How much pasture needed?

[keysbreeze]

Buying farm, wanting some advice if pasture raising, approx. 1500 broilers in a six month season. About how many acres is needed without over fertilizing the pasture in that season? Using the salatin method?

 

[Buster52]

If you did all at once, that would be 15 10x10 pens side by side. Move them once daily 10 feet at a time times 35 days on pasture for 350 feet (700 if you move it twice a day). So, 150x350=52,500 square feet just to run your birds without using the same pasture twice.

That is going by a Salatin 10x10 broiler pen at 100 birds per pen. For less density or smaller pen, just change the formula accordingly.

 

[keysbreeze]

How does this sound? 75 cornish cross.
10'X12' Chicken tractor = 120 sqft.
43,560 sqft in an acre
43,560 sqft divide by 120 sqft = 360 moves per acre
Approx. 5 weeks or 35 days, birds in pasture before processing ( 3 weeks in brooder),(8 weeks total)
360 spaces divide by 35 days per tractor = approx. 10
75 birds x 10 tractors = 750 birds per acre,
So double that and you need 2 acres to raise 1500 birds in a six month season. Can I really do this on 2 acres? or is there a mistake in my figuring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I know I didnt put in for some dying.

 

[Blaineiac]

With my own experience if you have 75 in a 10x12 you are going to have a lot dying, and moving 3 times a day. And at 35 days they will probably be about 3.5-4 lbs dressed. I think you should start out with 25 and see how they do first. Not trying to be rude, just honest. Good Luck Blaine

 

[Buster52]

You brood them for three weeks before putting them on pasture, for a total of 8 weeks. You will need some place to brood them, of course. I think 75 in a 10x12 will be fine. Might need to move it twice a day the last week or two.

Two acres of pasture could work, but it would be tight. Five would give you room to expand later, or rotate pasture every year. Point is, you really don't need much room to do this thing.

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

I would suggest you calculate it based on 500 birds/acre. You may do better or worse than that but it's a pretty realistic figure. We move them less frequently when they are young, then speed it up at the end. It works out to about 500/acre.

I have tried raising my birds on rough, marginal ground and on flat and fertile ground. I don't recommend the marginal ground. If 500/acre works and you want to raise 1500 then find 3 flat, fertile acres near a water source.

1500 is a good number of birds. Once your marketing is up to speed you'll be selling out every year. With that in mind, you should have an eye on future chicken production....or future beef production.

 

[keysbreeze]

I think your right , 500 per acre sounds more realistic, thanks