Given the task to find an aspect of farming that I am not familiar with, to take a visit to the site or event, and then report on it, I struggled immensely trying to find an aspect of farming that I am not familiar with. I have grown up around horse, cattle, dairy operations, and auctions, and have had exposure to many other forms of agriculture, food production, and culture mainly through my FFA years, but also out of general interest. I am a also the kind of person that can spend countless hours at the keyboard playing farming games as I wish I was still out there on a tractor seat or a saddle in real life.
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| Sanpete County turkey farms. Note they are typically in groups of 3, 1 brooder and 2 feeders. |
So I had to find something that I was at least a little less familiar with, within a reasonable travel distance. One day as I still procrastinated, I heard my wife mention that my brother, Brian Madsen had bought out my dad's share of their joint turkey farming operation in Spring City, Utah. I realized that since these two just started this business about years ago, I really had very little knowledge about exactly what they do, as I have never been around a poultry operation in my life. It is strange to think I have not had that exposure, with so much family in the Sanpete County area, and having spent so much time in my life there, especially considering how much apart of local culture turkey farming is.
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| Summertime at the turkey farm |
I met up with my brother to tour his operation just a couple of days ago. The barns are just a few hundred yards from his new home, the tops of which I have seen from his house, though I have never ventured out to the barns their selves before. It is important to note before beginning that Brian had to ask me not to take photos on site. He stated that as his birds are under contract, the contract forbids photos inside of the barns, as fears exist that groups such as PETA could potentially use those photos negatively if made available online or otherwise. So in respect to Brian's wishes and his contract, the photos used in this post are from online sources that I felt would best match to what I saw in his operation. Brian actually suggested a lot of the websites where I found those images as well.
From the road, the 12,000 square foot barns really did not look that big to me. However, taking a walk through a barn of such size, filled with approximately 6,000 hen turkeys really makes one understand just how big the barns are! Brian has 5 such barns, but only operates 3 of these barns currently. One barn is designated as the "brooder" barn. Brian receives a shipment of "poults", which are young turkeys - just a few days old, from producers in California, and occasionally Canada. The poults enter the brooder barn for about 4 weeks, where they will be kept warmer and more secure until they are big enough to enter the feeder barns.
Brian is currently only producing hens at his farm, but he did offer some interesting facts about the different options available for those that raise turkeys. Brian states that there are a light, medium, and heavy grades to both tom and hen turkeys. These grades are based upon weight, and largely determine how many turkeys a farmer can grow in one barn. For example, the medium hens that Brian raises require about 2 square feet of space per bird, whereas a medium tom would require 4 square feet. At 12 weeks, which is the length of time required to grow a turkey to maturity, these medium hens will weigh in from 13-15 pounds per bird. A heavy tom can reach a weight of 38-42 pounds per turkey. So really, regardless of which grade of turkey a farmer chooses to raise, the overall weight of the turkeys in 1 barn at the end of 12 weeks will be relatively close to the same as any other grade, again, based upon weight. So why would Brian choose to raise 6,000 medium hens when he could instead raise fewer heavy toms that could reach higher weights?
That answer is based in mortality rates. As we walked the barn, Brian had to pick up 2 hens that had perished. Brian says that he walks the barns twice a day to remove any dead, in order to keep disease from spreading throughout the barns. Disease if unchecked could quickly wipe out the population of a barn as well as spread to adjacent barns. Some diseases will even spread throughout the valley on occasion. So in regards to production, Brian usually looses about 15% of his birds on average, although he has suffered loss as high as 40% per barn, something he hopes to never repeat. So, more birds with the knowledge that you will loose some means less weight lost overall in the long run, versus loosing larger birds in a smaller population.
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| Turkey poults |
I asked Brian about disease since we were on the subject. "E coli is our most common concern" he stated. In fact, in the brooder barn Brian will completely sterilize the entire barn including feeders, water lines, and even changing the wood shavings on the floor before introducing new turkeys to the barn. In the larger barns, the large amount of natural ammonia that comes from the feces and urine of the turkeys helps provide a natural sterilization. In fact, the air inside of the barns is interesting to breathe due to this ammonia, and quite honestly I didn't want to stay in it for very long. When the turkeys are removed for slaughter, the barn sides are rolled up, the sun warms the inside of the barn, and a tractor will stir up the floor of the barn, which consists of wood shavings and feces. The sun and heat exposure causes the ammonia to be released over about 3 days time. This again sterilizes the environment for the next batch of birds.
Other sicknesses of worry are bacteria such as bordetella, which can multiply in water. With this threat, water lines are flushed daily to prevent the buildup of the bacteria. Coryza is another virus that sporadically finds its way into the valley with ugly consequences. This disease attacks the respiratory system, specifically the sinuses and nostrils of the turkeys. Dermatitis also attacks the feet of turkeys, and can cripple them. When the birds are weak and lay down, they can often be trampled to death by other turkeys in the barn. With any of these diseases, once they show, it is quite often too late to prevent their spread throughout the barn. But when a farmer knows one of those diseases is going around, they can vaccinate and tighten security to the farms to prevent their turkeys from getting the sickness.
It is amazing to see the other forms of agriculture, and even non-agricultural industry that tie together in this farming operation. Large silos are erected at each barn, each containing about 8 tons of feed! A barn will go through just over 8 tons of feed per week, so Brian typically orders a feed truck twice a week. Large propane tanks are also located on site, which provide heat to the barns in the winter. These are Brian's biggest concern as far as cost goes. While feed prices are fairly constant for him these days, a cold bitter winter can really drive up the costs of his operation when it comes to the gas to heat the barns.
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| Inside the turkey barns. Turkeys can be very delicate. In the summer, huge fans and open windows keep the turkeys cool. Misting can also help keep them cool. In the winter, the sides are rolled down, and gas heat keeps the turkeys warm. |
Looking back at what we have discussed in the class, in just a few short hours Brian has really described all of the concern we have seen from farmers in our studies. He really just wants to see the farm flourish for his family's sake, and he really wants to expand the operation. Right now, this is a side job, as he does have a full time job that keeps him busy all week. He says he enjoys the relative ease of turkey farming, as he only really strolls through twice a day to pick up dead birds and flush water lines. Every couple of weeks he has to move birds around. Every 6 weeks, Moroni Feed Company shows up to haul his birds to the Norbest plant located in Moroni. With this relative ease though, Brian still has his worries. When he started out, turkey prices were high, and he incurred debt to begin the operation. Today, prices are low, and he feels he is barely getting by. This has hindered his hopes of expanding, for now. But still, he enjoys what he does, and he enjoys being able to have his family working alongside of him, and the values that his kids are learning from it.
So how does this tie to Sanpete culture? Well, ironically I have written about it before and not thought a lot about the connection I guess. I can scarcely recall a summer without the smell of "Sanpete Turkey" on the grill. The marinade for this dish is a simple one, but creates for me a delicacy. Just about everyone I know in the area uses and loves the recipe, and it is a backyard favorite to this day. Our family still prepares it, and our neighbors have loved it where ever we have lived. We are always happy to tell our new friends how this marinade gets its name, and the tie to Sanpete agriculture and tradition.
Maybe someday I will be able to have it a part of a restaurant menu, which is another dream of mine. I would love to operate a restaurant where I could feature local dishes that can tie people back to our local culture and traditions.
Works Cited:
Porter, Jason, Amazing Grilled Chicken Recipe, Southern Utah Hunt and Fish. Blog post, Feb. 29, 2012. Web. May 1, 2016. http://www.suhuntandfish.com/2012/02/amazing-grilled-chicken-recipe.html
Surovi, Ann Marie, Highlights: Leo Society Members Enjoy Look Inside Jaindl Turkey Farm, Da Vinci Science Center. Aug. 10, 2015. Web. May 1, 2016.
Purdue Agriculture Poultry Page, Turkeys, Clip Art. Web. May 1, 2016
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