Ger McMeyler, turkey and dairy farmer. \ Claire Nash.
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I farm: ”130 acres of farmland in Co Kildare, of which 40 acres are rented. The land is very flat with heavy soil. It’s exactly what you would expect from here. I have a Fleckvieh dairy herd and I rear turkeys every Christmas.”
Family: “I am married to Siobhán and we have three children, Scott, Charlie and Alison. My grandmother and grand-aunt were poultry advisers back in the day. It’s in our blood.”
Turkeys: “Right now, we have about 3,000 turkeys in the sheds. One-third are standard white turkeys and they grow to around 15kg. The other two-thirds of the birds are mini turkeys; they grow to between 4kg and 6kg. There is less demand for turkeys every year. Older people with big families would traditionally have wanted a big turkey, but the younger people seem to want just fillets and smaller portions.”
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I enjoy: “Every part of farming. I like milking every day too, but I really love the Christmas season when we set up a refrigerated artic lorry and sell the turkeys directly to the public. I enjoy meeting all the local people and filling orders.”
This week: “I’ll be taking phone calls for orders and talking to the butchers. I’ll also get a few bags of lime in preparation for the spring-calving season. It’s great – the calves will go into the sheds when all the turkeys are gone, and it keeps the sheds occupied all year round.”
The IFA donates a number of turkeys from Ger’s farm to the Lord Mayor’s Fund, which provides dinners on Christmas Day for those in need.
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I farm: ”130 acres of farmland in Co Kildare, of which 40 acres are rented. The land is very flat with heavy soil. It’s exactly what you would expect from here. I have a Fleckvieh dairy herd and I rear turkeys every Christmas.”
Family: “I am married to Siobhán and we have three children, Scott, Charlie and Alison. My grandmother and grand-aunt were poultry advisers back in the day. It’s in our blood.”
Turkeys: “Right now, we have about 3,000 turkeys in the sheds. One-third are standard white turkeys and they grow to around 15kg. The other two-thirds of the birds are mini turkeys; they grow to between 4kg and 6kg. There is less demand for turkeys every year. Older people with big families would traditionally have wanted a big turkey, but the younger people seem to want just fillets and smaller portions.”
I enjoy: “Every part of farming. I like milking every day too, but I really love the Christmas season when we set up a refrigerated artic lorry and sell the turkeys directly to the public. I enjoy meeting all the local people and filling orders.”
This week: “I’ll be taking phone calls for orders and talking to the butchers. I’ll also get a few bags of lime in preparation for the spring-calving season. It’s great – the calves will go into the sheds when all the turkeys are gone, and it keeps the sheds occupied all year round.”
The IFA donates a number of turkeys from Ger’s farm to the Lord Mayor’s Fund, which provides dinners on Christmas Day for those in need.
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