Non-Chicken Poultry - Rearing
Our organic and additive-free turkeys, geese, & ducks are grown under similar conditions to the chickens. The organic poultry are fed no routine drugs, no growth promoters, or any other artificial additives, and no GMOs.
Our turkeys are available as organic or additive-free, as are our large roasting chickens. Our ducks and geese are only available as additive-free. Ducks are available all-year-round, but turkeys, large roasting chickens and geese only at Christmas.
Turkeys
The turkey has been in the UK since the early 16th century.
Traditionally, turkeys were grown in the grain growing areas of the UK, and transported, normally live (walked) to the main markets of London and elsewhere.
Our turkeys are produced locally on a small specialist farm. They are only available fresh at Christmas, although some available frozen at other times of the year. Available as organic or additive-free - see our page on chicken rearing for details of turkey rearing, which is similar to that of chickens. Slaughtering is carried out on the farm.
The proceedings of the English Colonie in Virginia 1606-1612, Captain John Smith.
Little Girl : It's three shillings, but mother says, if you Grumble it's two-and-six.
Punch Magazine - October 1908
Additive-free Ducks
Our free-range, additive-free ducks are produced on a small family farm in south Wales by Elaine and Daryn Williams.
Our ducks are usually processed at 57 days, but at Christmas they are grown on longer to get a bigger bird. With duck, the flavour is in the skin, so they are plucked using a hand finished, dry wax process. They are then traditionally hung to mature the flavour. See how they are packed here.
BUY NOWMrs Beeton 'Book of Household Management'
This is the classic table duck reared free-range. It gives you a fabulous flavour derived from birds that feel the sun & rain on their backs.
A grass bank beyond,
A blue sky of spring,
White clouds on the wing;
What a little thing
To remember for years -
To remember with tears."
William Allingham,
'Four Ducks on a Pond'
Production : The ducks are reared and slaughtered on the farm. The ducks are an Aylesbury Peking cross. This gives a bigger bird with less fat. they are reared from one day old in heated, straw filled barns. At 4-5 weeks they are allowed into the pastures. The birds are fed home grown feed which is GM and additive free. The ducks have access to water and none of our birds are de-beaked or wing clipped.
Fat ducks and pretty ones they were too.
But he with the feather curled on his back -
O he was the fattest one! Quack, quack, quack!"
Traditional song
Geese
Our geese, are only available fresh at Christmas. They are reared and slaughtered on the same family farm as our ducks, and are free-range, additive-free, but not organic, and are reared and slaughtered on a small farm in south Wales. They are fed feed containing grain gorown on the farm; otherwise they graze pastures. The birds grow in their own sweet time and take a long time to reach their finished weight. They arrive at the farm as goslings at 1 day old, in June and after 4-5 weeks inside in the warmth, they are turned out to pasture, where they stay for the next 22-24 weeks.
The free range geese are processed on the farm in mid December. They are traditionally hung to mature their flavour for seven days. For details of size and packing, click here.
Geesea re only available at Christmas.
Nor how could Arrows, profit and alight,
To meet our enemies and grive their visage,
And from their armies, save us from Damage?
Flight of my feathers! despite Sheep I tro'
Us shall defend, against our mortal foe."
Dispute between goose, sheep and horse, circa 1300
Basket
Related Products
- Organic Duck - whole
- Org turkey crown (with bone approx 4-5kg) (frozen)
- Org Redcurrant Jelly (220g)
- Org Potato Box (12.5kg)
