Raising Poultry on Pasture wasn’t quite what I was
expecting, but I’m still glad I checked out this compilation of a
decade of GRIT articles. Since the book is, essentially, a “best
of” collection from the magazine, each chapter was written by a
different poultry enthusiast, which strengthens the book by giving it a
wide range of opinions and points of view. Big names like Joel
Salatin, Andy Lee, and Harvey Ussery are represented, but so are less
well known authors writing from around the U.S.
The downside of the
mixed points of view is that you should probably plan to read the whole
book rather than dipping in to find one right answer. Articles
side by side contradicted each other, which is perfectly understandable
— every farm is a little different, so techniques that work in one
area won’t work as well in another. Think of the book as primary
research and draw your own conclusions.
Although I found lots of
tidbits (which I’ll flesh out in later posts) relevant to my own
operation, I should also warn you that Raising
Poultry on Pasture
is written for folks running a commercial operation, selling hundreds
of broilers and/or eggs. If you’re just trying to raise eggs or
meat for yourself while keeping your chickens as happy and healthy as
possible, you’ll probably skim over large segments of this book.
I’d recommend that backyard enthusiasts check Raising
Poultry on Pasture
out of their local library while those of you considering a poultry
business pony up the $45 to buy a copy.
poultry — it never spills on uneven ground and stays clean even on
muddy days.
I got the book too and came to much the same conclusion.
I have to admit, I checked it out of the local library. Interlibrary loan is my best friend!