The pastured poultry scam. Late in my second season of raising pastured poultry on a small scale, I have become aware of some fundamental, fatal conceptual flaws in the operation. The implication of these is that, unintentionally and without malice, pastured poultry producers are foisting a scam on their market. The problems stem from basic lack of understanding about what words like "sustainable" mean and to some extent from denial about the realities of chicken production, both industrial and on the small farm.
The two biggest unintentional lies are about pastured poultry's being environmentally friendly and its being humane. It is neither. Environmentally friendly, sustainable production of livestock is first and foremost a function of what and how the animals are fed. Pastured poultry fails on both of these. As for impact on the environment, pastured poultry are overstocked. Another impression that pastured poultry producers like to give is that our birds are happy birds, treated humanely. Marketing of poultry products from small and backyard flocks. Poultry are very easy to raise and small and backyard flock owners may soon find themselves with excess product to sell. There are a number of different marketing channels available to you, depending on the product and the volume you are trying to sell.
Whatever marketing system you use, food safety measures must be in place to make sure you are selling a wholesome production. While there may be exemptions for small flock producers with regard to inspection and licensing regulations, all producers (large and small) must follow the regulations with regards to production food safety standards. Getting to know your consumers The Kentucky Consumer: An assessment of our attitudes and behavior (University of Kentucky) Labeling your product Food labeling guide (FDA) Food product dating (FSIS) The poultry label says 'fresh' (FSIS) The Chicken and Turkey Nutrition factsheet (FSIS) Meat and poultry labeling terms (FSIS) General marketing information Marketing via the Internet (University of Kentucky) Eggs. Chicken Coops for home grown chickens and eggs. Free-range hens: What you should consider before letting your flock out. - Kitchen Garden.
If you have (or are thinking about getting) a backyard flock of chickens you should consider the possibility of letting your flock free-range. Chickens are foraging animals and thrive best when they can hunt for insects (and lizards!) And greens which no chicken run provides. Being able to scavenge the lawn for worms, to pluck at grass and weeds, and to explore is deeply satisfying to them. We let our first flock of hens free-range a couple of hours a day (the last couple of hours of daylight) and they loved it. It was wonderful to sit out in my garden and listen to the hens scratching, cooing, and scuffling. By the time we got our second flock of hens we had a dog. At our current house the fencing isn't an issue and we've been wondering for a long time whether or not our dog might be trained not to kill the hens if we let them out. Just like that we are now able to let them free-range and I can tell you that they are very excited about the yard!
Portable Chicken Mini-coop Plan. Chickens are every bit as fun and easy to care for as dogs or cats, plus they give you great farm-fresh eggs. The biggest challenge is keeping the birds safe from predators, and at the same time allowing them to enjoy a natural diet of grains, greens and insects. Most poultry predators roam at night — raccoons, coyotes, owls and such. But hawks and (some but not all) dogs may attack free-ranging birds during the day, especially if there are no humans at home or no guard dog to chase them away. You could keep your birds inside a conventional stationary coop, but then they wouldn’t get to forage for their natural diet and thereby give you the best-tasting and most nutritious eggs. To make it easy for anyone to raise a few chickens on pasture, I set out to create a coop design that would be secure, low-cost, easy to build, light enough to move easily and scaled to fit well even in small back yards.
If You Build It, They Will Cluck More Easy Ideas. Fang Dangled Automatic Waterer. The Fang Dangled Automatic Chicken Waterer.... After seeing all of the ideas on here I decided it was time to do something about our watering system. Previously it was a bucket with holes and an oil pan under it. I have seen some awesome ideas on how to make this better but I wanted something really cool and really easy and not really messy.... And it was born.... Supplies: 5 gallon bucket with a lid ($1 at the local bakery) 10 ft section of 3/4" pipe (we had it, but I know it doesn't cost much a few bucks at the most) 1 3/4" elbow ($0.34) 1 3/4" T-piece ($ 0.33) 2 3/4" pvc caps ($0.36 each= $0.72) 1 package #18 O rings (rubber gasket things.... $1.97) 1 1" x 3/4" pvc bushing ($0.74) 1 3/4" pvc adapter threaded ($0.33) 5 poultry nipples ($18.94) I bought mine at Farmtek but afterwards I saw that others got theirs much cheaper from someone else :( 11/32 drill bit....I couldn't find this so I bought a 5/16" for $3 and just did a little faniggling as I call it until it was right.
PVC glue. Amanda. Free pvc greenhouse plans. Greenhouse Assembly: This 6x9 ft, pitched-roof kit greenhouse can extend the growing season on your farm or in your garden. You may also want to check out www.pvcplans.com for free arched greenhouse plans and free PVC coldframe plans. Www.pvcplans.com/ArchGrnHouse.pdf. Free plans and pictures of PVC pipe projects. Www.genovaproducts.com/docs/PlumbingCatalog_w_links.pdf#page= 11. Build a PVC cucumber/vine trellis. FREE PVC PLANS AND IDEAS. FREE plans of PVC pipe structures, greenhouse, cold frame, furniture fittings. Reshaping Kentucky's cattle industry. Beef cattle generate nearly as much income for Kentucky farm families as tobacco.
Yet, as tobacco income continues to decline, the profit potential from cattle is rising. Kentucky farmers are poised to reap huge rewards from beef cattle production, although the lack of a well-organized system of production, processing, distribution and marketing is hindering this sector’s promise. Community Farm Alliance members have been working to understand the way the system operates now and the possibility for creating a more farmer- and buyer-friendly approach to the cattle business.
What follows is a summary of those findings and an outline of a few ways in which Kentucky's beef sector could be made more self-reliant. The Present: Beef cattle, profits flow out of state Although Kentucky is the largest beef producing state east of the Mississippi, most of its cattle are finished and processed outside its borders. Currently, Kentucky has around 1,120,000 head of beef cattle. 1. 2. 3. 4. Misty Meadow Farm, Virginia - All-natural Katahdin Lamb and Galloway Beef.
Mini Beltie.org. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy: Dexter Cattle. Dexter cattle are among the smallest of cattle breeds in the world, standing 40" tall and weighing 700–900 pounds. Though size is the breed’s most distinguishing characteristic, the Dexter is a useful and producti ve multi‑purpose animal. The Dexter originated in southern Ireland during the early 1800s. It was developed from the Kerry, an Irish dairy breed, through selection for smaller size and improved beef qualities.
The breed name came from a “Mr. Dexter,” who promoted the cattle during the mid‑1800s. Even after the Dexter gained an identity as a breed, its history remained intertwined with that of the Kerry. Dexter cattle are solid and compact in appearance. The Dexter has always attracted attention because of its size, and it has sometimes been marketed as a novelty or ornamental breed. Dexter cattle are increasing in numbers in North America and globally, and the breed seems destined to succeed. Status: See CPL Click Here for Breed Clubs and Association Contacts.
Institute for Responsible Technology - Before the FDA decided to allow GMOs into food without labeling, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GM foods can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored.
THE CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHIER EATING IN AMERICA Our goal is to stop the genetic engineering of our food supply. Although the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may be one of the most dangerous health and environmental problems we face, it can be one of the easiest of the battles to win. The key is found in the tipping point, whereby a small number of individuals can move the market, forcing GMOs out of our nation’s food supply.Even a small percentage of shoppers avoiding genetically modified (GM) brands is enough to trigger an industry-wide cleanout.