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. Read more
Irish Christmas trees cut Aldi's carbon footprint
IFA presidential election 2019 is here
Mercosur opposition growing across Europe
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. Read more
Irish Christmas trees cut Aldi's carbon footprint
IFA presidential election 2019 is here
Mercosur opposition growing across Europe
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