Rearing Poultry for the Table with Mimi Crawford

Mimi Crawford is an environmental geologist, organic farmer and artisan food producer who is passionate about sharing knowledge on how small-scale production can play a role in ensuring the health of the soils, plants, animals and humans.

She and her husband Owen have a micro-dairy of 12 Irish Shorthorn cows producing raw milk, raw cream, raw butter and raw buttermilk, poultry and pigs. All of their animals are holistically raised and rotationally grazed and all of their operations are integrated to help create a more natural symbiotic relationship between all their species and the natural wilderness. They have been producing organic broiler chickens on pasture commercially for 10 years and over that time have identified what works and what doesn't within the Irish context.

Pastured poultry gives you the ability to produce a high-value, nutrient-dense animal on a very small land base in a relatively short amount of time and with minimal startup costs. Whether just to raise and process them for your family or for a sustainable small business, this course will cover the basics of everything you need to know to raise poultry from brooder to butcher. 

This full day course is suitable for anyone considering rearing poultry from small backyard scale to small commercial scale (~2000 birds) production.

What You’ll Learn: 

• How to raise meat chickens on pasture but many aspects are also applicable to the rearing of ducks, turkeys and geese for me

Course Elements: 

• Brooder preparation
• Sourcing day old chicks
• Brooder management
• Pasture management
• Sourcing feed and supplies
• Housing options and construction
• Managing flock health
• Loading birds and butchering options
• Product pricing and marketing
• Overall benefits and challenges of raising pastured meat poultry in Ireland

Good to Know

• As we’ll spend time walking and learning around the farm please bring suitable clothing and footwear - and allow for changeable weather!
• Refreshments and Lunch included; eat alongside our students, cookery school teachers, farm staff, gardeners and visiting experts
• Tea and Coffee with whatever’s fresh out of the oven will be served from 9am so please arrive early to sign in, meet other students and get ready for a busy day of hands on learning
• The course is held at Ballymaloe Cookery School’s Organic Farm and Gardens in Shanagarry, Co. Cork P25 R274
  
  Additional Info 
  Discounted / Part-Funded Tickets Through NOTS:
•  

  Eligible participants living in Ireland can avail of a generous cost reduction on this course through our course partners National Organic Training Skillnet. Go to the NOTS Course Page and sign up through NOTS to avail of their reduced price offering and to get the course for just €90. Once you sign up and pay the reduced rate through NOTS, they will notify us, and you will be all set for the course on November 26th! Please note – to qualify for the NOTS rate, you must be a) resident in Ireland; and b) employed in any sector (either full-time or part-time).