April 2019 - 9

Three rotations of vegetable and
cover crops on land certified for organic
production are being evaluated.
The first is a spring vegetable crop,
like broccoli or lettuce, with the
chickens foraging in mid-summer.
Foraging by the chickens is followed by
a cereal rye cover crop.
The second rotation is a spring
vegetable followed by a cereal rye cover
crop with the chickens foraging in the fall.
The third rotation doesn't include
foraging by chickens and is either a spring
vegetable followed by a fall vegetable or
a season-long vegetable, like tomatoes
or peppers. Both trials are followed by a
cover crop.
The chickens are placed in moveable
pens with water, a coop for shelter and
a full ration of organic feed. The pens
protect the chickens from flying predators
while taller, electric fencing around the
whole field provides protection from
other predators.
The pens are moved as the chickens
finish foraging on the enclosed area's
vegetable residue or cover crop. " A
lot of smaller growers who also raise
chickens use some style of moveable
pen, " Bilenky said.
The project's use of pens was approved
by ISU's Institutional Animal Care and
Use Committee (IACUC). IACUC has
local workgroups researchers must use
to ensure high standards of animal care
and use, and to comply with the Animal
Welfare Act and other federal guidelines
and policies.
Selecting the right chicken breed for
foraging is important.
" Some breeds are great for meat
purposes, but the birds don't move that
much in a field environment, " Nair
said. " We wanted a breed that will move
around, and pick at the ground, looking
for food. "
breast, which results in a bird that is
more proportional and more active
- traits ideal for foraging, " Bilenky
said. " Imperials and Red Rangers are
more active, better suited to outdoor
production and better able to forage. "
This is only the second year of the
study, but the early results are positive.
The chickens have adapted to the pens,
successfully grazed on vegetable residue
and reached marketable size.
" This is an easy way to get a return
after spring harvest, " Nair said. " Graze
chickens for eight weeks and then
plant your cover crop. This is another
tool in the toolbox when we talk about
diversifying and integrating vegetables
with other enterprises. "
" A big issue we're looking at is
whether or not introducing chickens
into a vegetable cropping system can
increase soil health, " Bilenky said. " That's
something we're only going to know in
the long term and is why this is a longterm
study. "
" Does adding animals to a vegetable
farm improve the soil and reduce inputs? "
Nair asked. " Can a crop rotation like this
work in Iowa's short grazing season? Does
the system make economic sense? Can
growers make it work? "
" There's a push for sustainability and
growers understand that, " Nair said.
" Growers understand the importance of
improving the soil and reducing the need
for off-farm inputs. " VGN
" A big issue we're
looking at is whether
or not introducing
chickens into a
vegetable cropping
system can increase
soil health. "
− Ajay Nair,
Iowa State University
Imperial and Red Ranger are the breeds
used by ISU researchers.
" They're more adaptable and a little
more comfortable being housed outside, "
Nair said.
Imperial and Red Ranger chickens
are usually slower growing and produce
smaller carcasses than the chicken
breeds most commonly used in
confinement systems.
" Compared to your typical broiler
these slower growing types have
larger legs and thighs, and a narrower
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VGN | APRIL 2019 | 9

April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2019