As we approach Christmas, Rebecca Tierney, Poultry Advisor, explores Irish turkey production ahead of the festive season.
Few foods are as central to Irish celebrations as the turkey. Behind the festive centrepiece is a production system that takes months of preparation. On a recent episode of The Poultry Edge, Rebecca Tierney spoke with Padraig McKenna, Managing Director of Whitaker’s Hatcheries, one of Ireland’s major turkey suppliers, to explore how Irish turkeys are produced and how the industry gears up for the most intense time of the year.
Turkey production in Ireland has expanded over the past decade. Currently, approximately 2 million turkeys are produced annually. The Christmas market accounts for around 1.1 million to 1.2 million birds, making it the most important sales period.
Whitaker’s Hatcheries alone processes between 10,000 and 12,000 turkeys per week for the weekly retail market, highlighting the scale required to meet consumer demand.
Turkey consumption has increased over the last 10 to 15 years. According to Padraig McKenna, this growth has been driven largely by consumers choosing locally produced Irish meat, particularly within the retail sector. Product innovation has also played a role, and consumers can now choose from turkey steaks, mince, sausages, burgers, meatballs and more.
Production
Turkey production is more complex than other poultry systems. Breeding requires artificial insemination every three to four days, and breeder hens lay fertile eggs for only about 20 weeks, making turkey eggs costly. With limited breeder stock in Ireland, most hatching eggs are imported from France and the UK and take 28 days to hatch, a week longer than chicken eggs.
After hatching, chicks are sexed, vaccinated and moved to brooding farms. The first five to six weeks are critical, chicks need high temperatures of 33 to 34°C, and close monitoring to ensure they learn to eat and drink.
Birds are then transferred to finishing farms for a further 12 weeks, where management focuses on ventilation, litter quality, and growth. By 16 to 18 weeks, hens reach 11kg to 12kg liveweight and stags 16kg to 17kg.
Planning for Christmas
Although Christmas is just one day, production planning begins months in advance. Whitaker’s has 90% of its Christmas plans in place by March. Day-old chicks for Christmas are placed from mid-July to late September. Early placements produce larger birds, while later placements supply smaller turkeys.
Fresh turkey processing begins in late November. Birds are processed daily and chilled to ensure freshness. By mid-December, all birds must be processed and packed, ready for distribution. By 19 December, Irish Christmas turkeys must be on supermarket shelves, leaving just a few days to distribute product across retailers, butchers, and food outlets nationwide.
Make sure to buy an Irish turkey this Christmas and support our producers in this busy time.