Time to talk turkey again

Liz Fairbrother says with summer upon us we need now to think of the festive season and plan for turkeys

Turkey poults are normally delivered in July so in June it is not too early to decide if you want to rear turkey poults for the festive season and if the answer is yes, then you need to get your order in early to a reputable supplier. We always bought ours from Cyril Bason who had a selection of varieties and we used to go for the Bronze. We never lost as a single turkey and found them quite straightforward if you are prepared to put in time to care for them and meet their needs. The all important factors to consider before you take delivery are these: • Can you provide a roomy, secure and light, shed or building? We used a stable which worked really well with the windows and we could put netting over the top door and moveable wire frame across the bottom.

• Can you provide heat (depending on the age) from delivery?

• Have you costed out the food – its not such a great profit if you take the time to do that!