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The Modern HomesteadThe Modern Homestead
  • Home
  • Overview
    • The Integrated Homestead
    • Life on the Homestead
  • Grow It!
    • Soil Care
    • Composting
    • The Homestead Garden – And More
    • Fungi
    • Greenhouse
    • Homestead Tools
  • Poultry
    • Poultry Overview
    • Feeding The Flock
    • Housing the Flock
    • Ranging the Flock
    • Breeding the Flock
    • Dealing With Predators
    • Butchering Poultry
    • Producing for Small Markets
    • Poultry Miscellaneous
    • Livestock
  • Resources
    • Downloads
    • Harvey’s Book
    • Harvey’s Presentations
    • The Homesteader’s Resources
    • In the Kitchen
  • Back Porch
  • Contact Us

Mobile Shelter: The Classic Polyface Model

Home » Poultry » Ranging the Flock » Mobile Shelter: The Classic Polyface Model

Mobile Shelter: The Classic Polyface Model

Polyface Farm's pastured broiler pen

Polyface Broiler Pen
(Photo courtesy of Teresa Salatin)

Moving the Polyface Pen

Moving the Polyface Pen
(Photo courtesy of Teresa Salatin)

In our grandparents’ time, of course, ranging poultry on pasture was the norm, not the exception. It is only in the CAFO Age (confined animal feeding operation) that chickens have been confined by the tens of thousands in a single enclosed space, and giving them abundant access to grassy pastures has come to seem a radical idea.

More than any other person, Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley of central Virginia has inspired the recent revival of “pastured poultry”. I am proud to hail him as a personal friend and mentor of more than twenty years.

Michael Barreda's broiler pen

Barreda Broiler Pen

Front view of Barreda broiler pen

Barreda Pen Front View

Polyface has raised pastured broilers for many years for local restaurants, a loyal drive-to-the-farm customer base, and a number of distribution points in Virginia and the District of Columbia. This year they will raise more than 12,000 broilers, using about fifty 10×12-ft movable, floorless pasture pens. The growing birds benefit from the lush pasture, and the manure they lay down is a key part of the Polyface soil fertility program.

Wire screen used to deter digging predators

Barreda Pen: Predator Proofing

Beyond their provision of food of integrity to countless customers over the years, I salute the Salatins for their inspiration of widespread adaptation of their model by homesteaders and small producers everywhere.

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