Using Pasture Poultry as a Nitrogen Return for Summer Slump Grazing of Rape by Sheep

The purpose of this project conducted at Greenwood Acres Farm in Springfield, West Virginia was to determine if rape summer crops could be supplemented nitrogen produced by chickens grazed in Slatin style cages.

We used Salatin cages to move two and a half week old fully feather chickens (cockerels) through summer rape fields grazed by spring feeder lambs. In 2004, the study was rerun to determine the impact of 2003 data. Birds suffered cannibalism during both studies regardless of the modification made to cage design and bird morphology. The lambs performed both years with consistent data to show the impact of Summer Drift rape grazing. However, the rape did not survive the multiple movements of the cages across the field which did have some impact on the 2003 grazing schedule.

• FNE030475 Final Report