April 2019 - 8

Poultry forage on vegetable crop residue
By Dean Peterson
VGN Correspondent
Vegetables leave crop residue in the
field with few ways to use it. Grazing
cattle or other large animals can compact
the soil. There are advertisements for
chickens raised by grazing. Could that
work on vegetables? New research at Iowa
State University (ISU) says it may.
" Spring-planted vegetable crops leave
significant amounts of residue on the
soil, " said Ajay Nair, associate professor in
ISU's Horticulture Department. " It'd be an
advantage for our growers if we can grow
chickens on it. "
Chicken production isn't uncommon
among Midwestern vegetable growers -
especially smaller producers. It provides
more income and is one of the least
capital-intensive livestock enterprises.
" Chickens are frequently raised
by vegetable growers as a separate
enterprise, " said Moriah Bilenky, ISU
graduate research assistant on the project.
The ISU study is trying to integrate the
vegetable and animal enterprises by
evaluating broiler production on the crop
residues and seeing if the birds' droppings
improve soil quality.
" These are broiler chickens, " Nair said.
Moriah Bilenky, Iowa State University graduate research assistant, said the pens used in the ISU study protect the chickens from
flying predators and are moved when the chickens finish foraging an area of vegetable production. Photo: Dean Peterson
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April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2019