Sustainable Poultry Production Resource List
A Guide to Resources available from ATTRA
http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/poultry/
Sustainable poultry production does not focus solely on maximum productivity but rather
includes bird welfare and protecting the environment. Consumers have additional concerns
about pesticides residues, additives, antibiotics residue/resistance, nutritional content, flavor,
traceability, regional production, GMO, social justice, etc.
Production/Housing Systems: Alternative production systems for poultry provide outdoor
access, where birds can perform natural behaviors, such as dust bathing and scratching, and have
ample space, fresh air, and natural sunlight.
 Alternative Poultry Production Systems and Outdoor Access. Describes production
systems that include cage-free and free-range and management of the outdoor area to
provide optimum forage, shade, and shelter and protecting birds from predators.
 Poultry House Management for Alternative Production. Provides information on the
“inside” part of alternative poultry production (ventilation, temperature, and lighting in
natural housing), natural litter management and rodent control.
 Poultry Equipment for Alternative Production. Describes watering and feeding
equipment/options for portable poultry houses, along with fencing for free-range areas
and roost options.
 Range Poultry Housing. Provides information and construction plans for portable poultry
shelters and small houses.
Genetics: Poultry used to be among the most diverse of livestock but genetics has narrowed due
to the focus on high-yielding commercial hybrids in the U.S. It is important to preserve breeds
for the future, many of which have ties to specific regions of the U.S.
 Meat Chicken Breeds for Pastured Production. Describes conventional fast-growing
meat chickens, while highlighting alternative slower growing genetics that may be more
appropriate to alternative production systems.
Feeding: Diets in specialty poultry production are generally free of routine medications and
animal by-products and may involve whole grain feeding, free-choice feeding to use feeds grown
on the farm, and ingredients high in omega-3 fatty acids to enrich meat and eggs. Feeds may be
commercially available, custom-mixed or mixed by hand on the farm.
 Pastured Poultry Nutrition. Describes feedstuffs used in specialty poultry production and
alternative feeding strategies such as whole grain feeding and choice feeding.
 Organic Livestock Feed Suppliers Database. Lists suppliers of organic formulated feeds
as well as organic ingredients. Self-listing.

Organic Poultry Nutrition: Supplying Adequate Methionine. Topic of particular interest
to large-scale poultry producers due to the impending ban on all synthetic amino acids.
Health: Reducing stress will help the bird’s immune system and includes good management,
adequate spacing, proper temperature, ventilation and litter conditions, good nutrition, and clean
water. Vaccines help prevent infectious disease and biosecurity measures also help prevent the
introduction of diseases. In antibiotic-free production, gut health is particularly important and
natural compounds, bacteriophages, prebiotics, probiotics are useful.
 Parasite Management for Natural and Organic Poultry: Coccidiosis. Describes
management to reduce incidence of coccidiosis, natural treatments to reduce the use of
drugs, and vaccines.
Processing: There are few government-inspected small poultry processing plants to which
independent producers have access. Some states allow small numbers of poultry to be processed
on-farm without government inspection (less than 1,000 birds/year or sometimes up to 20,000
birds/year). Innovative technologies such as the use of gas stunning to improve welfare and air
chilling to improve meat quality can be adapted to small plants. Egg regulations for small flocks
vary by state, but usually eggs must be washed and held at less than 45F before selling to the
customer.
 Small-scale Egg Handling. Describes proper shell egg handling including nestbox
management, washing (dry and wet methods), and storing.
 Small-scale Poultry Processing. Describes on-farm, mobile processing units, and smallscale poultry meat processing.
 Small Poultry Processing Plants and Services. A database of small processors which
service independent growers around the country. Self-listing.
Business and Marketing: Small producers direct market to the consumer from the farm, at
farmers markets, buying clubs, by subscription, etc. Larger producers work with collaborative
marketing and niche markets. Niche markets include antibiotic-free, natural, free-range, organic,
high-omega, high-welfare, local, American origin or place-based, gourmet, or heritage poultry
meat and eggs.
 Label Rouge: Pasture-Based Poultry Production in France. Of interest to U.S. producers
is a French program that assures a high-quality, specialty product to French consumers.
In poultry production, slow-growing genetics are used along with outdoor access and airchilling during processing.
 Growing Your Range Poultry Business: An Entrepreneur’s Toolbox. Feasibility and
business planning, includes decision tree, budgets for small flock/on-farm processing,
medium flock with processing out-sourced, and establishing a mobile processing unit or a
small fixed plant.
 Organic Poultry Production in the United States. Discusses organic husbandry practices
including living conditions, health, stock and origin, feed and processing as required
under the livestock requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic
Program.
Additional Resources
 See http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/poultry/ for on-line publications, videos, photographs and
presentations, databases, etc.; www.attra.ncat.org; 800-346-9140
 Heifer International (www.heifer.org); 859-497-0603
 Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (www.sare.org); 301-504-5230
 American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (www.apppa.org); 541-453-4557
 Subscribe to Pasture Poultry email listserver at www.group.yahoo.com
Contact Anne Fanatico (fanaticoac@appstate.edu; www.susdev.appstate.edu; 828-262-6813).