Nutrient management on small-scale free-range poultry farms is commonly misunderstood. And while many people have the goal of using the chickens to fertilise and improve your paddocks achieving this isn’t simple.

Poultry, even at low stocking densities, can cause nutrient build-up in the soil and even distribution of nutrients across the range. This is because about 75% of manure deposited by hens on small-scale free-range farms falls directly under the house, with 10% estimated to be deposited in the 2m adjacent to the bird housing. This means that poultry housing areas are nutrient hot-spots and to operate at “low risk” small scale farms need to be appropriately sited and managed.

The Practical Guide to Range Management for small-scale free-range layer farms provides practical information to improve the environmental management of range areas. It highlights potential impacts and management measures to manage risks. There’re also innovative ideas tested and adopted by producers to improve nutrient distribution with mobile shade structures and hard tracks.

This guide is useful whether you’re planning to start your enterprise, preparing a Development Application or looking to get some tips on range management.