Listener Chris asks how to utilize an all-in/all-out pullet replacement strategy without duplicating infrastructure while maintaining egg production. To help answer the question, I share insights from Mark Harrison and Dave and Ginger Shields. Mark farms at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia. Dave and Ginger operate Pastured Life Farm in O’Brien, Florida. 

The simple answer to the Chris’ question is that infrastructure is required to maintain production. Listen in as I discuss the details. 

Chris currently raises 5,000 hens for two years. He replaces 1,500 hens with ready-to lay pullets in the spring and the fall. Before he the pullets arrive, he culls the older hens to make room for the arriving birds. This drops his egg production by 1,500 hens, which means he can’t fulfill all his orders. The thought of adding infrastructure for a few weeks at a time seems expensive. 

My take is that Chris needs to break out a spreadsheet to make a data driven decision about whether or not he can afford the infrastructure to overlap the pullets with the outgoing layers. In other words, how much does the infrastructure cost versus the dollar amount he’s losing. 

The expert insights from Ginger, Dave, and Mark agree that some additional infrastructure is the best approach. I unpack all the details in the episode. 

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