Pastured Poultry Feeding and Management

“I want you and your poultry to find profit and health.” That’s the fundamental pitch coming out of Pastured Poultry Feeding and Management by Jeff Mattocks. Healthy poultry is a foundation to your farm profit.

I have a bias. Much of what I know about pastured poultry feeding and management flowed from Jeff’s 20+ years of direct-farmer support. I’ve also logged over 10,000 miles in his truck, talking about chickens, turkeys, layers, ducks, geese, the occasional pig, and of course fishing. At this point, I’ve lost track of the number of his presentations that I have been in.

That’s doesn’t mean I’m qualified to be Jeff, but I count him on a short-list of mentors. So, when he asked me to update his book to the third edition, it was like finding an ordained opportunity in my lap. When you read the Third Edition of Pastured Poultry Feeding and Management, you’ll see that Jeff’s work  has been edited, packaged, and presented by Mike–repackaging complex information to a wider audience is a core skill of mine.

Jeff Mattocks is considered the premiere pastured poultry nutritionist available. He’s also an active educator, consultant, and advocate for pastured poultry. He’s given freely of his knowledge over the last 20+ years and thousands of farmers and millions of their birds have been positively impacted by Jeff.

Pastured Poultry Feeding and Management, Third Edition, is like carrying around a pocket version of Jeff. The book reads like Jeff speaks; plain and to the point.

The third edition contains 20% new material and continues to push the boundary of how pastured poultry farmers manage their business.

Here’s the reality. Jeff has trained, sometimes unknowingly, a host of internet experts. If you see people in public forums talking about feeding hens based on temperature or  diagnosing poultry pecking by the location of the peck or reiterating very specific feeding practices, that information originated from Jeff Mattocks, and it’s reflected in this book. His teachings are knocked off everywhere.

More than 37 poultry feed rations included

Jeff doesn’t hide behind feed bag tag. He’s a nutritionist, not a feed manufacturer. He not only provides feeding recommendations, but he provides you with the formula so you can go and out source feed for your specific needs.

This information makes you informed and gives you power to negotiate your feed choices.  Instead of arguing with the local feed guy about his “house” ration, you can find the mill that will mix what you want; their opinion likely isn’t based on pastured poultry experience, anyway. And the mills that do understand pastured poultry typically receive nutrition and ration support from Jeff.

Inside Pastured Poultry Feeding and Management, you’ll find and awesome feed reference:

  • 9 feed rations for commercial breeds of layers or broilers
  • 5 feed rations for commercial breeds of turkeys
  • 2 soy-free feed rations
  • 7 feed rations for heritage (standard-bred) chickens
  • 6 reed rations for heritage turkeys
  • 3 duck feed rations (layer and meat)
  • 4 commercial (non-pastured) feed rations for chickens or turkeys
  • 1 multi-species ration with specific instructions to balance the feed for additional species (broiler, layers, turkeys, goats, cattle, and pigs)

In addition to the recommend rations, Pastured Poultry Feeding and Management includes field trials that include additional feed formulations specific to the trial.

Don’t guess at what’s inside. Here are the topics.

You’ll find an updated index, accurate page numbers, clarifications to existing information, and lot’s of new content.

  • Introduction
  • The Basics
  • Feeding Considerations
    • Rate of Gain Characteristics
    • Feeding Regimes
    • Appropriate Feeder and Waterer Space
    • How to Build a PVC Waterer and Feeder
    • Disease-Causing Organisms
    • Water Quality
    • Water Additives
    • True Grit: the Lowdown on an important Avian Supplement
    • Omega-3 Fatty Acids
    • Organic Poultry Feeding
    • Getting “It” Right
  • Feed Sources and Preparation
    • Commercial Feeds
    • Milling
    • Soybean Roasting
    • Feed Storage
  • Feed Quality Issues: Molds and Toxins
  • Evaluating Your Feed Cost
  • Poultry Feed Ingredients
  • Fundamental Ration Formulation
    • Feed Nutrient Values
    • Poultry Nutritional Values
    • Sample Commercial Rations
  • Sample Rations for Pastured Poultry
    • Soy-Free Rations
  • Rations for Standard-Bred Poultry
  • Alternative Rations
    • Formulating Your Own Rations
    • Ration-Balancing by Hand
    • Ration-Balancing on a Spreadsheet
  • Feeding Ducks
    • Pastured Duck Layers
  • Multi-Species Feed Ration
    • Animal-Specific Additions
  • Laying Hen Considerations
    • Feeding Hens Based on Average Temperature
    • 5 Causes of Thin Shelled Eggs
    • Poultry Pecking Guide
  • Diagnose and Treat Common Illnesses

Purchase Pastured Poultry Feeding and Management

I recommend you purchase this book through the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association. While it does not benefit the podcast, it does help support a great organization. Buy it now.