RAINs

Policy Briefings

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Commercial apple orchards in poultry freerange areas - Increase revenues from your investment in animal welfare

Why plant trees?

A free range area contributes to chicken welfare. However, chickens prefer range areas with shelter provided by trees, bushes or artificial structures. A farm with 10,000 chickens needs a range area of 4 hectares. Planting such a large area with trees is a big investment. Introducing commercial fruit trees is one way to add a valuable revenue stream. Every fruit species has particular needs and some will require additional investment. For example, cherry trees require netting for protection against birds. This leaflet explains the requirements of incorporating apple trees into a free range poultry system.

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Featured Farm of the day

Wakelyns Agroforestry - a diverse organic silvoarable system in the UK

The general layout of the farm (Google Earth UK postcode IP21 5SD) is a series of 2 ha alley-cropping systems, with all production hedges aligned north-south on each side of 12m wide cropping areas. There are two coppice systems (hazel, willow), two mixed hardwood systems (ash, hornbeam, Italian alder, oak, small-leaved lime, sycamore, wild cherry, with or without apple) and two mixed fruit and nut systems. The organic crop rotation (cereals-ley-potatoes/squash-ley-cereals) runs as a single cycle around the whole farm.

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Description of what a RAIN is

Authochtonous goat breed (Serpentina) grazing under Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia)

Iberian pig feeding on holm oak acorns

Typical landscape of Montado with Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia)

3rd EURAF conference, Montpellier, France, May 2016

Bisons in a forest reserve, Poland

Goats and Fraxinus, Portugal

Alley cropping, Seabuckthorn & Buffaloberry, canola and alfalfa

Walnut and Maize

Sheep grazing vineyards (Vitipasture system)

Traditional meadow in Joensuu, Finland

RAINs