From mghia@moose.uvm.eduMon Oct 23 23:41:25 1995
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 10:49:49 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Michael J. Ghia" <mghia@moose.uvm.edu>
To: pltrynws@sdsuvm.sdstate.edu
Cc: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
Subject: Re: Free Range/Pastured Poultry/Poultry Manure (fwd)

To the Poultry News Network and the Sustainable Agriculture Network:

	I am currently  trying to finish up my master's degree here at 
the University of Vermont.  I am looking for literature for my research 
concerning poultry on
pasture (which thus far has been hard to come by--I made postings here 
and to a few other discussion groups last winter with very little 
reply-the National Ag Library only had limited info as well).  Below is a 
synopsis of my research.  If you have any information that might be 
vaguely  usefulfor my lit review, please let me know.  Also, if you 
could suggest any other discussion groups that I might try, that would 
also be greatly apprectiated.
Thank You
 Michael Ghia mghia@moose.uvm.edu
c/o Dr. Sid Bosworth
Plant and Soils's Department
Hills Building 
UVM
Burlington, Vermont 05405
 
	In 1993, I raised 1125 meat chickens (broilers).  900 chickens 
were raised "on range" in floorless moveable pens, sometimes refered to 
as "chicken tractors".  They are moved on a regular basis and are usually 
integrated within a "rotational-" or "rational- grazing"  skeme.  For 
instance, (farmer)Joel Salatin in Virginia grazes his beef cattle ahead of 
his 
chicken pens ("co-grazing").  However, I did not have other livestock 
(though would be interested in relevant literature). The range birds also 
had access to grain. The other 225 chickens were raised in a 
barn and only had access to grain for feed.   In addition, there were two 
other treatments in 1993:  sod plots which were mowed everytime the 
chicken pasture plots were grazed or mowed; silage corn raised without 
fertilizer. 
Both plots played a role in the 1994 phase, but the sod was also relevant 
in 1993.
Data taken in 1993:
	-chicken growth rates and grain consumption comparing outdoor and 
indoor birds
	-forage consumption estimates of range birds
	-dress slaughter weights of all birds
	-pasture and sod growth rate comparisons
	-fertility comparison over time comparing sod and pasture plots, 
focusing on nitrate and ammonia, but all other nutrients were analyzed 
(lab-wise- I do not know if I will ever get to do 
the statistic on the rest of them)
	-nutrient movement in the soil profile (nitrate leaching)
	-I might trying to compare the economics between the outdoor and 
the indoor raised birds, and also animal health (cull/loss rates) since 
neither group had antibiotics in their feed. (antibiotics in the feed is 
the standard practice).

	In 1994, all three treatments (corn, sod, pasture) were plowed 
down and sweet corn was planted.  There were subplots applied to the 
original treatments --a plus nitrogen (chemical fertilizer), and 0 
nitrogen treatment.  Corn was harvested as marketable sweet corn.

Data taken in 1994:
	-soil nitrate and ammonia in the soil of each treatment and 
subtreatment before, during and after the growing season.
	-nitrogen movement through the soil profile -leaching
	-compared corn yield and corn biomass between the treatments and 
subtreatments.
	-Compared nitrogen uptake between the three treatments and the two 
subtreatments as "Total Keldal (sp?) Nitrogen(TKN)".

That is it in a nutshell.  Thanks again for your help. 
 Mike




