Are you thinking of raising a bunch of country chickens and wondering to yourself- how many acres of land do I need for country chicken poultry farming? Well, you are at the right place. In case you are a beginner, I have explained what country chicken is and how much space you would need to raise them.
What is country chicken poultry farming?
Country chicken poultry farming is another term for organic or free-range chickens. In Asian countries, there are basically two types of chickens that are raised: broiler chickens and layer chickens for eggs and multi-purpose country chickens.
Country chickens are more popular than commercial chicken breeds because they are much healthier. These chickens look and taste much different from broilers. Their meat is tougher. Their eggs are harder, tastier and much healthier. How they are raised is different too.
While broilers are often raised in small enclosed spaces, either battery cages or deep litter, country chickens are always raised free-range. Most farmers also raise country chickens organically.
As you can see, country chickens are names country chickens because they are most often raised in the country.
There are certain breeds of chicken that are ideal for country chicken farming, like Cauvery, Kalinga Brown, Nirbheek and Gramapriya chickens that are widely raised in countries like India.
Country chickens are characterized by their high immune systems, tough nature and flexibility. They can survive in harsh conditions, though they thrive in pastures and open ground.
A consumer can distinguish a country chicken from a broiler easily by their tough meat and strong bones. The eggs of country chickens are brown colored, and the yolk is a deep yellow compared to commercial layer chicken eggs.
Both layer chickens and roosters in country chicken poultry farming are used for meat.
And yes, they are not given commercial chicken feed. Country chickens have a wide diet of rice, grains, greens, worms, seeds and anything else it finds interesting.
Now let’s come to the question of how many acres of land you need for country chicken poultry farming.
How Many Acres of Land Do I Need for Country Chicken Poultry Farming?
It depends on how many chickens you are planning to raise. Firstly, you need space for the chicken housing, and then you need space for them to free-range.
It’s a bad idea to try to raise country chickens in cages or in the deep-litter method without allowing free-range because it may lead to cannibalism and many more issues. These chickens, unlike broilers and layers, are not suitable for intensive farming methods. If you are planning on raising country chickens in the deep-litter methods, it would involve many malpractices like beak-trimming. So I would strongly encourage free-range chicken farming.
So provided that you are planning on giving them free-range; ideally, you must raise six free-range chickens per acre. This amount is if their sole food source is from pasture and you are not providing them with any extra food. But yes, this would not be possible for most farmers because they are restricted on space, and frankly, six chickens per acre is stretching it.
If you are planning on providing them extra food and grains (which is recommended if you are planning on raising them for commercial purposes), then you can raise an average of 50 chickens per acre.
In addition to this, you have to allocate each chicken at least 2.5 square feet of space in their housing. The birds must be given enough nesting spaces for laying eggs and nesting, perches and resting area. Honestly, these space requirements are just a minimum. The more space you can allow them, the happier your chickens will be.
Please refer to this article for a complete guide on Country Chicken Poultry Farming in India.
How Many Acres of Land Do I Need for Country Chicken Poultry Farming? Summary
How many acres you need really depends on how many chickens you are planning to raise. If you are providing your country chickens will food in addition to the pastures, you can raise 50 chickens on an acre. So if you want to start your farm with 100 chickens, you need a minimum of two acres of land.
Also, Read for more information:
*All pics are taken from Unsplash.com
