Integrated Livestock and Cropping System Adapted for Pastured Chickens

Our integrated livestock and cropping system for pastured chickens in now in effect.  First we cut a swath through the proso millet that is roughly 15 ft x 100 ft in size.  If a conservative yield of one ton per acre is applied, then this would amount to 75 pounds of millet seed.  Then the electric poultry netting is moved over the swath to allow chickens access to the freshly cut millet and clover.  The mobile hen houses are then moved closer to the advancing fence because the chickens do not like to forage far away from the safety of their coop.   Since the chickens forage mostly in the early morning and late afternoon, supplemental feed is provided for them for the day.

Millet Everywhere

Most of the proso millet has flowered now, and should be another month before the pastured chickens begin foraging for the seeds.

Proso Millet Infloresence

On August 1st I began noticing proso millet inflorescences emerging from a few leaf sheaths.   This puts it at about seven weeks after planting to get to this stage.

 

A Serious Attempt to Reduce Feed Costs

A view of the two acre field of proso millet and white clover 30 days  after being planted is shown above.  Some of the millet is over one foot tall, and only authentic methods were used to produce this crop.  Snippets from online research are provided below:

 

From    http://www.feedipedia.org/node/722

Laying hens

In comparison trials between proso millet, maize and sorghum, hens and pullets fed whole proso millet diets (70% inclusion rate) showed slight depressions in egg production but tended to lay larger eggs. Pullets fed millet diets had body weight gains similar to those fed the maize diet, but slightly greater than pullets fed the sorghum diet. Proso millet gave yolk color scores significantly greater than sorghum but less than maize grain. The specific gravity of eggs from pullets did not differ greatly among diets (Luis et al., 1982c). In layer diets, the replacement of 50 to 100% of maize grain (55% dietary level) by proso millet decreased egg production (from 4.08 to 2.72 eggs per week), feed efficiency and ß-carotene content but other egg quality traits (egg quality traits such as egg weight, shape index, albumen index, yolk index, Haugh units, egg shell thickness) were not affected (Korane et al., 1991) (Korane et al., 1992)

 

From:  https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/millet.html

Proso millet as livestock feed is similar to oats and barley in feeding value. It is commonly fed in ground form to cattle, sheep, and hogs. Whole seed can be fed to poultry. The protein values compare favorably with sorghum and wheat and are higher than corn.

 

From:  http://www.feedipedia.org/node/245

When growing chickens on pasture was a common practice, white clover was thought to be one of the best forage for poultry. Ladino clover, notably, was famed in the United States for its high protein content and palatability throughout the season, that allowed poultry farmers to reduce the protein content of the supplements down to 12 %, thus reducing feed costs (Kennard et al., 1949). Contemporary research about the use of legume forages in poultry focuses on free-range and organic farming systems, with less emphasis on growth and more interest in ground cover abilities and egg and meat quality.

Kennard’s research can be found here:  http://www.plamondon.com/clover.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A View of the Millet and Clover Field

Took this picture of the proso millet and white clover field yesterday.  It’s about three weeks along now.  You can see that I poorly broadcasted the millet seed because you can see areas of heavy planting along with sparse sections.  Oh well, maybe next year….

Proso Millet Two Weeks Later

The proso millet has sprouted and appears to be doing well.   Hopefully the smaller sprouts are the white clover that was planted.  The field was well fertilized with raw chicken manure, so the plants shouldn’t be lacking essential nutrients.

Finished Planting

After working the two acre field over with a drag a couple times, it was planted with 50 pounds of proso millet and six pounds of ladino clover using a hand broadcaster.  Then it was dragged a couple times more in an attempt to cover up some of the seeds and work them into the ground.  Overall, I’m not too happy with the job.  There are still too many rocks in the field that I have to pick up during the next couple days.  Furthermore, there are piles of quack grass all throughout the field.  The farmer I borrowed the drag from says that next time I need to quack the field in the late fall when the frost hits the ground.  Then it has to be dragged over and over, more than ten times,  before the quack grass starts to get worked in to the field.  He says this is why the farmers went to no-till up here: the quack grass is really bad in the UP.

However, my customers demand organic style eggs, and so I will pass any extra costs on to them and not go conventional.

Working the Fields

Spent the late afternoon yesterday working up this field with a seven foot, nine point field cultivator.  Raw and partially composted chicken manure will be spread and worked in the ground over the next several weeks.   Around June 15th, proso millet will be planted, and should reach maturity in 60 to 70 days.  When mature the millet will be brush cut, and the chickens will be allowed to forage for the seeds.  This should result in a drop in feed costs and an increase in egg production.  If this works out well, we may plant twenty acres of proso millet next year for harvest.