every 100

Broilers ($2.36 to $2.75/100 Broilers).

Grit intake results in better feed conversion/weight

gain of up to an additional one pound per broiler and

an overall increase in flock health.

Turkeys

Turkeys can consume the equivalent of 1/5th their

diet in grit. Therefore, a bird which eats 60 lbs. of


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feed in its lifetime will likely consume approximately

12 lbs. of grit if given the opportunity. Over the

course of their life, they may even consume the

equivalent of their carcass weight in grit.

Budget 12 to 16 lbs. of grit per turkey for a flock pro-

jected to average 16 lbs. dressed weight ($0.47 to

$0.63/turkey).

Grit intake results in better feed conversion/weight

gain and an overall increase in flock health.

Grit Feeding Guide

Feed the largest size grit which your birds will eat in

normal quantities. If a flock eats too much grit,

change to the next larger particle size.

Feed grit free choice. Poultry will only eat as much

grit as they need. Offer grit either by itself or mixed

with feed or whole grains such as wheat

(recommended grit:wheat ratio or 1:4).

Generally, if mixing grit into feed rations, add at a

rate of .5% to .75% of total ration.

Grit Feeding Schedule

Chicks and poults can mistake grit for feed with dam-

aging results. Help them establish correct feeding

habits by sprinkling grit over their feed for the first two

days. After that, offer grit free choice in separate hop-

pers. Alternatively, avoid all grit on days for the first

two days and begin feeding it on day three.

Layers:

Starter: Weeks 1-3

Grower: Weeks 4-7

Developer-Layer: >Week 7

Grit/Wheat Supplement: Only offer when the

available forage is excellent. This Supplement

works best for hens when there are alternative

protein sources available (e.g., insects, small

rodents, and small reptiles). Otherwise, the

hens may ignore their feed in favor of the sup-

plement and not get enough quality protein for

optimal egg production.


Broilers:

Starter: Weeks 1-2

Grower: Weeks 3-6

Developer/Layer: >Week 6

Grit/Wheat Supplement: >Week 5

Turkeys:

Grower: Weeks 1-3

Developer-Layer: Weeks 4-8

Turkey: Weeks 9-14

Turkey Finisher: >Week 15


Waterfowl:

Grower: Weeks 1-3

Developer-Layer: Weeks 4-8

Turkey: Weeks 9-14

Turkey Finisher: >Week 15


Additional reading and references

Feeding Pasture-Raised Poultry by Jeff Mattocks (p. 21-23)

Gran-i-Grit Brochure: www.ncgranite.com/images/

gritmailer.pdf

“Granite Poultry Grit” by Paul Wood: http://

quarriesandbeyond.org

“Experiment Station Record: Volume 34” by the U.S. Office

of Experiment Stations and the U.S. Agricultural Research

Service (p. 176)

Fili-West Farms is a grass based farm in South Carolina

specializing in the growing and housing of Pasture-Raised

Poultry in hot Southern climates.


On July 19, 2014, the Salatin family hosted nearly

2,000 people at Polyface Farm where I had a chance

to take Joel’s tour. This article provides a recap of

some of the bits that struck me most regarding

business, broilers, hens, and turkeys.

The Portable Farm

A recurring theme on the tour was the idea of a

portable farm. Though this is not the first time I heard

Joel talk about this topic, it had a lot more meaning

while looking at all the portable structures. Structures

ranged from portable broiler pens (we all know

those), egg mobiles, turkey roosts, and cattle shade

stations.

To help the group grasp the importance of the

concept, Joel asked us to consider that a new Tyson

(or pick your big chicken of choice) house will cost

hundreds of thousands of dollars before one single

chicken is raised. And it’s definitely not portable. With a

CAFO, if you move to a new farm, you build a new

building.

The pastured poultry approach can be launched with

scrap lumber and portable shelters. The equity, Joel

says, is management and information as opposed to

buildings or land.

Then Joel asked us to consider that beef cattle in the

Shenandoah Valley of Virginia typically returned $100-

$150 per acre. A stacked enterprise with

complementary activities, made possible in-part by

portable structures, can return up to $8,000 per acre.

A Change in Turkey Production

A Quick Hitting Tour of Polyface Poultry Production PORTABLE FARMS, BROILER, LAYER, AND TURKEY PRODUCTION —Mike Badger


Most turkey producers are familiar with the way Joel

used to raise turkeys, which basically broods the

turkey poults with the baby chicks. The theory being

that the meat chicks help show the turkey poults the

ropes—how to eat and drink, for example.

On the Polyface Farm tour, Joel said he’s had

continual high losses in turkey production until he

had a breakthrough moment in the 2014 season (still

in-progress at the time of the tour).

In 2014, he brooded turkeys by themselves after

doing a thorough cleaning of the brooder. The

cleaning included removing the old bedding and then

power washing the brooder. Then fresh bedding was

added back. This approach drastically reduced the

turkey mortality. It’s a complete reversal to the

method of brooding chicks and turkey poults

together.

At three weeks of age, the turkeys are moved to

pasture in daily move broiler pens. Then at seven

weeks, the turkeys are introduced to turkey netting.

Joel found that earlier than seven weeks, and the

turkeys pass through the netting. If you wait longer

than seven weeks, the turkeys are too big and they

just walk through and over the fence. At seven

weeks, they learn to respect the fence. When the

turkeys move out to the electric fence, they are only

provided shade and roosts. They are capable of

weathering the elements.

In other interesting turkey tidbits, Joel said turkeys

can eat up to 45% of their diet in grass. You need to

give them more pasture, more often. I hesitate to

promote such a number because I don’t want people

reading this to starve their turkeys in the hopes of

reducing purchased feed inputs. As always, the

quality of the management and the pasture will affect

how much they forage. Give them all the balanced

ration they need, and allow them to self-select

between forage and provided feed.

Chore Time Using a Salatin Pen

Standing among a field of broilers, Joel provides

some simple numbers with regard to managing the


Egg mobile in an extensive grazing model where the hens range freely on the pasture.

A-frame hen house in an intensive grazing model with the feed wagon in the front. This whole structure is moved by pulling the wagon.

Some young turkeys in the Gobbledygo turkey roost and shade structure. The rafters and perches are notched for easy removal, making transport down the road possible.


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shelters bearing his name (10’x12’ Salatin-style pen).

Each pen can be moved in a minute. That means 60

pens containing approximately 5,000 broilers can be

moved in 1 hour. (See issue 84 for Joel’s official

recommendations for time to move, feed, and water).

This is a direct counter to the criticism that the Salatin

-style shelter doesn’t scale up or that it’s too labor

intensive as you ramp up production. But the

Polyface system is efficient. The broiler shelter, in

this case, is just one component of the entire system.

All the water and feed is right where it needs to be for

chore time—next to the chickens. The water reservoir

is re-filled from a gravity-fed pond.

Joel contends that the daily move pens are the most

efficient system to raise broilers at Polyface despite

evaluating day range models.

Choosing a Range Model for Layers

The tour at Polyface featured two pasture production

models for laying hens. There were different housing

and roost designs, but the primary difference has to

do with fences.

The intensive model uses portable, electric netting to

rotate the hens through the pasture. It’s the primary

method if you are focused on pastured egg

production, according to Joel. The fence protects the

flock from ground predators.

The extensive model lets the hens range at will.

There is no fence. This model works well if pasture

sanitation is your goal by following cattle, for

example. On the downside, the hens sometimes just

wander off never to return.

This model doesn’t really work well on less than 50

acres. The hens will want to return to the previous

egg mobile location to roost if the egg mobile doesn’t

move far enough. And if the hens are close enough

to non-pasture areas, they will range freely into

buildings and yards.

A visit to Polyface is a must for pastured poultry producers.


As 2014 winds down, the APPPA board of directors

will retire five members due to term limits (Tom

Wadson, Jennie Watkins, Greg Gunthorp, Val Vetter/

Deb Aaron, and Brenda Ostrom). The existing board

of directors has opted to recommend all five

replacement board members in an uncontested

election. The recommended board members and

their bios are presented for review.

The Board is confident that the chosen candidates

will do a good job of leading APPPA into the future.

We hope you agree; however, we welcome new

recommendations for board candidates. Enclosed on

page 23 is a form which you may use to suggest a

candidate of your choosing. (Please confirm with that

person that they would like to run.)

If we don‘t receive qualifying nominations by October

31, 2014, we will call the election and declare the

2015 Board Elections

candidates presented in this issue as the newly

elected board members of APPPA.

If you agree with the slate of candidates as presented,

you don‘t have to do anything and your support is

assumed.

If we get 3 nominations from the general membership

for the same candidate, we will reopen the election

and publish mail-in ballots for the contested election in

the next issue of APPPA Grit.

Terrell Spencer, Across the Creek Farm, Arkansas

Terrell “Spence” Spencer owns and operates Across

the Creek Farm, located just south of Fayetteville,

Arkansas in the Boston Mountains of Northwest

Arkansas. Together with his wife, Carla, and their

three kids, Spence and family raise pasture-raised,

Non-GMO broilers and layers. The farm will raise

around 10,000 broilers this year, selling directly to

consumers, retailers and restaurants, and has entered

into national sales through a distributor. The farm has

seen steady growth since its founding in 2007.

Spence worked for three years as the poultry

specialist at ATTRA, and has designed and led

pastured poultry workshops in nearly a dozen states.

Professionally, he has co-authored several academic

research articles on poultry, written for conventional

and organic trade industries, acted as a technical

poultry advisor for an organic certifier, updated the

current SARE pastured poultry bulletin, and published

several ATTRA publications, among other activities.

Spence is an active member of the military veteran

community, having trained and interned dozens of

farming veterans from across the country. Spence is

currently advising the construction of poultry

infrastructure in Ethiopia, and is actively pursuing the

introduction of insurance for pastured poultry

producers in the 2016 farm bill. Spence’s passion is

for pastured poultry producers who seek to make a full

-time living off of their poultry businesses.


Craig Haney, Stone Barns, New York

Craig Haney grew up in the foothills of New York's

Catskill Mountains where his family has farmed for

eight generations. After earning an honors degree in

American History at The University of Michigan, he

taught about early American agriculture at The

Farmers' Museum for ten years. He went on to found

Skate Creek Farm, where he developed hands-on

expertise in modern grass-based organic livestock

production of poultry, pastured veal, sheep and

swine. While at Skate Creek, Craig also served as

coordinator for a group of farmers under the Meadow

Raised Cooperative. In 2004, upon its opening,

Craig established the livestock program at Stone

Barns, and has run the livestock operation since,

including overseeing the processing facility.

Throughout his career, Craig has combined livestock

expertise with a love of teaching, bringing an

advanced understanding of food systems to

professionals and the public alike. His diverse

experiences teaching farmers include running various

livestock programs at the Farmers’ Museum

(including the annual Junior Livestock Show); farmer

education programs at the Stone Barns Center (on

swine, sheep, poultry, and zoonotic diseases, as well

as a program for new American farmers to establish

livestock operations); and presentations to other

agricultural professionals at meetings of the

American Grassfed Association (rotational grazing

and pasture management), Cornell University (swine

school, poultry primer and sheep worming), Green

Thumbs and Just Food’s urban farming certificate

program (urban poultry husbandry), Animal Welfare

Institute (swine school), Shelburne Farms, and the

Northeast Organic Farming Association, Eco Farm,

PASA, Carolina Meat Conference, New England

Meat Conference, and the Texas Foodways

Symposium, among others.

Susan Beal, PASA, Pennsylvania

Susan Beal, DVM, is currently the Agricultural

Science Advisor for PASA (The Pennsylvania

Association for Sustainable Agriculture).


Dr. Beal comes from a long background of holistic

veterinary practice, ranging from mixed practice

through emergency medicine, equine, and

companion animal practices. Before joining the team

at PASA, Dr. Beal was employed at a non-speciated

veterinary practice dedicated to providing holistic

care for animals and the environment.

She also provided educational programs, consulting

and coaching for her clients, as well as farmers,

producers and consumer groups. Susan is

particularly interested in whole farm/whole system

pasture based ecology, and offers common sense

advice and counsel with the goal of health from the

ground up – thriving individuals and ecosystems.

Susan graduated from the Ontario Agricultural

College at the University of Guelph in 1982 with a

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a major in

Applied Bacteriology, and areas of emphasis in

(Industry News continued from page 17) Literature and Extension Education. She graduated

from the Ontario Veterinary College, University of

Guelph, in 1987 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Beal has studied acupuncture through the

International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS),

and Animal Chiropractic through the American

Veterinarians and Chiropractors Association (AVCA).

She has studied Craniosacral Therapy through the

Upledger Institute and has served as a teaching

assistant for Craniosacral Therapy courses offer by

the Institute.

Her homeopathic studies include completion of Dr.

Richard Pitcairn's Professional and Advanced

Courses in Veterinary Homeopathy, the Masters in

Human Homeopathy at the Hudson Valley School of

Classical Homeopathy, as well as studying with other

homeopaths both here and abroad. Dr. Beal studies,

writes and teaches, and, for over two decades has

been involved with actively mentoring veterinarians


supports profitable, environmentally conscious, and

socially responsible Arkansas livestock farmers.

David Hale, Windy Meadows Farm, Texas

David is relatively new to APPPA, but has been

raising chickens for 15 years and full time for 6 years

on the family farm in Campbell, TX. They raised

50,000 chickens last year and are planning for

80,000 this year. Windy Meadows Farm has a USDA

inspected processing plant on farm. The operation

has several full-time employees.

After 15 years, David is still learning and has learned

quite a bit in his first year as an APPPA member.

After 15 years in pastured poultry, he has some

insights to share.

If you agree with Spence, Craig, Susan, Cody, and

David, do nothing, and they will be assume their

board responsibilities in March 2015. Want to

nominate somebody else, use the form on page 23 to

submit your nomination.

who are studying homeopathy and non-conventional

medicine.

Susan lives in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania - on

land recaptured from the wilds - where she raises a

small group of Jacob sheep and a small herd of Devon

cattle. In addition to her work with PASA, she serves

on the Board of the Pennsylvania Forage and Grazing

Lands Conservation Coalition and is Past President of

the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.

She in involved with providing training in Holistic

Management, a whole farm/business planning process

that considers the triple bottom line of relevant

economic, environmental and social considerations

simultaneously. Farms and ranches that practice

Holistic Management are experiencing up to a 300%

increase in profit while building their biological assets

and improving quality of life.

Cody Hopkins, Falling Sky Farm, Arkansas

Cody Hopkins began farming in 2007 after graduating

from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas with a

physics degree, teaching in Rhode Island, and

managing a bakery. In 2007, he co-founded Falling

Sky Farm, a diversified livestock farm 100 miles North

of Little Rock and 140 miles South of Springfield,

Missouri, in the heart of the Arkansas Ozark

Mountains. This Ozark farm rotationally grazes

forested hogs, grass-finished beef cattle, and pastured

poultry. In 2014, Falling Sky Farm is on track to raise

and direct market 12,000 broiler chickens, 400

turkeys, 225 hogs and 45 grass-fed beeves.

In 2007, Cody was awarded a Wild Gift Fellowship that

supports the efforts of visionary entrepreneurs with the

tools needed to turn their visions into action and create

a better, more sustainable world. In 2012, Cody was

selected as a Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneur by the

Hitatich Foundation, which is a nationwide competitive

program that identifies and supports inspiring young

entrepreneurs whose work helps to alleviate domestic

poverty. In January 2013, Cody was featured in

Forbes Magazine’s Up and Comers section. Cody has

recently stepped into the managing director role for the

Arkansas Sustainable Livestock Cooperative, a newly-

-formed processing and marketing cooperative that


Producer Marketplace To place an ad, email [email protected] or call 888-

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Intern Opportunity for APPPA

Join the world voice for pastured poultry. As an

intern, you’ll have the chance to learn the ins and

outs of a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade organization. In

addition, the intern will get a front seat perspective at

pastured poultry production from all corners of the

United States and beyond.

Areas of focus include member services, recruitment,

and retention. The intern position will contribute

significantly to the organization’s marketing efforts,

including Facebook and email marketing. An interest

in raising pastured poultry and a desire to help

producers succeed are a must.

This is a work from home position, and the

successful candidate will be competent with

electronic communication mediums. However, hours,

compensation, and expectations will be tailored to

the person and their experience. There may be

opportunities to attend conferences and workshops.

The position will remain open until we find a

candidate. Apply by sending a resume and a writing

sample to Mike Badger at [email protected] or mail to

PO Box 85, Hughesville, PA 17737.

USDA Processing Plant For Sale

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independent farmers is for sale. Business is

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business sits on 5 cross-fenced acres with a 3/2

home, barn and pond. Call for details – Steve

Malamatos at 931-239-9633 or [email protected].

www.nikoandcompany.com.

News

Clarification to Roasted Soybean Article

In APPPA Grit Issue 81, the article “Roasted

Soybean Advantage” by Jeff Mattocks was edited in

such a way that it may have been confusing.

The article, as published, omitted a heading and a

sentence. A quick read of the article as published

may incorrectly conclude that roasted soybeans are

associated with hexane extraction. At the bottom of

page one, the following text should introduce the last

paragraph on the page:

Hexane Extraction of Soybean Meal

Soybean meal, 48% has its fat removed through a

chemical process of solvent extraction.

The archived version of the newsletter has been

updated in the Producer Plus archives.

APPPA $500 Grant Still Available

Deadline to apply is October 15, 2014. Contact

APPPA or visit http://www.apppa.org/blog/24228 for

more information.

mailto:[email protected]


The National Agricultural Research Institute,

Livestock Farm in Guayana conducted a duck raising

experiment that compared the Pekin, Muscovy, and

Kunshan (Mallard) ducks. Even though the popular

meat duck choice in the United States is typically

between Pekin and Muscovy, I’ll include the Kunshan

data for comparison. The experiment consisted of 50

ducks of each breed evenly divided between males

and females.

Unfortunately, the Guayana experiment raised the

ducks in an intensive management situation inside

with approximately 3.3 square feet of floor space

through the grow out period. At eight weeks, 20% of

each breed was slaughtered to derive the values

seen in table 1.


If, as producers, we’re ready to take the duck

challenge, one of the first choices to make is breed

selection and knowing something about the

production characteristics of various duck breeds

helps us make informed decisions. Oft-recited

assumptions about duck production is that Pekins are

the default choice for fast growth, and Muscovies

take longer to finish. This article will challenge that

assumption.

Search though I might, I’ve found it relatively difficult

to find good information about raising ducks in terms

of feed conversion and dressed weights, especially

from a pastured perspective, so this article

summarizes a South American experiment.

Comparing Duck Production for Muscovy, Pekin, and Kunshan —Mike Badger


Table 1 shows us that the Pekin ducks have a very

similar performance characteristics between the

sexes. Muscovy males gain more and dress at a

higher percentage than the females. Overall, carcass

yield is better for Muscovy. To put the numbers in

context, a 5.6 pound male Pekin will produce a 4.1

pound carcass (without giblets) at 83% yield. A 5.4

pound mail Muscovy will produce a 4.1 pound

carcass (without giblets) at 86.5% yield.

The numbers reported from the Guyana experiment

correspond to the data Greg Gunthorp provided in his

PASA presentation in 2014, where he indicated that

the performance characteristics of the Pekins males

and females were similar [1]. However, males have

the slight edge, which is one reason why he raises all

males.

The experiment fed the ducks a balanced ration ad-

libitum. A 21% starter ration was used in weeks one

through three. Then in week three the ration was

gradually switched to a 16% grower ration and fed

until slaughter at eight weeks [3].

Jeff Mattocks notes that you should know whether or

not you want to raise a fryer duck (3.5 to 4.5 lb.) or a

roaster duck (6 to 8 lb.). A 4.5 pound carcass at 8

weeks is a reasonable expectation for Pekins. For a

fryer he recommends starting at a 22% protein

followed by an 18% grower. For a roaster he

recommends starting at 20% followed by an 18%

(Continued from page 21) grower and then a 16% finisher [2]. This feeding

schedule correlates to the Guyana experiment.

Beware of judging your feed based on protein level

alone. Jeff cautions that protein percentage is not the

ultimate measure of the feed. Amino acids are more

important components in a balanced ration,

specifically methionine, methionine/cysteine, and

lysine [2].

Pekins definitely enjoy the reputation as a

commercial duck of choice for fast grow out

performance. However, the Guayan experiment

indicates that Mucovies (males, at least) can perform

as well as or slightly better than Pekins in the same

amount of time.

References

[1] “Ducks with Greg Gunthorp (Disc 1).” Diversifying

poultry with turkeys, ducks and guineas: PASA

Conference 2014. February 6, 2014. DVD.

[2] “Nutrition and health needs for waterfowl, turkeys

and guineas” with Jeff Mattocks (Disc 2).

Diversifying poultry with turkeys, ducks and guineas:

PASA Conference 2014. February 6, 2014. DVD.

[3] Solomon J K Q, Austin R, Cumberbatch R N,

Gonsalves J and Seaforth E 2006: “A comparison of

live weight and carcass gain of Pekin, Kunshan and

Muscovy ducks on a commercial ration.” Livestock

Research for Rural Development. Volume 18, Article

No. 154. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://

www.lrrd.org/lrrd18/11/solo18154.htm

Table 1: Mean Production Values of Pekin, Muscovy, and Kunshan [3]

Pekin

Drakes

Pekin

Hens

Muscovy

Drakes

Muscovy

Hens

Kunshan

Drakes

Kunshan

Hens

Live Weight (lbs.) 5.6 5.0 5.4 3.3 5.6 4.7

Yield % w/giblets 83.0 82.4 86.5 85.7 86.3 80.8

Yield % w/o giblets 72.0 71.1 76.7 72.9 74.5 68.0

Breast yield (lbs.)* 1.3 1.1 1.2 0.7 1.0 0.9

Leg yield (lbs.)* 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.5 0.8 0.7

*The Guyana experiment reported yields as % of live weights. The yield in pounds is calculated: Mean Live Weight x

Mean Yield %. The Yield % of breasts and legs are not reported in this table, but can be found in the original study.


Renew Membership (Renew at apppa.org or return this form with your

check.)

Producer Information (if different)

Name _____________________________

Farm _____________________________

Address ___________________________

City, State, Zip ______________________

Phone ____________________________

Email Address ______________________

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APPPA, PO Box 85, Hughesville, PA 17737-0085

Board Nomination Form Only use this form if you want to nominate an APPPA

board member and force a contested election with

mail-in ballots.

Nominee ______________________

Farm _________________________

City and State __________________

Phone_________________________

Email _________________________

Your Name _____________________

Cutout or photocopy this form, and then return

your nomination before October 31, 2014, to

APPPA, PO Box 85, Hughesville, PA 17737.

If the number printed above your address is #83 or earlier, renew by mailing the form

on page 23 or renew online at www.apppa.org.

APPPA PO Box 85

Hughesville, PA 17737

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