A farmer describes the process of producing turkeys for the Christmas market.
Total sales of turkeys amount to around £25 million a year. 878,000 poults were bought during the months of June, July and August and grown for the Christmas market.
Turkey business is no longer confined to Christmas.
Joe Clinton of Skerries in north County Dublin, has grown around 2,000 turkeys. He bought the birds in mid August and by Christmas they are 16 to 17 weeks old. The mortality rate for his turkeys is about seven per cent. He hopes to sell around 1,800 of the 2,000 turkeys. In preparation for market, the turkeys are fed a high 32 per cent protein ration for the first two weeks which is reduced over time.
The price of turkey feed can be as high as £270 a tonne, about a 12 per cent increase on feeding costs over last year. This increase has led to a rise in the overall cost of production. Joe Clinton and other turkey producers in the region sell predominantly to local butchers for between 84 to 88 pence a pound for hens and 10 pence less for cocks.
Joe Clinton is chairman of a turkey producers group. One of the group's functions is to organise an auction for the sale of surplus turkeys. This usually takes place in Ashbourne, County Meath. Joe Clinton and other producers use glass houses during the off peak growing season for turkey plucking.
This episode of 'Landmark' was broadcast on 16 December 1982. The reporter is Kieran Kissane.
