![]() Is there such a thing as broiler turkey like in broiler chicken (old chicken)? We always use the term broiler in terms with poultry used for meat.How old are turkeys when they are slaughtered? Supermarkets usually 12 weeks – but our ones are 22 weeks plus.It’s basically busy for the first six months, then crazily busy for the last six months! Things like meeting trade customers, markets and planning what we are going to do for the coming season. When they are not here, we are usually involved in cleaning the buildings, repairs, replacing buildings even. As they grow, we have to move them to bigger buildings, feed them and change their straw bedding regularly. When they arrive that’s it, we have to check them every two hours from 5.30am to 11pm. What does a turkey farmer do for the rest of the year with the exception of Christmas? Well, our Christmas turkeys arrive in July.Why can’t you (generally) buy turkey eggs? If you could, how do you cook them and what do they taste like? I don’t know why you can’t buy them – they are bigger than chicken eggs but taste very similar.We do sell once a month on one specific day, but I think Christmas is the key market where foodies don’t mind spending a bit more for a treat and the centre piece on their table. From a farmer’s perspective, it’s not very viable during the year. Why is it so hard to buy turkey all year round? I think it’s getting easier – but chicken has such a strong hold on the white meat market.But, yes, they all do – just don’t expect them to get much more than five or six feet off the ground. Can turkeys fly? Wild turkeys are much better at flying than domesticated ones, mainly due to being less heavy.What is a baby turkey called? A poult or chick.They are too big and would be easy targets for predators. Do turkeys live in the wild in the UK at all? Could they, in theory? In theory, possibly, but not domestically bred birds.Check out our photos on our website – they’re really amazing. They are a beautiful bird when the light reflects off their feathers. White turkeys were only bred as consumers didn’t want black stubble left – it can’t be seen on the white ones. What makes Bronze turkeys a particularly special breed compared to the rest? We think it’s traditional.Unfortunately, a lot of folk have been put off by young, tasteless turkeys – we’re changing that though, hopefully! What that means is you get a flavoursome, succulent bird. Ours are nearly twice the age of a supermarket bird and have an amount of intramuscular fat, which only comes from reaching maturity. ![]() Most supermarket turkeys haven’t matured. Does the flavour of a turkey change depending on its age? Yes, most definitely.They run when we let them out and sometimes when they don’t want to be shut in. Do turkeys run for ‘leisure’ or just self-preservation? Yes.We have also had problems with stoat and even mink. We also have fences, sometimes electric, which makes foxes think twice. We check the animals every two hours or so, to keep an eye on any problems when they are free ranging. We do see foxes around in the day a lot more now, perhaps as some householders feed them. How do you protect them against predators? We lock the birds up when foxes are at their most dangerous - so dusk to dawn usually.Sometimes I can only just out run them (and I used to do triathlons!). They are - or can be - quite fast runners. How do turkeys naturally protect themselves against predators? They can get quite high on perches or trees if they have them nearby, one branch at a time as it were.In the past, hens have usually been more rounded – but, with better breeding, that’s not really the case now. Is there any difference in flavour between male and female birds? No, it’s a bit of a myth.They are also prone to puff up their feathers to make them look a lot bigger still if they feel threatened. Stags have much bigger Wattles (the skin under the beak to cool them) and Snoods (the droopy bit in front of their eyes / back of their beaks). Can you tell the difference between males and females from a distance? Stags are generally bigger than hens - although that’s not always the case.What are male and female turkeys known as? Stags and hens.However, if you Google it, Rafter seems to be the general consensus. What’s a group of turkeys called? We’ve always called them a flock.Just to put that in context, our 11-12kg birds can provide around 22-24 servings. What’s the record for the biggest-ever turkey? Apparently the world’s biggest turkey ever was 39kg! For us, it was a still hefty 25kg bird.
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