Pastured Poultry Provides Cornerstone For South Mississippi Community
by Hollis Watkins and Keith Richards 
(This article first appeared in Southern Sustainable Farming, a publication of Southern SAWG. 1998) 

NEW MEDINA, Mississippi--Having moved from Chicago nearly ten years ago in search of a better environment for their families, Rosa and Abdul-Hakim Shareef, along with Judith and Abdul Mahmoud, have helped themselves and inspired their neighbors in this southern Mississippi community through the development of small family farms.

After buying land and building their own modest homes, the Shareefs and Mahmouds organized the Marion County Self Help Organization, a group of low- and moderate-income Muslim and Christian families who work together to improve their lives using sustainable agriculture. In the past two years, with the help of both Heifer Project International (HPI) and Southern Echo, members have begun grazing a small flock of St. Croix sheep in a rotational system, are experimenting with vegetable production, and have researched the growing of cut flowers. In addition, they have been approved to receive one male and six female goats from HPI later this year. Each of these enterprises will help them reach their goal of a diverse, sustainable farm; but the cornerstone of their plan is pastured poultry. 

Low-Input Operation Allows Easier Entry to Farming 

The low-input method of raising chickens on pasture has allowed these families to begin farming without a large capital investment, and to expand at their own pace as they gain expertise. In 1996, when they decided to go into pastured poultry production for meat and eggs, the Shareefs and Mahmouds traveled to Virginia for an HPI-sponsored training. After receiving valuable experience in every aspect of production from the building of brooders and pens to preparing the birds for market, they returned to Mississippi and set up their own operations.

According to Rosa, it takes 6-8 weeks to raise day-old chicks into tasty, lean meals. Baby chicks are started off in brooders, then transferred to 10’x12’ pens that can be moved by a single person. These structures were built by the Shareefs and Mahmouds from low-cost materials; about $100-150 worth of lumber, chicken wire, nails, and tin for the brooder and another $100 in materials for each pen. The pens are rolled to a different patch of grass each day where the birds can scratch around for insects and deposit their manure on the field. Water and non-medicated feed supplement the birds’ diets.

When they reach a weight of about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds, the birds are sold live to local customers, then slaughtered and processed for free. Sales are arranged this way to meet health regulations. Most of their customers pick up the birds on the day of slaughter to get the absolute freshest, best quality meat. In fact, Rosa says a lot of people come by to watch the slaughtering process, often bringing their children. The Shareefs and Mahmouds also freeze a few of the birds to hold for customers who can’t come out right away.

Rosa estimates that each bird costs about $2.50-3.00 to produce, depending on the fluctuations in the cost of feed. They are sold for $1.50 per pound.

Because of the high quality of their products, the two families say their biggest problem is meeting the demand. After initially posting flyers on area bulletin boards, their sole advertising is now by word of mouth. According to Rosa, phone calls constantly come in from families requesting meat birds. She says, “I tell customers to just try one bird, and I know they will come back for more. I know I’ll never buy a supermarket bird again. They just can’t compare to ours in taste!”  

Trials and Errors 

As with any new farming enterprise, there have been a few trials and errors to test the families’ faith. The very first batch of 100 birds that the Mahmouds raised and processed were ruined by a malfunctioning freezer, and a neighbor’s dog got into the pen and killed the Shareefs first 50 layers. According to Rosa and Judith, these set-backs were really heartbreaking, but they didn’t deter them from continuing towards their goals. The Mahmouds obtained a new freezer, the Shareefs received payment for their loss from the owner of the dog, and both families bought more birds.

Over the past two years, they have steadily expanded their expertise and production. Each family raised approximately 1000 birds in 1997. This year the Shareefs are producing 300 birds per month and the Mahmouds have raised about 100 per month. Both families have a goal of raising and marketing 1000 meat birds per month, the maximum allowed under state regulations by an individual farm. When they reach that goal, they hope to be fully sustained from farm operations. 

Bringing People Closer Together 

The income hasn’t been the only benefit from their farming operations. Rosa says, “Working with the chickens has brought family members closer together.” The children of both families have shared in the responsibilities of producing and processing the birds.

Additionally, involvement in the Marion County Self Help Organization has helped them form a community and reach out to others. With assistance from HPI and Southern Echo, members of the Organization attended the last two Southern SAWG annual conferences where they were able to participate in workshops and talk with other farm families like themselves. Back home, the families have shown neighbors and visitors how to produce pastured poultry, and in keeping with HPI philosophy, will give away the first kids born to their goats to others who need a start. As the Shareefs and Mahmouds pioneer the way with each successful, sustainable farming enterprise, their whole community is sure to be enriched.