1. Chickens & Permaculture Design
The MacCurdy Farm perspective

2. Permaculture Design Principles

3. Chickens Questions to Consider: Breed: Heritage or Commercial layer?
Eggs, Meat, Both? Companion animals?
Housing: Portable? Fixed? Free Range?
Time? Can you commit?
Ethics: Animal welfare

4. Our Heritage Breeds Plymouth Barred Rocks New Hampshire Reds
Black Australorps
Coming soon: Delaware
Naturally broody - Silkies
Why select heritage breeds?
Dual purpose: Eggs and meat. (Maximize)
Exhibit Species Specific behavior (i.e., reproduce, mother, show defense mechanisms)
Aesthetically pleasing
Generally not flighty and hens are docile around children.
Hardiness (Cold vs. heat)

5. Chicken Housing Portable Fixed
Chicken Tractor aka. Pastured Poultry Pen
Poultry Ark
Egg-mobile
Mobile A-frame or hoop frame
Barns
Coops
Brooders
A definite consideration for our Winter climate in the absence of a shed or garage.

6. Housing Considerations
Sunlight
Ventilation
Roosting Space
Nesting Space
Living Space Requirements
Anti-predation
Bio-security

7. Chicken Feed Commercial Natural Availability
Locally – Roger Boudreau (Purina Feeds)
Bulk/Single Bag – Miramichi Feeds
Bulk/Single Bag – Bathurst Agricultural society
GRUB! (worms, beetles, larva, etc.)
Local perennials (i.e., dandelions, clover, etc.)
Table scraps (meat or vegetable matter)
Offal (Not practiced on MacCurdy Farm)
Compost
Remember: Chickens are carnivores

8. BBC: The Private Life of Chickens
Covers issues such as learning, species specific behaviors, diet, defense against predation, rescue chickens, etc.

9. Pastured Poultry Pens – “The Triple P”
Design unique to MacCurdy Farm
Multi-purpose
Moved daily and requires a dolly or slides to move due to weight.
Symbiosis
Space/bird = 2 sq. ft./bird.

10. Chicken Welfare Checklist 5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare
Species Specific Behavior
Housing – overcrowding
Defense against predation
Nutritional Requirements
Duty of Care
Water
Proper Air circulation
Temperature
Removal of injured, stressed, or bullied birds.
Grit pan
Other – dust bath (diatomaceous earth or wood ashes), chicken toys, etc.
from hunger and thirst - animals must have access to fresh water and a diet which will maintain health and vigour
from discomfort - an appropriate environment should be provided, including shelter and a comfortable resting area
from pain, injury or disease - you must ensure the prevention of illnesses, or rapid diagnosis and treatment
to express normal behaviour - sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind should all be provided
from fear and distress - you must provide conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering

11. Scratching your way into Permaculture
Chicken Integration
Provisions
Garden tillers – raspberry drills, pumpkin drills, etc.
Manure spreaders
Pest eaters – drops in orchards
Compost mixers
Smile eliciters
Meat and eggs for human consumption
Hatching eggs for incubation
Feathers for flymakers (gray especially)
Alarm clocks (help keep us on a day/night cycle)
Planter bed preparation

12. Permaculture Principles at work
#1 – Observe and Interact
#2 – Catch and Store energy
#3 – Obtain a yield
#4 – Apply Self-regulation and accept feedback
#6 – Produce no waste
#8 – Integrate rather than segregate
#9 – Use small and slow solutions
#10 – Use and value diversity
#11 – Use edges and value the marginal

13. “Work with rather than against nature” – Bill Mollison
Questions???
Resources/Links
(username: muircheartaigh) (livestock integration into the food forest)

14. Open Invitation MacCurdy Farm Visits
We promote agricultural education.
We pride ourselves on transparency
We look forward to fostering communication
We want to develop a sense of community around farming.
Walk-throughs are available.
Call or text ahead to schedule a meeting time, or or at