Join Manu as he visit's a QLD poultry farm here: https://youtube.com/shorts/SWKsRjSWRko?si=UW8b4FtyDgG9AYBb
Queensland's chicken meat production industry is valued at over $630 million, and the state's chicken meat production accounts for over 20 per cent of overall national production. For Australia's largest integrated poultry producer, Ingham's, the Sunshine State is home to a number of family-owned and operated poultry farms which have been part of its network for decades, as well as a major primary processing plant located in Brisbane.
Ingham's Queensland poultry farms and the Murarrie Primary Processing Plant are spotlighted in a new online content series, Farm to Fork with Manu – which shows celebrity chef Manu Feildel visiting these locations to uncover how our chicken dinner makes its way from the farm to our tables at Ingham's.
In Greater Brisbane, Southeast Queensland, there is a free-range poultry farm which has been producing chickens for Ingham's for almost 50 years. Manu toured the 130-acre property, meeting Farmer Grant and longtime Ingham's veterinarian, Andrew Walsh, to see for himself how meat chooks are farmed at Ingham's.
Farmer Grant has owned and operator this poultry farm for eleven years, taking it over from his father who worked it before him.
Manu: "So tell me, what does free range really mean?"
Farmer Grant: "Well essentially, it means chickens are able to range outside during daylight hours. At night, and in poor weather, they take shelter in our poultry sheds, which are climate controlled and equipped with automatic feed and water systems, dry sawdust shavings on the floor to dig, perches and enrichment objects to explore."
"The RSPCA's Standard for Meat Chickens specifies over 300 requirements for poultry sheds against which our farms are independently assessed – and we are proud that we meet all of them," added Farmer Grant.
Walking across the tree-studded free-range fields, watching the chooks explore and forage, and then through the expansive poultry sheds, Manu also chatted with vet Andrew Walsh.
Manu: "I love my chook dinners, but I can't help but wonder, what do chooks eat for dinner?"
Vet Andrew: "Actually, they have a dedicated nutritionist who plans their meals – which they enjoy all-day really, as naturally chooks are snackers. Their diet is mostly Australian-grown grains and pulses, and there are no added hormones at all."
Manu: "I know that 100% of Ingham's Australian chicken is RSPCA Approved, but can you tell me more about this?"
Vet Andrew: "The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is Australia's leading independent certification program focused on farm animal welfare, underpinned by standards set by the RSPCA. The RSPCA Standard for Meat Chickens relates to the welfare of meat chickens and includes more than 300 requirements. Ingham's is proud to deliver on all of these. As part of our RSPCA Approved certification, Ingham's welcomes the independent assessment, and this occurs at least twice a year at every Ingham's poultry farm."
Murarrie Primary Processing Plant in the Brisbane suburb of Murarrie has been operating since 2001 and employs over 1300 people. The plant produces chicken products for Ingham's, processing poultry to create the wide range of Ingham's chicken products we can buy on the supermarket shelves, or enjoy at pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and fast-food outlets. These include whole chickens, wings and thighs, marinated breast fillets, boneless split birds, split birds and kebabs.
Safe food practices are front and centre at Murarrie Primary Processing Plant, and Manu took part in an induction before heading behind the scenes, fully kitted out in his food processing PPE. Manu toured the processing floors meeting the teams at work and watching, often amazed, at the many processes and automations, as well as the hands-on work, all focused on producing consistency and quality - from plucking to deboning, filleting to mincing, moulding to crumbing, and packing.
Ingham's Plant Manager, Brenton, was part of the team leading Manu through Murarrie Primary Processing Plant. Brenton said: "It was an absolute pleasure to take Manu through our plant, which is widely recognised as a leader in the areas of quality and sustainability in primary processing, as well as being a major employer for Brisbane."
