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Regenerative Agriculture and Direct Drilling
Holistic Farming
Right. Chicken tractor thread.
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<blockquote data-quote="Pasty" data-source="post: 4146514" data-attributes="member: 1651"><p>Sorry, missed this. I don't do dedicated meat chickens at the mo. I raise pure breeds and eat the spare cockerels. Part of that for me is trying to breed back to a dual use bird ie. a cockerel that is worth raising. I'm having some success with things like Orpingtons and Barred Rocks, getting some seriously meaty birds out of them. </p><p></p><p>Salatin and others raise pure broiler birds (Cornish cross / Ross / Cobb) in them but it's not a market I have looked into, being more focused on getting what I am doing bang on first. I am convinced the idea is a good one but I have also raised birds in semi indoor pens on straw with much success. That said, the 'tractor' ones develop better and seem hardier. The effect on the ground is also amazing and no clearing out at the end of the cycle and their muck is deposited exactly where it's needed in exactly the qty you want. But of course there is work in moving them, getting water and feed to them etc. You can't put a ton of feed in a 'tractor' and hope to be able to pull it along. Similar with water. </p><p></p><p>When I sit at home and consider, everything comes down on indoor raising being more sensible. But, once I have moved a tractor and see clean and healthy birds on fresh pasture, tucking into all manner of goodies, including thistles, I change my mind. Either way I need to make a decision for next year as to which way I am going as I have dabbled in both systems and both are bodge jobs so I need to commit and get building some decent infrastructure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pasty, post: 4146514, member: 1651"] Sorry, missed this. I don't do dedicated meat chickens at the mo. I raise pure breeds and eat the spare cockerels. Part of that for me is trying to breed back to a dual use bird ie. a cockerel that is worth raising. I'm having some success with things like Orpingtons and Barred Rocks, getting some seriously meaty birds out of them. Salatin and others raise pure broiler birds (Cornish cross / Ross / Cobb) in them but it's not a market I have looked into, being more focused on getting what I am doing bang on first. I am convinced the idea is a good one but I have also raised birds in semi indoor pens on straw with much success. That said, the 'tractor' ones develop better and seem hardier. The effect on the ground is also amazing and no clearing out at the end of the cycle and their muck is deposited exactly where it's needed in exactly the qty you want. But of course there is work in moving them, getting water and feed to them etc. You can't put a ton of feed in a 'tractor' and hope to be able to pull it along. Similar with water. When I sit at home and consider, everything comes down on indoor raising being more sensible. But, once I have moved a tractor and see clean and healthy birds on fresh pasture, tucking into all manner of goodies, including thistles, I change my mind. Either way I need to make a decision for next year as to which way I am going as I have dabbled in both systems and both are bodge jobs so I need to commit and get building some decent infrastructure. [/QUOTE]
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