Costs of pastured broiler operations based on data from small-scale farms

Abstract

Many small-scale and limited-resource farmers use "hobby scale" technologies to produce food for home consumption and as a source of supplementary income. However, the economic potential of many of these technologies has not been investigated. Raising poultry on pasture is a relatively common small-scale technology for which there is sparse production and economics information based on actual-farm data. This article provides such information, based on data from farms in Kentucky. Analysis indicated that live broiler sales might be marginally profitable but that greater profit can be realized through sales of processed broilers at farmers' markets.