Poultry Meat and Egg Production

The poultry industry in Ireland is made up of two sectors- poultry meat and egg production. The poultry and egg sectors make up a small percentage of Ireland overall agri-food sector, with dairy, beef and sheep being a lot larger sectors. Whereas these larger sectors are important export industries, the poultry industry is very reliant on the domestic market though it does target niche markets with growth potential.

The poultry sector is extremely important to Irish consumers, being a very cost effective source of nutritious high protein food. Annual poultry supplies in Ireland are roughly 70 million chickens, 2 million hens of which are yielding eggs and 4 million turkeys.

Chicken Farming in Ireland

On your poultry tour you could find out how broiler chickens are reared in Ireland. Broiler chickens are chickens produced for meat that we all know as "Chicken". There are 3 main chicken farming techniques employed in Ireland

• free range & organic chicken production
• free range chicken production
• factory farm chicken production

On your chicken farm tour we can arrange for you to visit mostly free range and organic broiler chicken farms. Free range chickens are reared outdoors but have access to suitable shelter when needed during bad weather or during the night. Organic broiler chickens while being also reared outdoors, are reared on natural feed and meet strict organic requirements which allow the end product to carry the organic status. We could arrange for you to meet organic and free range poultry farmers where they could talk to you on the chicken farm tour about how rearing chickens organically or by free range has both economic as well as moral arguments to it.

Compare and Contrast Chicken Production Methods

Factory farmed broiler chickens in Ireland achieve slaughter weight at around 6 weeks, compared to free range chickens at around 8 weeks and organic free range production which can be up to 12 weeks.

The endproducts have diverse values in the market though, and on your tour of Irish poultry farms you may discuss the pros and cons of the various techniques with expert Irish chicken farmers.

Direct Marketing of Poultry Products

Some Irish poultry producers have branched out into niche production and sales operations, where they not only produce the product but also market and sell it. This is most common in the free range and organic industries, were the producers in question target the locally sourced food movement.

On our agribusiness tours you could discuss the successes and difficulties of being the producer, marketer and seller all from the one business.

Designed Around Your Interests

Your itinerary will be designed entirely around the needs and interests of your group.

Multi Discipline Tours

We can arrange farm Tours of Ireland to cover a wide range of industrial segments. Do let us know the different disciplines that interest your group and we can suggest visits to cover the range of industries they would like to experience.

Highly Specialist Tours

Our unrivalled range of agricultural contacts means we can provide highly specialist tours. If you would like your time in Ireland to focus entirely on one or a few segments, we can design an itinerary to give you the best insider experiences of Irish agricultural practices in your field.

Agricultural, Horticultural & Aquaculture

Below is a list of some of our specialist areas, but it is by no means an exhaustive list so no matter what your specialism just get in touch to let us provide a quote for your tour.

• Dairy Farm Tours
• Beef Farm Tours
• Sheep Farm Tours
• Pig Farm Tours
• Chicken & Poultry Farm Tours
• Arable & Tillage Farm Tours
• Horticulture & Nursery Stock Tours
• Equine Tours
• Forestry Tours
• Marine & Aquaculture Tours

Whilst you are here...

No visit to Ireland is complete without taking the opportunity to soak in the atmosphere of Irish City and Country life. With our years of experience we have honed our tours to ensure you see the best of real Ireland while you are here.

Amongst the Farms and Forests of Ireland, there are Ancient Stones and Crosses, Magnificent Castles and Monasteries; the sheep graze along mountain trails and the farmer enjoys live music and a pint in the local pub. Agri Tours are happy to provide these authentic Irish experiences while you visiting Irish Farms.

Your Tour Your Way

Just let us know the perfect balance for your tour and we will create a unique itinerary to match. Some groups would just like a few pointers for a great Irish pub to enjoy a drink at the end of the day, and other groups would like a much larger bias on the sightseeing aspects, spending a significant part of their time experiencing all of Ireland's magnificent history and culture.

As part of the Discover Ireland tours group, our knowledge extends far beyond the agricultural sectors of Ireland. So if you would also like to discover some of Ireland's history, experience its vibrant culture and get amongst its friendly people, we would be only too happy to incorporate these aspects into your Irish Tour.