Evaluating the Production and Economic Potential of Integrated Sheep and Pasture-Raised Poultry Systems in the Southeastern United States

Commodities

Practices

Pasture-based livestock producers in the Southeastern United States need practical systems that improve pasture use, expand income, and reduce production risk. Integrating pasture-raised poultry with sheep may improve pasture utilization and system productivity while also providing parasite-management benefits within the production system. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the production and economic potential of integrated sheep and pasture-raised poultry systems in the Southeastern United States. The study will use 18 Barbados Blackbelly sheep assigned to one of two systems: sheep-only or integrated sheep plus pasture-raised broilers. Each treatment will have three replicated paddocks with three sheep per paddock. In the integrated treatment, three chicken tractors containing 75 broilers each will follow three sheep groups during three consecutive 5-week grazing periods for a total 15-week study. Chicks for the study will be donated by Mountaire Farms. Sheep performance will be measured using body weight, average daily gain, FAMACHA score, body condition score, fecal egg count, and deworming frequency and cost. Poultry performance will include body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, growth rate, and mortality. Pasture and soil measurements will include forage biomass, forage quality, and pre- and post-study soil nutrient status. Economic analysis will include input costs, poultry returns, enterprise budgeting, and start-to-finish benefit-cost analysis. Results will provide applied biological and economic information to help producers evaluate integrated sheep-poultry systems as a practical strategy to improve productivity, profitability, and long-term viability in the Southeast.

• Evaluate the effects of integrating pasture-raised poultry with sheep on sheep performance, parasite-related indicators, and pasture response under Southeastern U.S. conditions.
• Assess poultry performance within the integrated grazing system using growth rate, feed efficiency, and mortality measures.
• Compare the economic feasibility of integrated sheep-poultry and sheep-only systems using production costs, deworming cost, poultry returns, enterprise budgeting, and start-to-finish benefit-cost analysis.