Managing Small Organic Poultry
Flocks
Mickey A. Latour
Topics:
 Choosing and obtaining Poultry
 Organic Poultry Diets
 Small Scale Housing
 Managing Organic Poultry
 Small Scale Processing
 Sources
Selecting a Bird
 Weather/housing conditions
 Type of production:
 Meat
 Fast-growing
 Final Carcass weight
 Specialty birds
 Layers
 Egg color (Brown, White, Other)
 Total Egg Production
 Egg Size Produced
Examples of genetic sources:
 Local Hatcheries/Fanciers
 Short shipping distance
 Pick up yourself
 Poultry Connection Hatchery List
 http://www.poultryconnection.com/hat
chery.html
 The Poultry Press Ads
 http://www.poultrypress.com/
 Major Hatcheries
 Long Shipping Distance
 www.belthatchery.com
 www.esteshatchery.com
 www.mcmurrayhatchery.com
 www.moyerschicks.com
 www.mthealthy.com/index.html
 www.privetthatchery.com
 www.townlinehatchery.com/chicks.html
For more information on finding a chick source and selecting a breed see:
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/poultry_genetics.pdf
Selecting a Bird
 Weather/housing conditions
 Type of production:
 Meat
 Fast-growing
 Final Carcass weight
 Specialty birds
 Layers
 Egg color (Brown, White, Other)
 Total Egg Production
 Egg Size Produced
What should be in the ration?
 Based on:
 Species
 Duck
 Layer
 Broiler
 Turkey
 Breed
 Desired Production
 Fast/slow growing
 Final weight
 Egg production
 Exhibition
 http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA160
Housing
 Location
 Be aware of codes and restrictions
 Size will be determined by bird numbers
 Consider drainage, accessibility to electric and water
 Fencing, weather needs
 Consider bird death disposal
 Litter choices
 Types:
 Free Range
 Moveable “Chicken trailers”
 Completely Enclosed Operations
Free Range Operations
 Exposure to predators
 Allows birds to express
natural behaviors
 Types:
 Fenced free range
 Open free range
 Truly Organic?
 How do you know what
birds are eating?
“Chicken Trailers”
 Very Small Operations
 Small, moveable housing
 Often used in gardening to add soil value
 Limitations of volume
Chicken trailer (mobile)
Enclosed Operations
• Easier to manage
• Controlled environment
• Ventilation/Lighting
• Protection from predators
• Limits bird activities
Eggs
 How to properly clean eggs
 http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.
jsp?publicationId=798
Processing Poultry and
Egg Grading
Regulations
(7.) Very Small Producer (Regulation 381.10.c)
 Provisions for slaughtering own birds if<1000/yr directly to consumer




not exceeding 750lbs
Also allows for live poultry mart at retail store with birds processed to
consumer’s instructions
No sales to HRI
Still need local health department sanction
(http://www.in.gov/boah/)
Introduction
1.
2.
3.
Birds should be fasted 12-hours before slaughter.
Be sure to allocate enough time to get water hot enough
for scalding.
Make sure plenty of ice/cooling equipment is on-hand
following processing.
HOME PROCESSING
 Killing and bleeding out
 Cone works well – can make your own
 Inside cut (?)
 Better not to cut head off
 Let bleed out well
HOME PROCESSING
 Scalding
 Hard scald
160-180 F
30-60 sec
 Sub scald
138-140 F
30-75 sec
 Semi scald
123-130 F
30-75 sec
 4 parts boiling water to 3 parts cold water gives about 135 F
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/poultrypic.htm
HOME PROCESSING
 Picking
 Singeing
HOME PROCESSING
 Cut off shanks, head, oil gland
 Slit skin down back of neck
HOME PROCESSING
 Remove tracheae, loosen crop, remove crop
 Remove neck
 Move to other end of bird!
HOME PROCESSING
 J-cut
 Easier
 Quicker
 For both, need to cut around
vent without cutting intestine
HOME PROCESSING
 Bring everything out!
 Intestines, gizzard, liver, heart, lungs, reproductive organs,
(kidneys)
 Save gizzard, liver, heart, (neck)
Lung rake
HOME PROCESSING
 Empty gizzard, remove lining
 Clean everything well
 Chill as soon as possible
 Best to chill overnight before cooking or cutting up
Carcass Quality
Carcass Grading
 There are four different grades that carcasses are given and
they are:
A
B
C
 No Grade
Defects in a Poultry Carcass
A
B
 No broken bones
 2 Disjointed bones
 No skin tears more than ¼ inch on a
 One broken bone
meaty part
 No cuts longer than 1 ½ inches on a
non-meaty part
 1 disjointed bone
 Missing both wing tips
 One cut longer than ¼ of an inch on
a meaty part
 A cut longer than 1 ½ inches on a
non-meaty part
 Missing one or both wing portions
and wing tips
Defects in a Poultry Carcass
C
No Grade
 Two or more broken bones
 Cut out wider than the base of the
 One or more broken protruding
tail head
 Missing an appreciable amount of
meat on a meaty part
 If there is a cut down the back that is
passed the hip joints
bone
 More than 1/3 of a part exposed
flesh
 A cut down the back portion more
than half way to the hips
 Missing one or both wings
Poultry Parts
 Back
 Breast quarter
 Thigh
 Breast quarter without wing
 Thigh with back
 Breast with ribs
 Wing Portion
 Boneless skinless breast
 Drumstick
 Boneless skinless drum
 Front half
 Wishbone
 Rear half
 Boneless skinless thigh
 Leg
 Tenderloin
 Leg quarter
Packaging
Factors when grading Egg Quality
Interior Egg Quality
&
Exterior Egg Quality
Avian Influenza
 Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian (bird)
influenza (flu) viruses.
 Infected birds shed influenza virus in their saliva, nasal
secretions, and feces.
 Infection with avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry
causes two main forms of disease that are distinguished by
low and high extremes of virulence.
 Known affected areas
http://gamapserver.who.int/mapLibrary/app/searchResult
s.aspx
What can be done?
 Avoid bird to bird contact outside of your operation.
 Keep everything clean
 Do not haul disease home, avoid problem areas.
 Do not risk disease potential by borrowing items from
neighbors to take care of birds.
 Know the warning signs (sudden increase bird lost, poor
appetite, drop in egg production, swelling around the eyes,
neck and head)
 Sick birds can be reported (local state veterinarian)