Field Trip


Yesterday's pasture walk was a success despite the threat of rain. A number of farmers came out to hear about the chicken breed trial and the low-input pasture renovation my project partner is undertaking with the help of her lambs, goat kids and chickens. Pasture walks are a great way for farmers to gather on each other's farms, see first-hand what is happening in the pastures, and trade ideas and experiences.

Jane is running the chicken breed trial simultaneously on her farm so we'll be able to see if the breeds perform uniformly in our very different pastured poultry systems. She uses what is known as the Day Range system and moves her floorless chicken pens daily within a fenced enclosure.


Each of her breeds is housed in its own pen within a separate fence so she can measure how much feed the birds are eating each day just as we are doing on our farm. We just have preliminary results so far. I'll be anxious to see how the breeds compare when all the data is in.

Her rooster was kind enough to join in the discussion as well, offering us his own valuable insights.