I was reading the post below about Joel Salatin Not using the egg mobile any more. I have not puchased Poultry Profits yet, is this what he used in the book? What is he using now, is it back to regular tractors? Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), December 20, 2001

Answers

In Pastured Poultry Pofits Joel explains how to use the chicken tractors for meat. The eggmobile was a separate entity altogether. The hen house was on wheels and moved around the pastures, producing eggs not meat. The chicken still had the benefit of pasturing but could also range for it, I guess because they could walk further, as it wouldn't matter if they weren't putting on weight. hope this helps

Alison

-- Alison Homa (alisonhoma@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

Joel parked the Eggmobile for the following reasons:

1. A high death loss to both aerial and ground predators. 2. chickens get lost in fence rows and woods and can't find their way back to the hen house. 3. The wheeled hen house is difficult to park on steep hillsides. 4. The mesh floor is nat as warm as a wolid floor. 5. It is not cow proof. Curious cows can play havoc with it. 6. Lack of chicken control. With the Eggmobile chickens are free to range out from the rolling hen house. This allows them to get into gardens and other places they shouldn't be.

Joel noted he still has an aerial predator problem even with the new set-up.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 21, 2001.

Ken,

I must have missed the relevant post. Is there a book or website that describes fully Salatin's new laying hen operation? Is he no longer free-ranging? Thanks.

.......Alan.

-- Alan Hagan (athagan@atlantic.net), December 21, 2001.

No, it is not in a book as of yet. He has just stopped unrestricted free ranging, as under the new mobile hoop house system the hens still range over about a five-acre area which is changed every three days.

If you want a copy of the article just send me a SASE with two loose first class stamps at Ken Scharabok, 1645 West Blue Creek Road, Waverly, TN 37185.

Earlier post should still be in the new threads. If not, go to the Income - General category and look for Salatin in the title.

I've read about people using converted old school busses for mobile henhouses.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 24, 2001.