Posted on Dec 19, 2022
How huge chicken facilities could affect farming east of Salem
769
40
12
8
8
0
Opponents say industrial poultry operations planned for Scio and Aumsville are reinforcing a trend in Oregon agriculture where only the largest farms survive.
The North Santiam River has carved a steep embankment into the land at the back of Christina Eastman’s family farm east of Salem. She keeps a grill on a grassy patch high above the water’s edge for summer cookouts and get-togethers.
“Nice place to hang, huh?” Eastman said.
The North Santiam River has carved a steep embankment into the land at the back of Christina Eastman’s family farm east of Salem. She keeps a grill on a grassy patch high above the water’s edge for summer cookouts and get-togethers.
“Nice place to hang, huh?” Eastman said.
How huge chicken facilities could affect farming east of Salem
Posted from opb.org
Farming
Agriculture
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
6
6
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The long haul
Eric Simon of J-S Ranch said he carefully chose the location for his chicken operation. It’s relatively isolated from neighbors compared to other properties and has access to water, power and natural gas.
Scio is also only about 20 driving miles from Salem and Interstate 5, making it easier to transport chickens and farm supplies up and down the West Coast.
Simon said the avian flu outbreak that’s killed millions of U.S. chickens this year (though not broilers) and recent supply chain disruptions underscore the need for locally produced chicken.
“I feel proud that we grow food that is sold here in the Northwest,” he said. “Our local grocery stores, I can go there, and I can see my product.”
Simon added that he intends to be a good neighbor and that J-S Ranch will generate business for local builders, lumber mills, electricians and hardware stores."
..."The long haul
Eric Simon of J-S Ranch said he carefully chose the location for his chicken operation. It’s relatively isolated from neighbors compared to other properties and has access to water, power and natural gas.
Scio is also only about 20 driving miles from Salem and Interstate 5, making it easier to transport chickens and farm supplies up and down the West Coast.
Simon said the avian flu outbreak that’s killed millions of U.S. chickens this year (though not broilers) and recent supply chain disruptions underscore the need for locally produced chicken.
“I feel proud that we grow food that is sold here in the Northwest,” he said. “Our local grocery stores, I can go there, and I can see my product.”
Simon added that he intends to be a good neighbor and that J-S Ranch will generate business for local builders, lumber mills, electricians and hardware stores."
(6)
(0)
5
5
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel The Chicken Barns in NW Arkansas are mostly situated back from the roads, they are barely noticeable and I never noticed any odors during the summer. One chicken farm I know of produces Eggs. They have 5 Barns, each containing 10,000 chickens each and produce as many as 20,000 eggs daily. Once the chickens attain the age of 26 weeks or so, their egg production diminishes and they go to the chicken house in the sky.
(5)
(0)
CPO David R. D.
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel , Can I respectfully comment on your statement about the chickens' age?
26 weeks of age is when chickens usually start laying eggs, and then a year later is when they are usually considered too old for commercial use, because their production starts dropping.
When we hatch out our own chicken eggs, they normally start laying between 21 and 24 weeks of age, but the eggs are about half the size of what they will be when the hen is fully grown.
26 weeks of age is when chickens usually start laying eggs, and then a year later is when they are usually considered too old for commercial use, because their production starts dropping.
When we hatch out our own chicken eggs, they normally start laying between 21 and 24 weeks of age, but the eggs are about half the size of what they will be when the hen is fully grown.
(1)
(0)
5
5
0
I realize commercially raised poultry and livestock are what keep the shelves in big grocery store chains full. Not sure how I feel about this one. Nobody wants huge chicken farms near their home, they do stink, but the more we put off producing food, the more the shelves in the grocery stores are going to be empty or the prices of food are going to skyrocket. The pricing is already happening.
Had a coworker come into the office today stating that eggs were almost $5 a dozen, and here we sell our farm-fresh eggs for $3/doz. Our chickens are not laying as many, now that it's winter and less light, but we still collect six to eight eggs a day which we use for ourselves.
On another note, within 1/2 mile of our home, there are six moderate barns for chicken egg production, two are in the field that borders our property, and they are small enough, we can't even smell them. I'm not sure how many thousands of chickens are in each barn, but the barn doors open and the chickens get to enjoy the outside pastures almost daily.
Had a coworker come into the office today stating that eggs were almost $5 a dozen, and here we sell our farm-fresh eggs for $3/doz. Our chickens are not laying as many, now that it's winter and less light, but we still collect six to eight eggs a day which we use for ourselves.
On another note, within 1/2 mile of our home, there are six moderate barns for chicken egg production, two are in the field that borders our property, and they are small enough, we can't even smell them. I'm not sure how many thousands of chickens are in each barn, but the barn doors open and the chickens get to enjoy the outside pastures almost daily.
(5)
(0)
CPO David R. D.
SGT (Join to see) - Very much so. Their contracts require that they switch out their laying hens every 18 months. When they get the new pullets in, they give the eggs away, because the eggs are too small for contractual purposes. We had one neighbor give us, probably 30 dozen eggs at one time, and we boiled them and fed them to our pigs. If they can't give away the pullet eggs, they have to trash them. The neighbor that has four egg barns, fed out two hogs entirely on boiled chicken eggs. Hogs love them, and they are a great source of protein and calcium, since the hogs eat shell and all.
(0)
(0)
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google