I farm: “In Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny. The farm produces 1,000 birds a week, so there’d be about 10,000 to 12,000 birds on the farm at one time.”

Our produce: “I supply Shannon Vale Foods in West Cork, and we also get our day-old chicks from them. They also process and supply me with my organic chicken which I then sell direct to suppliers in Dublin and across the country.”

I buy: “I buy in day-old chicks from Shannon Vale Foods and they are reared on the farm until they are 12 weeks old. We bring in day-olds every two weeks, and they go into the brooder house. The conditions have to be perfect. Then we gradually decrease heat and increase the ventilation as the birds get older. It’s all about the day to day management, it has to be perfect.”

Organic farming: “Being an organic farm, the stocking rate is a lot lower so the birds have more freedom to express their natural behaviour. Welfare is paramount. These days the birds are inside due to the avian flu. Also with organic farming, there are no antibiotics and no pesticides used. We also keep the birds longer, which improves the taste of the chicken.”

Chicken price: “Prices will have to rise, it’s as simple as that. Our feed has gone up €150/t, which equates to an increase in weekly costs of €1,500. Expenses have shot up dramatically and things have gotten more difficult.”

Seán Ring with four-day-old chicks. \ Patrick Browne

Future plans: “We are looking at changing from gas to biomass and solar power, and other ways that we can save money as well as helping the carbon footprint. They have got to make financial sense.”

Rings Farm: “If we were just producing, it wouldn’t make financial sense. If you’re producing organic, you have to be branding and selling the product and you’ve got to be good at it.”

Quotable quote: “It’s very important that the clients are aware of where their food comes from. The farmer and the client need to work together.”