ATTRA Question of the Week

S.M.
Indiana

Answer: Thank you for your request to ATTRA for information on pastured layers. Although we do not have a publication specific to raising pastured layers, several ATTRA publications contain relevant information such as Range Poultry Housing and Growing Your Range Poultry Business. Range Poultry Housing discusses housing options in a range system and Growing Your Range Poultry Business discusses the many business decisions to be made in a range poultry business. Growing Your Range Poultry Business is geared towards meat birds, but much of the information can be applied to egg production.

The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture has a publication entitled Range Layers that is available at no cost by calling them at 918-647-9123. Some good books dealing with pastured layers are Chicken Tractor and Day Range Poultry, both by Andy Lee and The Dollar Hen by Milo Hastings edited by Robert Plamondon. Andy Lee and Robert Plamondon are both successful poultry producers. The Dollar Hen was originally published in 1909 but Robert Plamondon has began publishing it again because of its timeless information and includes his own footnotes based on his experience. If your local library does not carry these books, they can often get them through interlibrary loan at no cost.