Diversifying Farming Operations: A Fourth-Generation Farmer's Journey into Turkey Farming

Marlowe Ivey is a fourth-generation farmer in Wayne County, North Carolina. Her family has been raising hogs for the past forty years and recently expanded into the poultry industry to diversify their farming operation. 

In a recent interview, Ivey shared her experience expanding their farming operation with six new turkey houses. "The number one thing I needed to do was find who would build my farm. I met with the Hog Slat team, and I just felt very secure with their knowledge of how to build a good farm," says Ivey. 



The new turkey barns are 54'x600' and hold approximately 9500 birds each. A partition separates the brooder and grow-out sides. One design feature is the ability to open the barns by rolling up the partition, allowing the birds to move into the grow-out area. 

The buildings are tunnel-ventilated and equipped with cool cells and heaters, ensuring optimal environmental conditions for the birds. 

"I chose GrowerSelect as my feeding system because I believe in the technology that Hog Slat has engineered on that feeding system. It's a product that is made locally. They had a lot of research and science behind the engineering of their equipment."



For further insights into Marlowe Ivey's journey and her firsthand account of building a turkey farm, you can watch the full video on YouTube titled "Building a Turkey Farm | Customer Testimonial."