Cell grazing is the practice of keeping livestock tightly bunched and moving. It is different to the usual practice of “set stocking”, where (say) 20 animals are left in a large paddock all year round. Under set stocking the animals will roam around and eat their favourite plants to death while ignoring less palatable plants, which will eventually go rank and grey. With cell grazing the animals will eat aggressively, knowing that if they do not eat the plant in front of them their neighbour will. Everything is eaten, trampled or poo’d and wee’d on, leaving a layer of sheet compost on top of the soil. After the animals are moved by shifting the temporary electric fence to create a new small paddock, the patch will re grow strongly. The animals are not returned to any spot until the pasture there has reached a good height of about 250 mm. In this manner wonderful rich soil is built which easily absorbs and holds the next rain. Exponential growth in healthy pasture plants can be expected, and the deep rooted perennial pasture species (which fail to germinate in poor soil) begin to appear. Then we can expect our property to be almost drought proof. Cows sheep goats and alpacas can all be held together in the same herd for maximum benefit.
As small holders we can use smaller animals, like guinea pigs, geese, chooks, ducks and more, to cell graze to grow soil, grass, more animals and nutritious animal products.
We have planted out a rectangular area which will be trickle irrigated sparely and will hopefully feed 6 or so chickens all the greens they require for a period of 12 days. We planted early successional plants including Nigellia ( couch grass) , nutsedge grass , kale, chicory and the legume nitrogen fixers alfalfa , vetch , and lab lab bean. When these plants are well established, chickens can be purchased and housed in the light cage of bamboo which will be left on each section for one day. Chickens will need feeding with food scraps and may need grain and these foods should be scattered in the section ahead of the chickens and cage lifted onto the new section every morning. Chickens will want to go towards the food.
Water should be available at all times in the shade formed by the roof and the pomegranate trees sheltering the area. Chickens will not cross bright light to access water , and will die from thirst if shade is not ensured. The cage will need to be reinforced so that dogs and foxes can not attack the chickens. Beware of adding too much weight to the structure which would make it difficult to move. A nest box formed from a 20 litre discarded plastic drum ( well washed to remove any chemical residues) will need to be emptied of eggs at least daily , preferably before moving the cage. The nest box needs to be kept lined with hay or dry leaves to keep eggs clean. Chickens will particularly relish sea food scraps. This protein should ensure they do not begin to eat their own eggs, a very bad habit. They should not be fed chicken meat scraps. Dried and crushed egg shell can be mixed in with sea shell grit to ensure strong egg shells. A dust box of dry dirt and ashes from a fire is also important to prevent skin parasites.
Chickens need a lot of care but provide one of the best foods for growing children. A lightly cooked egg is extremely nutritious for developing brains. Plus this set up will illustrate the cycling of nutrients and the benefits of cell grazing. Visitors to the farm will enjoy to see the chickens, and food scraps from Habiba Lodge will be consumed by the chickens.
The “chook tractor “ is moved every time the greens within have been grazed and scratched down to a thin cover over the soil. Try to move on time to avoid completely bare dirt. If it accidently happens, find some material to mulch the ground with. If needs be , the cage needs to stay in one place longer because the greens have not regrown to full height, so be it. That place will be over grazed and become a sacrificial area which will need to be repaired with seed and muilch when at last the cage can move on, but at least the whole field is not over grazed. If the cage needs to remain stationary beside the field of greens, until the plants have re-grown to 10 inches high, during this time the hens are fed food scraps. The cage is then moved quickly along the “street” and back to the first bed and the cycle starts again. During their time on the field they are improving the soil with their manure and eating pest insects. Hopefully as the soil improves and the vegetation becomes ever- thicker, the cage can remain in place for 2 or even 3 days . The cage is an ideal place to raise growing young fowls. The males can be eaten and the females grown out to laying age. When nearing 6 months , they can be introduced to the laying house on the eastern end of the farm. The cage could also be an ideal place to house a clucky hen , placing 15 or so fertile eggs under her in the nest box. After they hatch, she can then raise the chickens in the movable cage for the next weeks. She is then ready to go back to her friends in the laying house . Always move chickens late in the day on dusk, as they will fight otherwise.
