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Know How / Other poultry

Whether it’s free-range broilers, seasonal turkeys, geese or even quail farming, there is a wide range of enterprises that don’t fit in the conventional laying hen or broiler categories. Here we review alternative poultry production

Our key areas of focus are:

  • The facts and figures you need when considering seasonal poultry production
  • Prevailing market conditions for those looking to tap into the Christmas market
  • How organic, free-range or other systems might fit with your farm business

Must reads

Case studies

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OTHER POULTRY

Move into duck eggs aids growth at St Ewe

Many criteria are taken into consideration when deciding who should win each Farmers Weekly Awards category, though for St Ewe Free Range Eggs – last year’s Poultry Farmer of the…

YOUNG FARMERS

How new entrants set up an organic duck egg business

Ditching the city life for the Welsh countryside in 2015, Josh and Abi Heyneke moved to the 4ha Parc Carreg Farm, Carmarthenshire, with the goal of becoming full-time farmers.  But…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Grass diet a winner for seasonal goose marketing

Oliver White sees geese as a key part of his enterprise based around the merits of grass-fed livestock. He has a passion for pasture-fed livestock – a topic he is…

How focus on marketing won Scots turkey farm plaudits

Turkey producer, Craig Michie, has focused on growing a strong reputation side-by-side with bird numbers, and is reaping foodie awards left right and centre as a result. We find out…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Surviving bird flu: One duck breeder's story

The outbreak of high pathogen avian influenza at a duck breeder farm in Nafferton rocked the poultry industry. The man in charge at the time has recounted the strain it…

POULTRY

Producer puts greenhouse to clever use to market turkeys

A combination of clever management and intelligent marketing are proving a recipe for success for one Lancashire-based turkey farmer. Fresh air and good marketing may seem an incongruous partnership but…

Practical advice

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OTHER POULTRY

Why turkeys need managing differently to broilers

Factors affecting choice of breed, age at slaughter, and brooding, rearing and disease management all have unique considerations for turkey production. Regarding turkeys simply as big broilers could put a…

POULTRY

7 tips for making a profit from farm-scale Christmas turkeys

About 18% of the Christmas turkeys sold to UK consumers are produced on a small scale by farmers independent of the big players. It can generate a good income, often…

POULTRY

11 handy tech solutions for poultry farmers

Technology can take farm management to the next level, and a well thought-out investment can help cut costs overall. Whether you want to transform flock performance, reduce labour costs or…

POULTRY

How to manage staff exposure to poultry dust

Respiratory disease is a major health risk for UK poultry farmworkers, with incidence of occupational asthma double the national average. Staff are exposed to many different airborne particles that are…

POULTRY

What to consider when diversifying into pheasant rearing

Gamebird rearing can provide a good secondary income for farmers looking to maximise the value of farmland. Pheasant and partridge can be produced on a small acreage and, as it…

POULTRY

A step-by-step guide to cleaning your poultry shed

Cleaning sheds and equipment between flocks is critical to reduce the presence of viruses, bacteria and protozoa, which are all potentially pathogenic to incoming stock. “The previous flock will have…