An inability to access quality food has been blamed for the death of prize and heritage winning birds in New South Wales.
Open range farmers Hayden and Beth McMillan were forced to give their birds a different feed due to drought conditions, 1200 birds dying before reaching the processing stage.
Over half of the meat birds were dead before they reached the culling age of eight weeks.
The feed stunted the birds’ growth, and ultimately led to ruin for the farmers trying to make a living during the drought.