Gardaí are investigating the theft of over 30 show and breeding stock worth around €10,000 from a teenage poultry breeder in Co. Galway over the weekend.
The birds were taken sometime between 9:00p.m on Friday, December 10 and 6:00a.m on Saturday, December 11 from Gilmore’s Poultry in Corrandulla near Headford.
Along with several varieties of pedigree chickens and ducks, two turkeys for Christmas were also stolen from the family farm.
16-year-old Michael Gilmore, who first became interested in poultry in 2019, has painstakingly bred and sourced the show and breeding stock on the farm.
The teenager has successfully exhibited his birds at various agricultural shows.
“Before I ever went into secondary school, I liked biology. So I liked the idea of hatching out my own chicks and then went further to breed pedigree stock,” he told Agriland.
Over the past three years, Michael and his family have developed extensive housing facilities on the farm, comprising around 80 indoor and outdoor pens.
Prior to the theft, the poultry enthusiast had built up a top quality show team, including Poland chickens, Silkie hens, modern game and call ducks.
Each carefully bred and selected bird could be worth up to €600.
“This year was the year that I had all good enough stock to produce show winners,” Michael said.
The teenager knew something was wrong on Saturday morning when he noticed that a shed on the farm was open.
“The two doors were open and I walked in and there were birds missing from the indoors pens. The more I investigated, the more I found.”
Between 30 and 35 birds were taken in the incident and Michael believes that whoever is responsible had a knowledge of poultry.
“They knew what they were taking. They went into every pen. They were taking the best.
“It took me three years to train my eye to take the best, not to mind breed them, so they must have been fairly experienced within the sector.
“The least I can hope for is that I make them ‘too hot to handle’. The more I promote it, the more chance there is that they will struggle to sell them on.
“The harder that I can make it for them, the less chance there is that they will come back again if I do decide to get back into the birds,” he said.
The theft has left the teenager disheartened and unsure if he wants to try to replace the stolen birds.
“I have a great passion but the cost to get back into it again is my main worry to be honest and the fact that I could just get done again.
“It’s a big decision to make to invest the same amount again. You’d be talking €15,000 to get back up and running at the scale I was.”
In a statement to Agriland, a garda spokesperson said:
“Gardaí are investigating a burglary that occurred in Corrandulla, Co. Galway last weekend. Investigations are ongoing at this time.”
Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of the stolen poultry is being asked to contact Tuam Garda Station on 093 70840.