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Poultry Workshops

Poultry Workshop Series: Coop Construction
Thursday, April 14, 2011
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Ogonowski Memorial Fields, 126 Jones Ave., Dracut MA
Cost: $15. Please click here to register.

For more information, please email Lydia Sisson (lysisson@gmail.com) or Sam Anderson (sanderson@comteam.org) or call 978-654-6745.

This field training will cover mobile poultry coop construction and electric fencing equipment. Training will include how to select housing, fencing, feeders, watering, transportation needs, storage, and equipment necessary for poultry.

Poultry Workshop Series: Brooding
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: TBA, Dracut MA
Cost: $15. Please click here to register.

For more information, please email Lydia Sisson (lysisson@gmail.com) or Sam Anderson (sanderson@comteam.org) or call 978-654-6745.

This field training will cover chick health and how to construct a brooder, as well as breed selection and genetics, how to match breeds to market and pasture systems, and information on selecting a hatchery.

Poultry Workshop Series: Care and Nutrition
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: TBA, Dracut MA
Cost: $15. Please click here to register.

For more information, please email Lydia Sisson (lysisson@gmail.com) or Sam Anderson (sanderson@comteam.org) or call 978-654-6745.

In this workshop we will cover general care while birds are out on pasture. This will include:

• Feed and nutritional requirements (feed rations, sources, nutritional supplements, how to analyze feed labels)
• Pasture requirements (rotational grazing, weed management, fertility, forage quality, and pasture blends)
• Manure management (poultry manure and litter management and compost regulations).

Poultry Workshop Series: Processing
Monday, July 11, August 22 and October 3
7:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: TBA, Dracut MA
Cost: Free. For more information, please email Lydia Sisson (lysisson@gmail.com) or Sam Anderson (sanderson@comteam.org) or call 978-654-6745.

Click here to register for July 11
Click here to register for August 22
Click here to register for October 3

Come to our processing days to learn how to process chickens on your own! We will cover food safety training: including requirements for processing poultry to meet state and federal food code requirements for sanitation and HACCP protocols, product handling, and storage; and slaughter and humane processing: review local, state, and federal slaughter regulations and post-harvest storage and transportation; cover processing options and conduct hands-on MPPU field training to practice using equipment and implementing food safety protocols.

Pastured Poultry Workshop
NOFA/Mass Organic Poultry Workshop Series
Saturday, July 23, 2011
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds, 159 Wheeler Road, Concord, MA
Cost: $40.

Learn about raising broilers and layers from chick to market. Topics include: brooding; mobile coop construction; electric fencing; feed rations and supplements; veterinary care; marketing; and humane slaughter. The Mobile Poultry Processing Unit will be available for producers to learn about poultry processing options. For more information and to register, visit http://www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/organicpoultry.php.

 

A Few Poultry Resources:

ATTRA’s Livestock Resources website has many great articles on sustainable poultry production for meat and eggs. Their Range Poultry Toolbox is especially useful.

The FeatherSite has many different poultry resources, including a photo gallery of all types of poultry breeds for egg and meat production. 

NCAT (National Center for Appropriate Technology) also has a Sustainable Poultry Website which has an array of helpful resources for poultry producers.

Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds also has a helpful Small-Scale Poultry Resource list (pdf) including links to equipment suppliers, websites, and other information relative to Massachusetts producers.

For poultry electronet fencing supplies, visit Premier 1 Fence Company.