I have raised my hens without grain for over 10 years. Compost Piles, garden scraps, all the fat from butcherd cows & sheep with only 3 gallons of raw milk a couple times a week. I'm in WI so in the dead of winter -15 to -40 F they get a few scoops of chop corn just for heat. I raise anywhere from 100 to 150 layers and my hens lay at about 85 to 90%. My profits are higher then anyone who feeds out grain. I don't truck in any food scraps from anywhere.
@@sikuvitall7006 don't give him a hard time, there are plenty of things on the farm that require taking that off for safety purposes to the point where he probably can't wear it some days... plus it's none of your business...
A note about soy in Japan... for a very long time the peasant class wasn't allowed to eat meat, so soy was a critical source of protein. Their preparation techniques rose out of necessity more than interest.
@@learnjcbskidsterchickensga7594 My friend who was into bodybuilding opted to buy soy-isolate protein at discount price. After couple of days, noticed that he felt odd, like he got mood swings, a bit depressed, and slacked on trainings, lost aggressive edge and competitiveness. He also felt crying often when watching movies. And thats estrogen from sob protein isolate which suppose to be like 99% pure isolated protein. Imagine how larger doses of estrogen you would get from ingesting less processed soy food
As you stated, context is everything. I visited Vermont Compost and the chickens are really a secondary output. Karl isn't trying to maximize egg production. They are helping to make the compost. He showed me a couple hens that were 8 years old. He doesn't care as long as they are scratching away.
This! I have backyard hens, most of them have joined the flock after they are 2 years old, past prime laying age, and given to us for free. I get massive amounts of compost from them, and the inputs are free. The value is in the compost, the eggs are basically free.
@@slaplapdog it's funny how that works out. On a similar note, we started raising a few rabbits for meat... and soon realized that their manure is probably as valuable to us as the immediate food source.
That's the difference between Richard and some of the homesteaders: Richard is a smart businessman who not only cares for the soil, but cares that farmers are able to earn a decent living and create a sustainable reason to want to farm as a living and not just as a hobby. Again, no right or wrong, but Richard lays it out straight and clear.
Yes, to be clear, homesteaders. If you're trying to make a living off of your land, to me homesteading is not where to look. What's funny is in the US there are a few people that people look up to, one being Joel Salatin, who really is similar to Richard but I think on a larger scale because he deals with much more pasture and raising cattle. Chickens are certainly part of that operation and bring in money too, but it's a combination of having land and enriching that land to build great soil for pasture. This is the general concept of what they do regardless of how they accomplish it and both are very effective. I would NEVER consider either of these operations homesteading. They are farmers through and through, running a farming operation to make a living. THESE are the people I pay the most attention to along with a couple other channels like No-Till Growers as he focuses on vegetable crops. Now, he started out more like a homesteader to gain experience and then they moved into a place to produce a farming operation. So, if I wanted to farm to make money, these are the people I pay attention to. If I just want to be on some land and have a hobby farm producing for me and family, then I can take concepts from these channels along with what I would consider homesteading just to get a wide variety of ideas. But if it's an intention to develop something and then pass it on through inheritance, I'm approaching it from a more business perspective.
I dont mean to be so offtopic but does anybody know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account..? I was stupid lost the password. I love any tricks you can give me
You summed that up beautifully which is context, context, context. What is it YOU are trying to do with your land because there is no clear right or wrong. A person needs to know what it is they're trying to accomplish, and then work systems that give them good outputs, and for people who need to make money off of land, they need to document and have clear records. One thing I get from this channel more than most is clear thinking about how to approach what it is I want to do along with a pretty good understanding of the mechanics of making that work. There are other channels where I can get some insight into the mechanics of doing a particular thing, but I think this channel does a great job of putting all the pieces together for others to see without getting too detailed which of course is not the purpose of this channel.
It is very simple to say that pastured chickens build soil. At first glance they do when you dig a hole and see how deep the layer of top soil goes, but what happens in reality is that you are moving nutrients from one place (where the grain is grown) to another (where the chickens poop). If you would take the land required to grow the grain into the equation, the amount of soil built would look quite differently. If a farmer has to grow their own chicken feed, they would think twice before relocating these nutrients towards such an intensive poultry enterprise. In reality, the only "primary tool" we have to actually build soil is nitrogen fixing plants. In addition, these plants can be assisted with other "tools" such as ruminants, grassland management, no till, deep rooting perennials, and yes, integrating chickens. But the chickens are merely assisting in speeding up the process, not the primary cause of the top soil creation. Furthermore, one should considered whether it is desirable to run a regenerative (!) enterprise that is based on input that is in direct competition with nutrients that can be used for human consumption. Ultimately, I think it is more regenerative to use chickens as waste managers instead with the added benefit of some eggs and occasional/seasonal meat. The role of the farmer is to orchestrate the ecological balance of the living elements on the farm. Which means, thinning out the herd when needed and eating the surplus. This would inevitably mean eating less meat. Commercially interesting, probably not. Ecologically sustainable, much more so.
Только при выращивании зёрна получаются зерно отходы, которые как раз и скармливают птице и животным. А они вернут их перегноем. Для малых площадей подходит скошенная трава газонов. Во всём остальном Вы правы.
1) Soil is mostly improved by carbon, not nitrogen. Yes the nitrogen fixing bacteria (Rhizobia, Cyanobacteria and Frankia) are important to soil improvement and hence the plants that host them are beneficial, but they aren't the sole factor. Nitrogen actually reduces the depth of plant roots... which is counter productive until we use cows to move the leaves that are grown because of the nitrogen into the soil, hence increasing the carbon and nutrient content. And even in the example we are looking at look at grains are not rich in nitrogen. Really he is mostly taking nutrients from the ocean via the fish meal to reverse erosion more quickly. This somewhat makes sense considering the massive amount of nutrients leached into the ocean from the land. 2) There is sufficient productive range land on earth for everyone to eat only ruminant meat (on a high-fat diet) and meet all caloric requirements. This is in addition to the fact livestock can be integrated into other systems to improve efficiency. Alleys of trees minimally effect pasture growth and actally improve drought resilience, whilst the trees benefit from the pasture fertility and are very productive. 3) Chicken operations specifically rely on massive seed production (grains) which is not currently done in a sustainable manner even by organic producers. It is possible, in theory at least, to grow chicken pastures but it isn't an ideal energy extraction system because chickens do not efficiently extract seeds and seeds are not as efficient an extraction of energy as grass. Geese are grazers and, though less efficient than ruminants at extracting energy, could be a viable alternative poultry/egg source for commercial poultry operations on pasture. Alternatively chickens can serve as only a small portion of the system, living primarily off the seeds and insects in the pasture already and reducing pest and parasite pressure.
I like that you are using time and method studies from industry to to determine best practices and feeds to give you best results. Very informative and wise analysis.
From Kentucky USA..... Dude, you are swelling my brain sooooooooo much I have to take a break. Put those numbers on a board so we can do a screen shot and make good records of how to maximize production. Great video
Hey Richard, I think you make a great point about the volume of nutrients imported for a compost operation vs grain. I would argue that the more sustainable form of pastured poultry is the goose. On my farm, I found that, after the first 4 weeks, I was able to raise my geese in a rotational grazing system where they derived 90% of their diet from grass.
Thank you for your usual dose of reality and practicality for permaculture farming. Some people who only have backyard gardens are too idealistic to realize how different a farming enterprise must be.
Every chicken man or woman knows what works for someone else might not work for you. Don't pay mind to others backyard's, pick and choose to learn from those who'll benefit your needs.
Richard, I admire Ur work and achievements!! I live in the Philippines and raise a small flock of Chinese Silky Chickens, totally with out grain, my birds dont even know what grain is literally. They have eaten nothing but insects, weeds, greens, fruits from our property, the only suppliment I buy is a product called Tahop (it is a rice dust which is collected after the milling of rice). If they dont get their greens and fruits they look at me like were is our food. I have found their weights and egg production with in standards of science (mans thoughts data). They are raised in the deep litter compost floor method, never have i ever cleaned there floor other then to take out the compost when I need it for my garden. Man has literally miss thought the chickens diet (grain etc.). I say this due to a reseach program done here in the Philippines by one of the top Ag. Collages in this country. I wish i would have saved this literature, Im sure I could find it again. The professors research was based on the chicken was here way before man was, what did they eat!!!!! I have left some of my chickens out to forage the land and watch them closely to what they were eating, matters short I collect there meals off the land at there likings since i live in the mountains and have much land to roam. In the research it stated 8 different items daily will give them good health. I find it to be true so yes chickens can be raised with out grain and be productive and healthy. Thanks keep the good works going Bro!!!
@@arrhazes8198 Hi Razii, to answer ur questions i have feed up to 30 chickens on this diet at one time. A typical collection in a day would consist of no less then 8 different types of greens and fruits up to 15!!! When Im lazy they will get the left over of our daily food scraps from rice to veggies ( I cant name all the veggies ) but I will say any veggies u have will work. I have 40 different fruit trees and on any given day they can eat fruits from one of the trees. Their favorite fruits are papaya and banana, we eat the fruit and they get the skins and peals, banana trees are no waste I spend some time chopping things up for them, it is a love of labor, they consume the whole tree from trunk to fruits etc. They will eat any thing I give them and if I give grain they look for there greens and fruit first, they dont get grain but maybe 1 time in a 6 month period. They hunt bugs and insects and feed on grass and different weeds that grow in our area, they are allowed to go into my composting areas and they will be content all day long. There diet is a large variety in any given day, they can literally live their life in a compost heap. I hope this has given U a good idea on what to feed Ur flock and how, thanks!!
The American UA-camr way is to show all the positives and completely gloss over any negatives to get people thinking it's easy and I have to buy his new book.... Deception at its finest
I appreciate an attempt to share the nuance of this. Way to many people get too focused on one particular method of production and seem to think it should work for everyone. Sometimes I think people get like that about cultivation techniques and no dig gardening without looking at the trade offs of specific cultivation techniques when they might be appropriate. Even tilling and plowing can be highly beneficial when applied appropriately without excess or dearth. Many times the cultivation techniques have to change as the land develops.
Turning a waste stream into a profitable side gig is a smart thing to do. But the moment the side gig turns into a main gig, you no longer have the waste stream to supply the needed inputs. On a homestead scale with a few birds, kitchen and garden scraps can possibly feed your flock.
Detailed and as clear as you can possibly be. Record data tells you everything if you take the time to study it. Great video Richard, Really, really good.
Love your work and your videos. Many years ago I was an Animal Nutritionist with National Foods (Bulawayo) in Zimbabwe. We based all our rations (beef, dairy, pigs, sheep, horse, poultry) on the NRC's publications. It's American yet strangely very good. Just a few things. Soya bean cake (the remains after oil is extracted) is extremely good protein especially in poultry feeds. Also, I am a huge fan of your "follow the big animals in the pasture". Love it. However, technically, there'll be variances in the birds' diet. If those variances are not too great, no problem. But please understand the concept of the total diet for instance, by eating bugs (assuming bugs have a higher protein and lower energy value than your bought-in feed), the overall intake for the birds will be affected. If this were the case, you may need to adjust slightly your bought-in feed by lowering protein and upping energy. It's a tricky thing because the amount of bug intake is variable. Sorry about all that but animal nutrition is close to my heart. PS. You're spot on about feeding a quality ration to chickens. Totally the best option financially.
What I’m also hearing here Richard is that the value in considering the range of enterprises, what inputs and productions and wastes are produced and how they can be used are also of value. You do a great job of engaging the conversation around the many different data points to consider in making decisions among the many enterprises, in all the different locations and the value of each of these inputs and what can be produced at what price points . I believe, for example I’ve only heard you speak of the value in the uses of feathers as yet another component of value, work effort and in productions.
Funny I've been playing with this for a while & basicly come to the same conclusions about the lag in feed to eggs & the compost methods if you want compost they are fantastic workers & eggs are a bonus so you need more hens & if you feed too much layers they don't work so hard so it's a fine balance . I find they are hardy & healthy on compost . Edible acres is interesting on the subject but he also is producing compost though on a smaller scale & not egg production on commercial scale.great well timed video 👍
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!! This has cleared up many questions I've had in wanting to raise my own organically-fed birds. You've given me some new ideas to work on when calculating costs, production, labor, and potential profit. Awesome!!
Excellent information. I have actually been wondering about feeding my chickens solely kitchen scraps and free range. I will keep my present method of grains and scraps and free range. Many thanks.
Thank you, Richard. Although, we have a small homestead so much of the info is applicable to our pockets, the care of our animals, and the land we call home. I have some ISA browns mixed in with other chicken breeds and it would compromise their health to feed them this way, they seem to need so much more protein with the amount of eggs they lay. I saw the videos you mentioned here and I think personally they are quite misleading and could potentially be quite harmful if ppl decided to try this out on a whim without further context. The nutritional aspect is so important with the overall well being and production of chickens as you mentioned. Good video, thanks for clarifying and providing a bigger picture here. Much appreciated.
How would you know it would be detrimental to their health unless you tried it ? From the research I've seen, they benefit more from free ranging and compost feeding rather than being fed grain. I've experimented and my isa browns do much better with less grains and more free ranging. And the yolks are much darker and richer without the grain
Dependence on industrial chicken feed imports and having to purchase franken-layers every generation look like major weaknesses in this system. If the feed stops coming or the controlled genetics are not shared this business plan looks like it will be in danger of collapse. Humans have successfully farmed and kept livestock for thousands of years without industrial inputs. Communities in the past curated local and regional land-race livestock that lived off the land, it can be done again.
Agreed. Unfortunately, growing chestnuts, acorns, hazelnuts, honey locusts, and other perennial sources of carbohydrates for poultry is a long term investment. (10-15 years) But your right, we do need to start thinking about the long term. And Richard is right that poultry are omnivores. And he also pointed out (as well as others below) there are strict rules about feeding animal and insect sources of protein. Unfortunately, the rules are designed to prevent industrial ag abuses; not for small organic diverse farms. There are a lot of hurdles to get over to reach a more sustainable method that is also highly productive and safe.
@@gardenfornutrition6373 most of these homesteads and true pasture raised/organic egg operations use organic non-industrial production of feed. at least the ones I know about and have seen. There is nothing wrong with small scale feed processing centers if the inputs are raised in regenerative agriculture protocols.
David Walters I used to think so. But now I find myself wondering if we should ever feed grains to animals that humans could be eating. It is no big deal now but down the road it might become more important (When fuel, soil, water, etc. becomes more scarce.) The problem is that this paradigm shift takes time and by the time you realize you need it, it is too late.
A few months ago I watched this video talking about a few guys growing worms/bugs to make a protein powder which would be sold to dog food manufacturers. I didn't realize at the time that these worms could also be sold to chicken farms. There's so many little business ideas everywhere, and sometimes it's so damn obvious we don't see them.
@@FeelingShred to my knowledge there are zero commercial operations (in other words NOT homesteaders) that can raise chickens purely on pasture and insects. I don't believe exist except for the massive organic compost operation up in Vermont where the chicks do in deed feast on grubs, insects and fungi on giant mounds of compost. But it is a sideline business, not the primary ones. I endorse the use of *some* feed grains for chickens as a cheap and efficient way of making *tasty* protein (eggs and/or meat). Ideally such grains are a *minority* of their feed with grass, plants, scraps and other sources of food for them being the majority.
this is amazing Richard, incredible information nuances, i learned how foolish it will be to just believe what i hear without passing it through the screem of knowledge and reality! Great video!
Great video! I think there is a legitimate reason so many people are intrigued with the idea of raising livestock without grain, and I imagine there will be a solution to this in the future. It closes an almost perfect loop. Maybe this will involve the genetic modification of high production birds, change in legislation surrounding feeding livestock with slaughter waste, more intelligent systems for other food waste within society, improving the efficiency of systems that produce BSFL or other rapid growth insects etc...
@@FeelingShred Its ridiculous to blame grains. Its part of natural feed . but factory reared birds do not have access to grass/veggies and worms so they have weak immune system and more susceptible to diseases
Wow! Thanks for breaking it down! The first person to explain the grain feed for chickens! As an aspiring homesteader/farmer we tend to have idealized thoughts of our future chickens eating just insects and grass out on pasture! Lol. Reality check!
Hi Richard, I sprout grain to feed to my chickens and give pellets as well. I find this cheap and effective and give the chicken a good food source high in protein. What are your thoughts?Also I have made a large chicken tractor with an electric fence all in one piece and I can tow the whole thing all together. It saves me alot of time and I can move them anytime of the day. The one have made holds 100 chickens, but you could make it to hold alot more probably up to 250 or even 300. The chickens are fully save from predators including hawks, foxes etc. I had a major problem with hawks and this is why I came up with this design. if anybody is interested I can send you photos by email
much admiration. your work is so important, fixing the soil. I try to pass on your name, along with Alan Savory, Joel Salatin for people to get information on changing farming practices to benefit the earth and still making profit. i'm part of the Carnivore diet group and I see the connection between healthy soils and human food production. love your videos.
I read somewhere that this would just increase the moisture content of the food and decrease its nutritional value as the plant will consume it to grow roots and shoots.
@@miloudbouchefra200 The volume of food increases. The amount of fat is reduced but the proteins and carbs have increased. Curtis Stone does this and gets better eggs. He soaks the seeds for 24 hours and then lets them sprout on trays without soil before feeding his chickens. The nutrients are still there. Boron went into cell walls to protects against pests and fungi and into the shoots to make them grow. But the nutrients are still there.
Justin Rhodes is a marketer of film and books, much more than a marketer of food.He does a good job at selling the sizzle, but not so much at selling the steak. His viewership mostly hopeful homesteaders, have little knowledge of livestock raising or growing farm crops, it’s obvious that his skills with camera angles are much greater than his practical farm skills.
Surprising to see comments to the negative here… it has been made quite clear that no way is THE wrong way. BUT.. for large scale production, it makes more sense economically,(costs, time and yield) to do just as Richard is doing. Spoken with utmost respect and consideration to other methods. 👍
Appreciate the input and assessment. Seems mostly a break-point of scale of operation . I like the focus on understanding and using data , helpful for any size or type of operation.
You're way ahead of most farmers on these issues which is brilliant. But... You've built topsoil on your farm, but at what external cost? What about the topsoil that was used to grow your layer pellets? Maybe it's simply the case that chicken eggs cannot be profitably produced in a regenerative system. I agree something you've said elsewhere, that we should not hold preconceived ideas of how to achieve our holistic context goals, so I think it's unwise to fixate on one enterprise such as eggs if it doesn't actually meet your basic goals (assuming that one of those is to operate a system with a positive net impact). Again though, I've found your teaching resources really useful and inspiring and I'm hugely grateful for the thorough and methodical approach you've brought to this movement and the time you put into education!
this is an interesting discussion... one i think that could be turned into a broader form of discussion if other people were involved... a monthly headbangers ball where people get together to bounce ideas around...
Main video points to consider here : - the best source of proteins is fish flesh, then what about an aquaponic system then ???? - in order to have a good compost for next season is to keep hens in poly- tunnel starting from know
Considering aquaponics is there any commercial viable enterprise using it? I've seen someone in the USA using it on a larger scale but it is a costly investment and he's yet to become profitable.
@@hughmarcus1 you missed the point, carbon is absorbed at the fa that makes grain, shipped to its new location , goes through the animal and deposited on the new location..
@@stuffnsuch631 plants get their carbon for "building" their cells from CO2 (air) and not from soil. That's photosynthesis. So if you buy grains from a regenerative or at least sustainable farmer your top soil is not to the detriment of his top soil.
In this video you quoted about a 3 or 4 day window for feed changes to catch up with the chickens! Thanks this is one of the things I was wondering about. But I am also wondering if its a similar window for ducks? I have more ducks than chickens now because they seem to weather the cold here better; and the kids like them more. Thanks.
This video is pure gold! Have you considered light supplementation for your hens in winter or at least at the end of the season to stretch their egg production? Might be worth the electric costs with the efficiency of LED's these days.
Thanks for the great information! As far as I can see, you don't mention the cost of buying point of lay birds. We find this a huge expense. We'd love to know how you do this economically.
I agree with your stance 100% also wanted to point out they do not raise their chickens with out grain the raise it with food inputs from the town which has grain in it like bread. the way they use there chickens is very smart they use it as a value added product which is the true lesson about the compost system how to use one product several different ways to maximize your investment and space the economics of permaculture stacked functions
Excellent video to bring some people back to reality perhaps before they make some costly mistakes. But just to be pedantic, the impossible low input, high production system comment is almost entirely true with a few exceptions. Flood and drain carp/tilapia farming with livestock grazing is one, an aquaculture project in Spain called Veta la Palma (although I guess this might not be considered high given the area involved. But the input to output ratio is pretty incredible, and the fact it is one of the most ecologically significant farming systems out there is another bonus). But the best by far is marine ragworm farming, one of my old professors at Newcastle University started this by pumping warmed seawater that cooled power stations through concrete outdoor tanks, very few inputs apart from spawning ragworms, and free heated seawater (in fact the power station paid them for cooling the water before it entered the ocean), and now its a multi billion dollar industry, although sadly the UK lost out to the Americans. Incredible work Richard.
Agree with you on the aspect of numbers. However, given that I were to diminish the number of broilers to 100, and that I am running a veggie market farm, I would have sufficient amount of feed to cover most of their diet, and considerably reduce the financial expenses to cover grains. Also large scale composting worms have a fast multiplying factor of a hundred after just 4monthes. In which case the mass of worms would be sufficient to cover their diet for a long while. Not to mention that it's also their natural diet! It boils down to numbers. With regards to supplementing their diet for higher quality eggs, sure don't mind improvement.
Time to think bigger. Perennials are the future. Can't be 'regenerative' if bringing in massive inputs from annuals and tillage. Time for Richard to add bushes and trees, e.g. mulberry, chestnut, hazelnut, etc. More productive system.
You can not blame us for wanting to feed our chicken for free, but we should have known it was to good to be true. Your take on the whole high in put for high out put very well, where were you in the 1960 & 1970? I could have used your knowledge to change everything we did on a very small farm.
I use ducks and geese as soil builders. I sell duck eggs. Chickens are primarily carnivores. Chickens eat far more "bugs" than plants if given the opportunity.
That's awesome. Geese being super efficient. Here in Sweden we have extremely limited market for both, I havent met anyone here that has ever bought either!
The few fowl I have, I found no substitute for layers pellets, because of the covid19 lockdown my feedstore does contactless at the door and they load you. The person loading me gave me layers mash. When I first kept chickens, I soon realized that that is a waste, they scratch away finding the best bits, must be 40% loss of feed.
*Some rough calculations* _for feeding chickens purely with red wiggler worms_ *Premises* - Worm populations double every 60 days - 1000 worms weigh 1 pound and consume 1/2 pound of food per day. - 1 chicken consumes 1/4 pound of food per day, or 250 worms *Thesis* The population of worms need to be able to reproduce at a high enough rate to feed all the chickens sustainably. If a population of worms doubles in size every 60 days, we would want to have a colony of worms whose weight equals the amount of feed required for the flock of chickens to consume in those 60 days. A single chicken can consume 15 pound of food every 60 days, of 15,000 worms. This would mean that for every chicken in a flock, you would need 15,000 worms (~15 pounds) in the colonies. 15k worms can consume 7.5 pounds of food per day. *Application* Let's think about how extensive this operation would be for a flock of 1000 chickens. This flock would need 250 pounds of feed every day. Purely feasting on our worms, this flock could consume 250,000 worms every day. Within a 60 day period, they could eat a staggering 15 million worms. This means to maintain a steady population while feeding the chickens, a 15 million worm colony would need to maintained. That many worms could eat 7500 pound of organic matter per day. *Conclusion* This method is not feasible for operations oriented towards poultry production, but may be viable as a source of additional revenue for compost/castings production operations.
How much grain per laying hen do you use per day? We soak/ferment our organic mixed grain/beans mix. So I know it might be different from your feed. They are also on pasture all day. We don't have access locally to organic pellets with fish protein.
Always interesting to hear your views; my father long since dead, would only use sand in the chicken coup, as a dry bath for them to keep the feathers free of lice and ticks, and as grit for the buzzard and shell production. He would probably spin in his grave at you feeding them fish products. Likewise he was most concerned about abbotoirs using meat products in cow cake, the BSE crisis proved him right.
Amazing figures, thank you! Now I'm wondering - if the ag system crashed and you had to grow your own grain, how many hectares would you need to grow a reliable grain source just for your chickens?
Roughly (very roughly) 1 acre per 32 chooks, growing Khorasan wheat and/or other heirloom/heritage Non-GE crops. You would need at least three 1 acre harvest per year. Depending on weather conditions, you could almost squeeze in four harvest per year. If the ag system crashed, it's likely other systems would be crashing also... 32 chooks would be enough to provide plenty of eggs for a family of 5, +the cat, +the dog. Add some fruit & vege and you're sorted. Eggs are about as close to "a complete meal" as you can get, but the cat would also need taurine from yoghurt, or cottage cheese (easier to digest due to converted lactose). 2 hectares would probably do it. 100% self-sustaining. The world is not overpopulated - Cities are!
@@PermaPen Thanks - just an example :) Yeah, going by the 5 people, 1 cat, 1 dog standard (highly variable) and if the population figures are correct then England doesn't quite make it... Alot of places don't. They've really jammed people into certain areas haven't they! Plenty of space elsewhere though. Could it be occupied without just recreating things to fit the same old city models?...it seems unlikely....unless people really get back to basics and produce everything themselves. It's an interesting thing to study - how to make fabrics such as linen, how to grow and extract plant dyes, how to make quicklime from seashells, how to find & process clay and make pottery, how to process and forge metal...And much more. The info is disappearing quickly, so I figure it's best to study it now and put it into practice!
@@Kyle-sg4rm All humans should move to unfarmable climate-zones, leave the farmable climate-zones to the farmers... Yes, I've been doing a lot of study of basics for when the zombie apocalypse arrives. And because it's fun.
@@PermaPen If people had land, they could basically produce all they need and live as part of nature. Health and well-being would be greatly improved. The people are farmers. I think I hear what you're saying, in terms of freeing up space for food production - but guess who defines, applies and enforces that... The risk/inevitability, is that people will all be crammed into "smart-cities", a "scientific elite" with genetic engineering and fully-automated machines will be in total control and anything beyond the "smart-cities" will be made off limits and/or highly regulated. You can see it's already going more and more in that direction. Apocalypse/Armageddon is already here. The biggest and most serious issues aren't really talked about much, even though there are obvious signs, symptoms and facts. Deception and distraction tend to prevail. Things are planned to get worse and worse, in a visible way. Easily solvable and/or completely made up issues take the stage, as the permanent changes continue to roll out - some in secret, some in plain sight which are ignored. Confusion and complete madness in everyday people is becoming far to common. The stage is set. I agree - studying how to do the basics yourself is fun! And productive and rewarding! And looking back, may prove to be essential.
Using grain to feed any animal reminds me of burning fossil fuels to provide for a home. You can build a home that is completely self sufficient, but it most people simply can't afford that. You can build a home that has no insulation, and just use more energy to keep it livable, but most people can't afford that either. If your goal is sell or rent out living space, you will often find that you net more money by choosing the less energy efficient option. All animals use other organisms to collect energy on their behalf. Humans are probably the best at this. We use every organism and even mine the concentrated energy left by long dead orgnaisms. As long as there is fossil fuel available, we will use it to farm corn and move it around, and it will be cheaper than the alternatives. When we loses access to fossil energy , other alternatives become viable.
16:07 good point about how solar energy creates the food , it will be nice to see some AI numbers like how much energy per sq meter is required to produce the plant and animal food/energy
I have raised my hens without grain for over 10 years. Compost Piles, garden scraps, all the fat from butcherd cows & sheep with only 3 gallons of raw milk a couple times a week.
I'm in WI so in the dead of winter -15 to -40 F they get a few scoops of chop corn just for heat.
I raise anywhere from 100 to 150 layers and my hens lay at about 85 to 90%.
My profits are higher then anyone who feeds out grain.
I don't truck in any food scraps from anywhere.
But what about if you want to raise 2000 hens, can also yo do it? Thanks for your answer
@@wilsonjimenez2867 Not everyone wants to manage distributing 1800 eggs a day
all that animal fat is probably worth more than the chickens.
@@sadrien yes, for me grass fed cow/sheep fat is amazing. It's full of vitamin k, d and omega 3's.
What about chicken fat? Do the chickens just eat fat just as is and doesn’t it just make them fat ?
Nuanced, intelligent, knowledgable. Inspiring not just as a grower but a thinker too. Thanks Richard
I know right. Doesn't talk about it but his spirituality is embodied in the work and energy he puts out too.
Hmmm, no wedding ring. Hmmmmmmmm
@@sikuvitall7006 don't give him a hard time, there are plenty of things on the farm that require taking that off for safety purposes to the point where he probably can't wear it some days... plus it's none of your business...
@@ZachSwena I'm not giving him a hard time, I'm checking to see if he's available. Of course it's my business, I never flirt with married men.
@@sikuvitall7006 good luck, just realize not everyone that is taken wears those...
this dispassionate approach to cost/benefit trade offs in regenerative agriculture is refreshing.
mmnootzenpoof Right? Data, experience, evidence based studies without the pervasive religious overtones of so many farm sites.
It's like any other business...profits count. Personally fishmeal can be tasted in the eggs...so I don't use it. If I want fish, I'll cook fish!
A note about soy in Japan... for a very long time the peasant class wasn't allowed to eat meat, so soy was a critical source of protein. Their preparation techniques rose out of necessity more than interest.
So many breast cancer victims are estrogen-related. I avoid soy…
@@learnjcbskidsterchickensga7594 My friend who was into bodybuilding opted to buy soy-isolate protein at discount price. After couple of days, noticed that he felt odd, like he got mood swings, a bit depressed, and slacked on trainings, lost aggressive edge and competitiveness. He also felt crying often when watching movies. And thats estrogen from sob protein isolate which suppose to be like 99% pure isolated protein. Imagine how larger doses of estrogen you would get from ingesting less processed soy food
@Learn: JCB Skidster, Chickens, Garden N Also reduces testosterone in men too. I saw this firsthand.
As you stated, context is everything. I visited Vermont Compost and the chickens are really a secondary output. Karl isn't trying to maximize egg production. They are helping to make the compost. He showed me a couple hens that were 8 years old. He doesn't care as long as they are scratching away.
This!
I have backyard hens, most of them have joined the flock after they are 2 years old, past prime laying age, and given to us for free.
I get massive amounts of compost from them, and the inputs are free.
The value is in the compost, the eggs are basically free.
@@slaplapdog it's funny how that works out. On a similar note, we started raising a few rabbits for meat... and soon realized that their manure is probably as valuable to us as the immediate food source.
That's the difference between Richard and some of the homesteaders: Richard is a smart businessman who not only cares for the soil, but cares that farmers are able to earn a decent living and create a sustainable reason to want to farm as a living and not just as a hobby. Again, no right or wrong, but Richard lays it out straight and clear.
Yes, to be clear, homesteaders. If you're trying to make a living off of your land, to me homesteading is not where to look.
What's funny is in the US there are a few people that people look up to, one being Joel Salatin, who really is similar to Richard but I think on a larger scale because he deals with much more pasture and raising cattle. Chickens are certainly part of that operation and bring in money too, but it's a combination of having land and enriching that land to build great soil for pasture. This is the general concept of what they do regardless of how they accomplish it and both are very effective.
I would NEVER consider either of these operations homesteading. They are farmers through and through, running a farming operation to make a living. THESE are the people I pay the most attention to along with a couple other channels like No-Till Growers as he focuses on vegetable crops. Now, he started out more like a homesteader to gain experience and then they moved into a place to produce a farming operation.
So, if I wanted to farm to make money, these are the people I pay attention to. If I just want to be on some land and have a hobby farm producing for me and family, then I can take concepts from these channels along with what I would consider homesteading just to get a wide variety of ideas. But if it's an intention to develop something and then pass it on through inheritance, I'm approaching it from a more business perspective.
@@johndoh5182 Good advice; I agree.
@@johndoh5182 well said.
So it's the old tried-and-true farming answer to nearly every question:
"It depends."
I find these videos very educational
I dont mean to be so offtopic but does anybody know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account..?
I was stupid lost the password. I love any tricks you can give me
@Blake Kaleb Instablaster ;)
You summed that up beautifully which is context, context, context. What is it YOU are trying to do with your land because there is no clear right or wrong. A person needs to know what it is they're trying to accomplish, and then work systems that give them good outputs, and for people who need to make money off of land, they need to document and have clear records.
One thing I get from this channel more than most is clear thinking about how to approach what it is I want to do along with a pretty good understanding of the mechanics of making that work. There are other channels where I can get some insight into the mechanics of doing a particular thing, but I think this channel does a great job of putting all the pieces together for others to see without getting too detailed which of course is not the purpose of this channel.
I love the way you think. Thank you for your time. God bless y’all.
Wonderful insightful video. We're raising many more hens this year and this is what we were looking for.
It is very simple to say that pastured chickens build soil. At first glance they do when you dig a hole and see how deep the layer of top soil goes, but what happens in reality is that you are moving nutrients from one place (where the grain is grown) to another (where the chickens poop). If you would take the land required to grow the grain into the equation, the amount of soil built would look quite differently. If a farmer has to grow their own chicken feed, they would think twice before relocating these nutrients towards such an intensive poultry enterprise.
In reality, the only "primary tool" we have to actually build soil is nitrogen fixing plants. In addition, these plants can be assisted with other "tools" such as ruminants, grassland management, no till, deep rooting perennials, and yes, integrating chickens. But the chickens are merely assisting in speeding up the process, not the primary cause of the top soil creation.
Furthermore, one should considered whether it is desirable to run a regenerative (!) enterprise that is based on input that is in direct competition with nutrients that can be used for human consumption. Ultimately, I think it is more regenerative to use chickens as waste managers instead with the added benefit of some eggs and occasional/seasonal meat. The role of the farmer is to orchestrate the ecological balance of the living elements on the farm. Which means, thinning out the herd when needed and eating the surplus. This would inevitably mean eating less meat. Commercially interesting, probably not. Ecologically sustainable, much more so.
Только при выращивании зёрна получаются зерно отходы, которые как раз и скармливают птице и животным. А они вернут их перегноем. Для малых площадей подходит скошенная трава газонов. Во всём остальном Вы правы.
1) Soil is mostly improved by carbon, not nitrogen. Yes the nitrogen fixing bacteria (Rhizobia, Cyanobacteria and Frankia) are important to soil improvement and hence the plants that host them are beneficial, but they aren't the sole factor. Nitrogen actually reduces the depth of plant roots... which is counter productive until we use cows to move the leaves that are grown because of the nitrogen into the soil, hence increasing the carbon and nutrient content. And even in the example we are looking at look at grains are not rich in nitrogen. Really he is mostly taking nutrients from the ocean via the fish meal to reverse erosion more quickly. This somewhat makes sense considering the massive amount of nutrients leached into the ocean from the land.
2) There is sufficient productive range land on earth for everyone to eat only ruminant meat (on a high-fat diet) and meet all caloric requirements. This is in addition to the fact livestock can be integrated into other systems to improve efficiency. Alleys of trees minimally effect pasture growth and actally improve drought resilience, whilst the trees benefit from the pasture fertility and are very productive.
3) Chicken operations specifically rely on massive seed production (grains) which is not currently done in a sustainable manner even by organic producers. It is possible, in theory at least, to grow chicken pastures but it isn't an ideal energy extraction system because chickens do not efficiently extract seeds and seeds are not as efficient an extraction of energy as grass. Geese are grazers and, though less efficient than ruminants at extracting energy, could be a viable alternative poultry/egg source for commercial poultry operations on pasture. Alternatively chickens can serve as only a small portion of the system, living primarily off the seeds and insects in the pasture already and reducing pest and parasite pressure.
Great video, really pleased to see someone data driven who is willing to share their ideas.
I like that you are using time and method studies from industry to to determine best practices and feeds to give you best results. Very informative and wise analysis.
From Kentucky USA..... Dude, you are swelling my brain sooooooooo much I have to take a break. Put those numbers on a board so we can do a screen shot and make good records of how to maximize production. Great video
buy his book
Hey Richard, I think you make a great point about the volume of nutrients imported for a compost operation vs grain. I would argue that the more sustainable form of pastured poultry is the goose. On my farm, I found that, after the first 4 weeks, I was able to raise my geese in a rotational grazing system where they derived 90% of their diet from grass.
What is the other 10% it needs and cannot get on pasture?
Thank you for your usual dose of reality and practicality for permaculture farming. Some people who only have backyard gardens are too idealistic to realize how different a farming enterprise must be.
seems like "traditional permaculture" is best suited to home-scale systems as opposed to 'regenerative agriculture" for broad-scale systems
Every chicken man or woman knows what works for someone else might not work for you. Don't pay mind to others backyard's, pick and choose to learn from those who'll benefit your needs.
Richard, I admire Ur work and achievements!! I live in the Philippines and raise a small flock of Chinese Silky Chickens, totally with out grain, my birds dont even know what grain is literally. They have eaten nothing but insects, weeds, greens, fruits from our property, the only suppliment I buy is a product called Tahop (it is a rice dust which is collected after the milling of rice). If they dont get their greens and fruits they look at me like were is our food. I have found their weights and egg production with in standards of science (mans thoughts data). They are raised in the deep litter compost floor method, never have i ever cleaned there floor other then to take out the compost when I need it for my garden. Man has literally miss thought the chickens diet (grain etc.). I say this due to a reseach program done here in the Philippines by one of the top Ag. Collages in this country. I wish i would have saved this literature, Im sure I could find it again. The professors research was based on the chicken was here way before man was, what did they eat!!!!! I have left some of my chickens out to forage the land and watch them closely to what they were eating, matters short I collect there meals off the land at there likings since i live in the mountains and have much land to roam. In the research it stated 8 different items daily will give them good health. I find it to be true so yes chickens can be raised with out grain and be productive and healthy. Thanks keep the good works going Bro!!!
That sounds awesome.. How many chicks exactly?
And what kind of fruits and greens exactly?
@@arrhazes8198 Hi Razii, to answer ur questions i have feed up to 30 chickens on this diet at one time. A typical collection in a day would consist of no less then 8 different types of greens and fruits up to 15!!! When Im lazy they will get the left over of our daily food scraps from rice to veggies ( I cant name all the veggies ) but I will say any veggies u have will work. I have 40 different fruit trees and on any given day they can eat fruits from one of the trees. Their favorite fruits are papaya and banana, we eat the fruit and they get the skins and peals, banana trees are no waste I spend some time chopping things up for them, it is a love of labor, they consume the whole tree from trunk to fruits etc. They will eat any thing I give them and if I give grain they look for there greens and fruit first, they dont get grain but maybe 1 time in a 6 month period. They hunt bugs and insects and feed on grass and different weeds that grow in our area, they are allowed to go into my composting areas and they will be content all day long. There diet is a large variety in any given day, they can literally live their life in a compost heap. I hope this has given U a good idea on what to feed Ur flock and how, thanks!!
The American UA-camr way is to show all the positives and completely gloss over any negatives to get people thinking it's easy and I have to buy his new book.... Deception at its finest
I appreciate an attempt to share the nuance of this. Way to many people get too focused on one particular method of production and seem to think it should work for everyone. Sometimes I think people get like that about cultivation techniques and no dig gardening without looking at the trade offs of specific cultivation techniques when they might be appropriate. Even tilling and plowing can be highly beneficial when applied appropriately without excess or dearth. Many times the cultivation techniques have to change as the land develops.
Follow the raven to find the wolf. Same symbiotic relationships. Such a beautiful thing when you can understand how things all work together💞
I think Karl hemmer said his chickens were at 50% efficiency because they were older birds as well
Turning a waste stream into a profitable side gig is a smart thing to do. But the moment the side gig turns into a main gig, you no longer have the waste stream to supply the needed inputs.
On a homestead scale with a few birds, kitchen and garden scraps can possibly feed your flock.
Fascinating stuff... Many thanks for adding data and ideas to this important field.
Detailed and as clear as you can possibly be. Record data tells you everything if you take the time to study it. Great video Richard, Really, really good.
Love your work and your videos. Many years ago I was an Animal Nutritionist with National Foods (Bulawayo) in Zimbabwe. We based all our rations (beef, dairy, pigs, sheep, horse, poultry) on the NRC's publications. It's American yet strangely very good. Just a few things. Soya bean cake (the remains after oil is extracted) is extremely good protein especially in poultry feeds. Also, I am a huge fan of your "follow the big animals in the pasture". Love it. However, technically, there'll be variances in the birds' diet. If those variances are not too great, no problem. But please understand the concept of the total diet for instance, by eating bugs (assuming bugs have a higher protein and lower energy value than your bought-in feed), the overall intake for the birds will be affected. If this were the case, you may need to adjust slightly your bought-in feed by lowering protein and upping energy. It's a tricky thing because the amount of bug intake is variable. Sorry about all that but animal nutrition is close to my heart. PS. You're spot on about feeding a quality ration to chickens. Totally the best option financially.
Thanks. Thoughtful analysis of techniques based on variables and applicable to different operations.
What I’m also hearing here Richard is that the value in considering the range of enterprises, what inputs and productions and wastes are produced and how they can be used are also of value. You do a great job of engaging the conversation around the many different data points to consider in making decisions among the many enterprises, in all the different locations and the value of each of these inputs and what can be produced at what price points . I believe, for example I’ve only heard you speak of the value in the uses of feathers as yet another component of value, work effort and in productions.
Thanks 👍 Richard for the balanced view point.Much appreciated and please keep the good work up. Cheers.
Funny I've been playing with this for a while & basicly come to the same conclusions about the lag in feed to eggs & the compost methods if you want compost they are fantastic workers & eggs are a bonus so you need more hens & if you feed too much layers they don't work so hard so it's a fine balance . I find they are hardy & healthy on compost . Edible acres is interesting on the subject but he also is producing compost though on a smaller scale & not egg production on commercial scale.great well timed video 👍
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!! This has cleared up many questions I've had in wanting to raise my own organically-fed birds. You've given me some new ideas to work on when calculating costs, production, labor, and potential profit. Awesome!!
Excellent information. I have actually been wondering about feeding my chickens solely kitchen scraps and free range. I will keep my present method of grains and scraps and free range. Many thanks.
But he says for home-chickens. Scraps a free range is good. It's commercial today can't scale.
Thank you, Richard. Although, we have a small homestead so much of the info is applicable to our pockets, the care of our animals, and the land we call home. I have some ISA browns mixed in with other chicken breeds and it would compromise their health to feed them this way, they seem to need so much more protein with the amount of eggs they lay. I saw the videos you mentioned here and I think personally they are quite misleading and could potentially be quite harmful if ppl decided to try this out on a whim without further context. The nutritional aspect is so important with the overall well being and production of chickens as you mentioned. Good video, thanks for clarifying and providing a bigger picture here. Much appreciated.
How would you know it would be detrimental to their health unless you tried it ? From the research I've seen, they benefit more from free ranging and compost feeding rather than being fed grain. I've experimented and my isa browns do much better with less grains and more free ranging. And the yolks are much darker and richer without the grain
Dependence on industrial chicken feed imports and having to purchase franken-layers every generation look like major weaknesses in this system. If the feed stops coming or the controlled genetics are not shared this business plan looks like it will be in danger of collapse. Humans have successfully farmed and kept livestock for thousands of years without industrial inputs. Communities in the past curated local and regional land-race livestock that lived off the land, it can be done again.
Agreed. Unfortunately, growing chestnuts, acorns, hazelnuts, honey locusts, and other perennial sources of carbohydrates for poultry is a long term investment. (10-15 years) But your right, we do need to start thinking about the long term. And Richard is right that poultry are omnivores. And he also pointed out (as well as others below) there are strict rules about feeding animal and insect sources of protein. Unfortunately, the rules are designed to prevent industrial ag abuses; not for small organic diverse farms. There are a lot of hurdles to get over to reach a more sustainable method that is also highly productive and safe.
@@gardenfornutrition6373 most of these homesteads and true pasture raised/organic egg operations use organic non-industrial production of feed. at least the ones I know about and have seen. There is nothing wrong with small scale feed processing centers if the inputs are raised in regenerative agriculture protocols.
David Walters I used to think so. But now I find myself wondering if we should ever feed grains to animals that humans could be eating. It is no big deal now but down the road it might become more important (When fuel, soil, water, etc. becomes more scarce.) The problem is that this paradigm shift takes time and by the time you realize you need it, it is too late.
A few months ago I watched this video talking about a few guys growing worms/bugs to make a protein powder which would be sold to dog food manufacturers. I didn't realize at the time that these worms could also be sold to chicken farms. There's so many little business ideas everywhere, and sometimes it's so damn obvious we don't see them.
@@FeelingShred to my knowledge there are zero commercial operations (in other words NOT homesteaders) that can raise chickens purely on pasture and insects. I don't believe exist except for the massive organic compost operation up in Vermont where the chicks do in deed feast on grubs, insects and fungi on giant mounds of compost. But it is a sideline business, not the primary ones. I endorse the use of *some* feed grains for chickens as a cheap and efficient way of making *tasty* protein (eggs and/or meat). Ideally such grains are a *minority* of their feed with grass, plants, scraps and other sources of food for them being the majority.
This is Excellent! I have been saying this for years to customers who demand food raised in specific ways. I will be sharing this video with them.
Excellent analysis, Richard.
this is amazing Richard, incredible information nuances, i learned how foolish it will be to just believe what i hear without passing it through the screem of knowledge and reality! Great video!
Excellent metaphor
Outstanding info. I am definitely making notes to apply to my small scale farm to see about growing it bigger. Thanks from Houston Ohio US.
Great video!
I think there is a legitimate reason so many people are intrigued with the idea of raising livestock without grain, and I imagine there will be a solution to this in the future.
It closes an almost perfect loop.
Maybe this will involve the genetic modification of high production birds, change in legislation surrounding feeding livestock with slaughter waste, more intelligent systems for other food waste within society, improving the efficiency of systems that produce BSFL or other rapid growth insects etc...
you cannot put on weight w/o carbs and mineral grains provide.
@@davelawson2564 tell that to an Eskimo who's never eaten grain in their life.
Grain leads to diseased animals which lead to antibiotics having to be used in the meat, which will end in our guts. I hope this ends soon.
@@FeelingShred Its ridiculous to blame grains. Its part of natural feed . but factory reared birds do not have access to grass/veggies and worms so they have weak immune system and more susceptible to diseases
@@FeelingShred in ruminants not omnivores, chickens are omnivores.
Wow! Thanks for breaking it down! The first person to explain the grain feed for chickens! As an aspiring homesteader/farmer we tend to have idealized thoughts of our future chickens eating just insects and grass out on pasture! Lol. Reality check!
Hi Richard, I sprout grain to feed to my chickens and give pellets as well. I find this cheap and effective and give the chicken a good food source high in protein. What are your thoughts?Also I have made a large chicken tractor with an electric fence all in one piece and I can tow the whole thing all together. It saves me alot of time and I can move them anytime of the day. The one have made holds 100 chickens, but you could make it to hold alot more probably up to 250 or even 300. The chickens are fully save from predators including hawks, foxes etc. I had a major problem with hawks and this is why I came up with this design. if anybody is interested I can send you photos by email
karltree1 I'd love to see your design
So would I, but I don’t fancy posing my email.
I would like to see the photos of your design
oneprice900@gmail.com
@@pilkyish for the record, no new spam from that. definitely taking it down now though haha
Or post some photos here on youtube? From your channel?
much admiration. your work is so important, fixing the soil. I try to pass on your name, along with Alan Savory, Joel Salatin for people to get information on changing farming practices to benefit the earth and still making profit. i'm part of the Carnivore diet group and I see the connection between healthy soils and human food production. love your videos.
Imagine that, actually knowing your numbers and making choices based on data.
Sprout grain for 2 days before feeding to chickens. This saves 25%.
I read somewhere that this would just increase the moisture content of the food and decrease its nutritional value as the plant will consume it to grow roots and shoots.
@@miloudbouchefra200 The volume of food increases. The amount of fat is reduced but the proteins and carbs have increased. Curtis Stone does this and gets better eggs. He soaks the seeds for 24 hours and then lets them sprout on trays without soil before feeding his chickens. The nutrients are still there. Boron went into cell walls to protects against pests and fungi and into the shoots to make them grow. But the nutrients are still there.
@@miloudbouchefra200look up microgreens. It doesn’t reduce nutrients
ive seen lots of animals grown without grains but never chickens. thats awesome, ill have to try with muych chickens! that would be awsome
Justin Rhodes is a marketer of film and books, much more than a marketer of food.He does a good job at selling the sizzle, but not so much at selling the steak. His viewership mostly hopeful homesteaders, have little knowledge of livestock raising or growing farm crops, it’s obvious that his skills with camera angles are much greater than his practical farm skills.
Surprising to see comments to the negative here… it has been made quite clear that no way is THE wrong way. BUT.. for large scale production, it makes more sense economically,(costs, time and yield) to do just as Richard is doing.
Spoken with utmost respect and consideration to other methods. 👍
First time I watch your videos. Great job and thank you for your contribution!
Appreciate the input and assessment. Seems mostly a break-point of scale of operation . I like the focus on understanding and using data , helpful for any size or type of operation.
thanks for the eyeopener about egg & feed!!!
Another great video. Thanks for this thoughtful explanation.
You're way ahead of most farmers on these issues which is brilliant. But...
You've built topsoil on your farm, but at what external cost? What about the topsoil that was used to grow your layer pellets? Maybe it's simply the case that chicken eggs cannot be profitably produced in a regenerative system. I agree something you've said elsewhere, that we should not hold preconceived ideas of how to achieve our holistic context goals, so I think it's unwise to fixate on one enterprise such as eggs if it doesn't actually meet your basic goals (assuming that one of those is to operate a system with a positive net impact).
Again though, I've found your teaching resources really useful and inspiring and I'm hugely grateful for the thorough and methodical approach you've brought to this movement and the time you put into education!
solid advice. the important difference between amateur and commercial production intents.
Great presentation. Thanks for sharing wonderful info
Thank you. We wish you were in the US.
this is an interesting discussion... one i think that could be turned into a broader form of discussion if other people were involved... a monthly headbangers ball where people get together to bounce ideas around...
Main video points to consider here :
- the best source of proteins is fish flesh, then what about an aquaponic system then ????
- in order to have a good compost for next season is to keep hens in poly- tunnel starting from know
When did he say the best source of protein is fish?
Considering aquaponics is there any commercial viable enterprise using it? I've seen someone in the USA using it on a larger scale but it is a costly investment and he's yet to become profitable.
@@MA-zg2pz @6:37
Thanks Richard
Just a thought to consider, a big part of building the topsoil is buying it in the forms of grain from another farm and depositing it in your soil..
Its not actually the grain, but the manure that builds the soils.
@@hughmarcus1 you missed the point, carbon is absorbed at the fa that makes grain, shipped to its new location , goes through the animal and deposited on the new location..
@@stuffnsuch631 plants get their carbon for "building" their cells from CO2 (air) and not from soil. That's photosynthesis. So if you buy grains from a regenerative or at least sustainable farmer your top soil is not to the detriment of his top soil.
In this video you quoted about a 3 or 4 day window for feed changes to catch up with the chickens! Thanks this is one of the things I was wondering about.
But I am also wondering if its a similar window for ducks? I have more ducks than chickens now because they seem to weather the cold here better; and the kids like them more. Thanks.
This video is pure gold!
Have you considered light supplementation for your hens in winter or at least at the end of the season to stretch their egg production? Might be worth the electric costs with the efficiency of LED's these days.
For others,
pointing out hens lay a specified lifetime egg amount…giving them a break appears healthier, natural and more caring.
Thanks for the great information! As far as I can see, you don't mention the cost of buying point of lay birds. We find this a huge expense. We'd love to know how you do this economically.
Well explained. Now that’s a good lesson 😁.
As I remember a dozen eggs in the USA are sold to consumers for 99 cents. So Karl may be getting very little money for his eggs.
Just got yourself a new Subscriber.. Am Glad I came across your Channel.. love the ideas and teachings.. 👌👌
Non-farmer, but farm background. I found this very interesting. Thanks.
Man, so glad I found your channel recently. Great info on raising poultry.
Really useful and well presented video thank you Richard
Critical thinking is such a valuable tool... Can't wait for the book!
I agree with your stance 100% also wanted to point out they do not raise their chickens with out grain the raise it with food inputs from the town which has grain in it like bread. the way they use there chickens is very smart they use it as a value added product which is the true lesson about the compost system how to use one product several different ways to maximize your investment and space the economics of permaculture stacked functions
Excellent video to bring some people back to reality perhaps before they make some costly mistakes. But just to be pedantic, the impossible low input, high production system comment is almost entirely true with a few exceptions. Flood and drain carp/tilapia farming with livestock grazing is one, an aquaculture project in Spain called Veta la Palma (although I guess this might not be considered high given the area involved. But the input to output ratio is pretty incredible, and the fact it is one of the most ecologically significant farming systems out there is another bonus). But the best by far is marine ragworm farming, one of my old professors at Newcastle University started this by pumping warmed seawater that cooled power stations through concrete outdoor tanks, very few inputs apart from spawning ragworms, and free heated seawater (in fact the power station paid them for cooling the water before it entered the ocean), and now its a multi billion dollar industry, although sadly the UK lost out to the Americans. Incredible work Richard.
Agree with you on the aspect of numbers. However, given that I were to diminish the number of broilers to 100, and that I am running a veggie market farm, I would have sufficient amount of feed to cover most of their diet, and considerably reduce the financial expenses to cover grains. Also large scale composting worms have a fast multiplying factor of a hundred after just 4monthes. In which case the mass of worms would be sufficient to cover their diet for a long while. Not to mention that it's also their natural diet! It boils down to numbers. With regards to supplementing their diet for higher quality eggs, sure don't mind improvement.
Snails might be good too. They eat algae.
Eggcellent info Richard, thanks!!
I am wondering on the source of fish protein in the chicken feed. Where do the inputs for this lead back to?
I was thinking the exact same thing
Me too. That’s always the catch. Especially in landlocked countries or places with lax regulations and/or corruption
Oil.
Even with certified organic grains, everything leads back to oil.
Priceless video, thanks 👍🏻
Time to think bigger. Perennials are the future. Can't be 'regenerative' if bringing in massive inputs from annuals and tillage. Time for Richard to add bushes and trees, e.g. mulberry, chestnut, hazelnut, etc. More productive system.
Thank you for breaking this down for people. It’s amazing the disinformation put out there about chickens as well as in beekeeping.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ love the info. Thanks
Love how you keep the numbers.
Incredible and on point information. Thank you.
This is the golden raw data 👍
Great video. Thank you for all the info.
When you refer to other videos could you link them below so we can understand better?
You can not blame us for wanting to feed our chicken for free, but we should have known it was to good to be true. Your take on the whole high in put for high out put very well, where were you in the 1960 & 1970? I could have used your knowledge to change everything we did on a very small farm.
I use ducks and geese as soil builders. I sell duck eggs. Chickens are primarily carnivores. Chickens eat far more "bugs" than plants if given the opportunity.
That's awesome. Geese being super efficient. Here in Sweden we have extremely limited market for both, I havent met anyone here that has ever bought either!
The few fowl I have, I found no substitute for layers pellets, because of the covid19 lockdown my feedstore does contactless at the door and they load you. The person loading me gave me layers mash. When I first kept chickens, I soon realized that that is a waste, they scratch away finding the best bits, must be 40% loss of feed.
You can soak it and they’ll eat the slop
Awesome. All your work is.
*Some rough calculations*
_for feeding chickens purely with red wiggler worms_
*Premises*
- Worm populations double every 60 days
- 1000 worms weigh 1 pound and consume 1/2 pound of food per day.
- 1 chicken consumes 1/4 pound of food per day, or 250 worms
*Thesis*
The population of worms need to be able to reproduce at a high enough rate to feed all the chickens sustainably. If a population of worms doubles in size every 60 days, we would want to have a colony of worms whose weight equals the amount of feed required for the flock of chickens to consume in those 60 days. A single chicken can consume 15 pound of food every 60 days, of 15,000 worms. This would mean that for every chicken in a flock, you would need 15,000 worms (~15 pounds) in the colonies. 15k worms can consume 7.5 pounds of food per day.
*Application*
Let's think about how extensive this operation would be for a flock of 1000 chickens. This flock would need 250 pounds of feed every day. Purely feasting on our worms, this flock could consume 250,000 worms every day. Within a 60 day period, they could eat a staggering 15 million worms. This means to maintain a steady population while feeding the chickens, a 15 million worm colony would need to maintained. That many worms could eat 7500 pound of organic matter per day.
*Conclusion*
This method is not feasible for operations oriented towards poultry production, but may be viable as a source of additional revenue for compost/castings production operations.
How much grain per laying hen do you use per day? We soak/ferment our organic mixed grain/beans mix. So I know it might be different from your feed. They are also on pasture all day. We don't have access locally to organic pellets with fish protein.
Feedwaste is not allowed for poultry in EU generally. I think pig farms may use it sometimes, I can’t remember of the top of my head
Do you think it should be allowed?
For example, could pig guts be fed to chickens, and vise versa?
Thank you, Richard 💗
The cow behind you is very beautiful.
Always interesting to hear your views; my father long since dead, would only use sand in the chicken coup, as a dry bath for them to keep the feathers free of lice and ticks, and as grit for the buzzard and shell production. He would probably spin in his grave at you feeding them fish products. Likewise he was most concerned about abbotoirs using meat products in cow cake, the BSE crisis proved him right.
Cows are herbivores and it's criminal to feed them meat.
Chickens are omnivores and it's fine. Don't confuse those two.
Absolute legend
Amazing figures, thank you! Now I'm wondering - if the ag system crashed and you had to grow your own grain, how many hectares would you need to grow a reliable grain source just for your chickens?
Roughly (very roughly) 1 acre per 32 chooks, growing Khorasan wheat and/or other heirloom/heritage Non-GE crops. You would need at least three 1 acre harvest per year. Depending on weather conditions, you could almost squeeze in four harvest per year.
If the ag system crashed, it's likely other systems would be crashing also... 32 chooks would be enough to provide plenty of eggs for a family of 5, +the cat, +the dog. Add some fruit & vege and you're sorted. Eggs are about as close to "a complete meal" as you can get, but the cat would also need taurine from yoghurt, or cottage cheese (easier to digest due to converted lactose). 2 hectares would probably do it. 100% self-sustaining. The world is not overpopulated - Cities are!
@@Kyle-sg4rm Great figures again! I don't think we'd achieve that areage in England, though - way overpopulated...
@@PermaPen Thanks - just an example :)
Yeah, going by the 5 people, 1 cat, 1 dog standard (highly variable) and if the population figures are correct then England doesn't quite make it... Alot of places don't. They've really jammed people into certain areas haven't they!
Plenty of space elsewhere though. Could it be occupied without just recreating things to fit the same old city models?...it seems unlikely....unless people really get back to basics and produce everything themselves.
It's an interesting thing to study - how to make fabrics such as linen, how to grow and extract plant dyes, how to make quicklime from seashells, how to find & process clay and make pottery, how to process and forge metal...And much more. The info is disappearing quickly, so I figure it's best to study it now and put it into practice!
@@Kyle-sg4rm All humans should move to unfarmable climate-zones, leave the farmable climate-zones to the farmers... Yes, I've been doing a lot of study of basics for when the zombie apocalypse arrives. And because it's fun.
@@PermaPen If people had land, they could basically produce all they need and live as part of nature. Health and well-being would be greatly improved. The people are farmers.
I think I hear what you're saying, in terms of freeing up space for food production - but guess who defines, applies and enforces that... The risk/inevitability, is that people will all be crammed into "smart-cities", a "scientific elite" with genetic engineering and fully-automated machines will be in total control and anything beyond the "smart-cities" will be made off limits and/or highly regulated. You can see it's already going more and more in that direction.
Apocalypse/Armageddon is already here. The biggest and most serious issues aren't really talked about much, even though there are obvious signs, symptoms and facts. Deception and distraction tend to prevail. Things are planned to get worse and worse, in a visible way. Easily solvable and/or completely made up issues take the stage, as the permanent changes continue to roll out - some in secret, some in plain sight which are ignored. Confusion and complete madness in everyday people is becoming far to common. The stage is set.
I agree - studying how to do the basics yourself is fun! And productive and rewarding! And looking back, may prove to be essential.
I've had chickens for 20 years.
They eat bugs and kitchen scraps and that's it. It's never been a problem . Ever.
Using grain to feed any animal reminds me of burning fossil fuels to provide for a home.
You can build a home that is completely self sufficient, but it most people simply can't afford that.
You can build a home that has no insulation, and just use more energy to keep it livable, but most people can't afford that either.
If your goal is sell or rent out living space, you will often find that you net more money by choosing the less energy efficient option.
All animals use other organisms to collect energy on their behalf.
Humans are probably the best at this.
We use every organism and even mine the concentrated energy left by long dead orgnaisms.
As long as there is fossil fuel available, we will use it to farm corn and move it around, and it will be cheaper than the alternatives.
When we loses access to fossil energy , other alternatives become viable.
Super helpful Richard!!!
16:07 good point about how solar energy creates the food , it will be nice to see some AI numbers like how much energy per sq meter is required to produce the plant and animal food/energy
you may not be able to raise it with out grains but you can supplement it with other things especially on a small scale
Does anyone else think his chicken tractors @20:10 look like Star Wars Jawa Sandcrawlers? Need little brown hooded robes on his chickens. 😂
Your agro-math is like crack to my ears. :)