Cows and Chickens in the same pasture?

[FootbridgeFarm]

Hi Everyone:

My neighbor is willing to let me put my meat birds in tractors in his pasture. He has 6 cows on the same pasture. I think I can rig an electric fence around the pens each day so that the cows don't get mixed up in the tractors but I'm not sure about mixing the two other than that.

I know that Salatin rotates cows first and then chickens but does the pasture need to rest between the two? The pasture is quite big, there's plenty of grass but I'm a little worried about having the meaties running around through fresh cow poop, rather than week or two week old droppings.

Any suggestions or thoughts would be most appreciated!

Thanks

F.

 

[kfacres]

what is your concern? The CX chicks won't be active enough to do any good with cow manure... lazy is the word that will be describe them...

so, on a 'real' farm-- what do you think we 'farmer's' do to keep the chickens from the cow pies until they turn 2 weeks old, small electric fence around each one?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Go back and re-read Pastured Poultry Profits again...Salatin's book.

This is a wonderful opportunity that has landed in your lap....Good Job.

Cows & Chickens go together like "Peas & Carrots" to quote Forest Gump. Move the tractors every few days across the pasture, the chickens will break up the manure from the cows and they will quickly put on great amounts of weight. These will be wonderful meat birds for you.

If the cows and the chickens are in the pasture at the same time there will be a period of mutual curiosity. So expect the cows to go and see what these strange things are in their pasture...Watch to make sure that the cows don't start rubbing on the tractors, as this may break them apart if the tractors are not built very sturdy.

I wish I were in your shoes....Good Luck.

 

[Buster52]

Salatin runs his broilers behind his cattle, not with them. They are at the very least separated by electric. If you run them in the same area, there is the danger of the cattle breaking the broiler pens and accidentally killing birds trying to get to their feed.

My recommendation is, have some sort of barrier between the cattle and the broiler pens, but still run them over the same areas. Just to be safe.

 

[Contrary]

Though this probably isn't the case with you, I was told by a dairy farmer that they are not allowed to run chickens and milking dairy cows together due to problems with bacteria getting in the milk. My neighbor, a beef farmer, told me that his cows would try to rub up against a mobile chicken coop to scratch themselves. Buster's recommendation of a barrier of some sort seems on the mark.

 

[kfacres]

Though this probably isn't the case with you, I was told by a dairy farmer that they are not allowed to run chickens and milking dairy cows together due to problems with bacteria getting in the milk. My neighbor, a beef farmer, told me that his cows would try to rub up against a mobile chicken coop to scratch themselves. Buster's recommendation of a barrier of some sort seems on the mark.

crazy logic with the dairy cattle... Don't see any way that could happen.

The milk comes from inside the cow's body- and as long as adequate measures and methods are used to extract that milk-- there is no way possible for it to be contaminated by chickens. Last time I checked- we don't keep chickens in the milking parlor..

 

[r devries]

i dont know the rules in the Usa but here in canada the milk inspecter would have a bird ( no pun intended) if birds are closer than 100 ft to the cows. What they dont know wont hurt them.

 

[kfacres]

i dont know the rules in the Usa but here in canada the milk inspecter would have a bird ( no pun intended) if birds are closer than 100 ft to the cows. What they dont know wont hurt them.

to the cows themselves-- or the parlor? The chickens themselves- or the coop/ building?

How do you control free range birds?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

i dont know the rules in the Usa but here in canada the milk inspecter would have a bird ( no pun intended) if birds are closer than 100 ft to the cows. What they dont know wont hurt them.

I tried to google these regulations and could not find anything....could you give me the regulation?

 

[r devries]

to the cows themselves-- or the parlor? The chickens themselves- or the coop/ building?

How do you control free range birds?

The general barn, parlour area. You don't control free range birds because you cant have free range birds, if the inspector is their and he sees them in or around the barn your cut off or get a warning and a revisit some inspecters are a bit more leniant, definitly not ours.. Supposed to keep out the swallows and sparrows too well

. Birds are great for controlling bugs.
If its not close to his barn I wouldnt worry about it.
Once again Iam not sure about the rules down their.