In Sunforest, geese and Maremmas guard Matt’s turkeys
From the May 2008 edition of Agriculture Today.
Matthew Jamieson produces Sunforest organic turkeys at Bangalow, in the hills behind Byron Bay on the North Coast.
Farm population is usually 1500 birds, slaughtered then frozen at 13 to 20 weeks at a certified abattoir at nearby Alstonville.
"Initially we buy day old turkey chicks, usually in batches of 300 to 500 and kept in a brood room for three weeks," Mr Jamieson said.
The young chicks need warmth and the initial brood room temperature of 37 degrees is gradually brought down to 25 degrees by opening the windows wider and for longer periods each day until the chicks are ready for normal outdoor temperatures.
Mr Jamieson says the brood room is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for each new batch.
"The chicks are on organic feed from their first day and fresh clean water is always available," he said.
"Once they are out of the brood room, three week old chicks graze in a large netted paddock until they are big enough to avoid most attacks by predator birds."
When the chicks are first introduced to this paddock a Maremma dog on a long lead is put in with them as a guard against hawks finding their way in through any small tear in the netting.
As the turkeys approach adult size they move into a larger paddock without netting and graze on a pasture of broad leaf paspalum and also have access to an Australian Standard organic poultry ration and whole grain in self feeders.
In summer the conifers in the paddock provide shade for the birds and in very wet weather they may need a temporary awning or shelter for protection.
If the season is particularly wet, turkey production is put on hold.
Banda grass provides a windbreak from the strong southerly winds, and a 10 wire electric fence keeps foxes out and usually keeps the Maremma guard dog in with the grazing birds.
Mr Jamieson runs a few sheep with the turkeys so the dog becomes accustomed to sheep and doesn’t readily attack the neighbour’s sheep.
"We mingle a few ducks with the turkeys plus a few guarding geese, which are better than the dog at protecting turkeys against predator birds," he said.
There have been no disease problems with the poultry, possibly because the birds are very healthy and fed well.
Contact NSW Department of Primary Industries, Tocal 1800 025 520 for a series of books on organic farming, from which this story is extracted.
