Chicken ‘tornado’: 100+ chooks killed, $300k damage after cyclonic storm sweeps farm

A Mary Valley farm owner has spoken about the ‘dramatic and traumatic’ carnage from a post-Christmas ‘mini tornado’ which threw chicken houses across paddocks and into each other. Watch the video

A regional Mary Valley farm is picking up the pieces of a “dramatic and traumatic” holiday break after what they described as a “mini-tornado” up-ended their mobile chicken houses, throwing them into each other and across paddocks.

The wild weather was part of a larger series of storms battering Queensland with heavy rainfall, flooding, damaging hail and strong winds.

The storms have taken the lives of multiple people including two women who tragically drowned after exploring a stormwater drain along the Mary River at Gympie and left businesses and homes devastated up and down the coast of Queensland.

Forage Farms in Kybong have revealed the extent of damage the winds like a mini-cyclone did to their chicken coups and houses on the property. Picture: Forage Farms

Stuart Andrews, owner and manager of Forage Farms, a 107ha regenerative chicken and cattle farm 12km south of Gympie, described the aftermath as “carnage”.

“I’d have to say I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve been farming my entire life,” he said.

Without any warning, in a short 10-15 minutes the Boxing Day storm with winds up to 100km/h laid waste to six of the farm’s chicken houses, lifting them up, throwing them against each other, on top of each other and across paddocks, he said.

Stuart Andrews of Forage Farms stands outside one of the chicken houses on his farm after a "mini-tornado" passed over his property on Boxing Day 2023. Picture: Christine Schindler

The family sheltered in their house on the property only minutes after his wife, Holly Andrews, had collected the eggs out of the chicken houses.

“I’ve never seen wind like this, it was absolute horizontal, the rain was coming in sideways,” he said.

Forage Farms in Kybong have revealed the extent of damage the winds like a mini-cyclone did to their chicken coups and houses on the property. Picture: Forage Farms

Unable to watch what was going on outside, he said he had a sinking feeling as the storm passed and when it cleared 20 minutes later he described what he saw as “carnage”.

Mr Andrews estimated about $300,000 in infrastructure damage, the loss of about 100-200 chickens and a breeding heifer who died when a tree fell on her, not to mention the productivity loss in the following months.

The family-run business operate its farm on principles around regenerative farming, working with the landscape, and Mr Andrews also educates other farms on how to use its principles in managing landscapes.

Forage Farms in Kybong have revealed the extent of damage the winds like a mini-cyclone did to their chicken coups and houses on the property. Picture: Forage Farms

He said he hoped the government will offer a grant or low-interest loan to help them bounce back, despite them not being in a significantly impacted area but one in which the storm was short, severe and localised.

Queensland remains on high alert as heavy rainfall filled southeast Queensland catchments and in parts of the state residents have been told to prepare for up to 350mm more rain that could lead to life-threatening flash flooding, tourist evacuations, power outages and swift water rescues.