Pastured Chicken
June 15th, 2011 | 
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My chickens out in their skidder in the vineyard
This year we decided to change the way we raise our birds. I’ve been raising meat birds since 2008 when Farmer Mike asked if I’d be willing to custom raise 25 or so meat chickens for him and his family.
In 2008, I raised 50 birds for Mike and ourselves in a coop and a fenced in area not far from the house. It worked well and I had lovely birds that year. In 2009 I raised 100 birds the same way but the birds took there toll on the ground and the fencing. By 2010, I had another 75 birds but they free ranged. Free range does not work for the hybrid Cornish cross. They just don’t gain weight at all. They taste good it just takes several more weeks for them to reach a decent butcher size.
So this year, a chicken skidder was built to house the birds in the pasture. This allows them to forage and have grain, be in the fresh air and stay put so they don’t lose all their weight looking/chasing a bug.
The chickens are raised in the chicken coop for the first few week and then moved to a Chicken Skidder (aka chicken tractor). The skidder is moved 2-3 times a day to fresh forage in the vineyard. We really need a second skidder to handle the amount of chickens and turkeys the farm raises but Rich hasn’t had a chance to put another one together.
Overall, I really like this method of raising chickens. Only thing I’d do different is start the skidder at the far end of the vineyard so it moves closer to the farm-site and my walking is less. That’s just the “lazy” in me! 
Oh and if you are interested, we have chicken for sale. Drop me an email and ask about our chicken. We’ve processed 16 birds so far.
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My blog is about my experiences on the farm. All of our experiences are good learning tools.
Believe me, we make plenty of mistakes out here and everyday is a chance to learn something new. ;)
I have 4 gilts on hand and another 5 (bred) coming in a few weeks. They will be raised on pastures/lots here in Texas. I have searched HI and low for information on how to lay out my pen for sows,farrowing, weaning pigs, growing pigs, finishing pigs, etc. and that allows for herd expansion/growth if needed
I am looking for a layout that is economical, practical/efficient, and conducive to my handling the animals primarily by myself. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Simply,
Ollie
(936) 825-8880
Ollie
I’m not sure if there are very many resources one can access, regarding the subject of laying out lots/pens for small-scale, outdoor, hog production. There is a book entitled “Pigs: Keeping a Small-Scale Herd for Pleasure and Profit (Hobby Farm).” I have not read it, so I cannot attest to it’s wisdom or content.
With that said, when I was in high school, I raised hogs. All my sows and gilts ran together until it was time to farrow. When a female pig began to bag-up, she was moved into a straw filled pen. Just prior to her giving birth, she would make a nest, then birth. After a week or so, the new family was introduced back into the herd. I don’t remember any problems.
Currently, we have a 5 commercial pigs in a wooded pasture. They are thriving in the acre sized pen. The hogs should be eating approx. 5 lbs of feed/day (each). But, with what they find on their own, they are only consuming approx. 2 lbs each. Also, we are in the process of purchasing a breeding trio of American Guinea Hogs. The breeder mentioned that the pigs will birth outdoors, amongst the other female hogs, without problems… even in the winter (with snow on the ground).
Here’s my opinion.
One of the neat things about small scale production is that you can try many things with little expense. If you could, try setting-up a few pens temporarily. If it works, do something more permanent. If it doesn’t work, as you would like, modify it. Modern-day farming pioneer, Joe Salatin discourages expensive, permanent structures, due to their expense and lack of flexibility. When things are all said and done, you may find that your set-up works, but the type/breed of your hogs is wrong for the application.
I apologize we couldn’t be of more help… but if I find some info that I think will be helpful to you, I’ll give you a call.
~Rich