Hot hot hot!

May went out with a bang , a huge thunderstorm last week brought some fresher conditions followed by some welcome rain and cooler temperatures.

Luckily no power cuts or damage and the contract turkeys were fine.

Keeping the turkeys cool as they start to fill the sheds designed for brooding can be a problem with fans working at full speed but thankfully most have now moved on to the next stage of their rearing and we can relax a little.

It will soon be time to start the Christmas birds after a thorough clean out.

We have reduced numbers again as demand shrinks and customers retire but we are still here and continuing to provide a service for farm fresh producers.

Feedback from last year is mainly positive ,though in some cases the size of birds was an issue. We are at the mercy of the hatcheries as we order various breeds in good faith but cannot tell when they are delivered whether the poults supplied are what was ordered. We sometimes see variations in size or shape before the birds go out but at 5 to 6 weeks old we cannot predict how they will finish. Different feeding regimes will also play a big part in the finished weights. Often we have a few birds left which we grow on and they achieve the weights as advertised.

I don’t like thinking about Christmas this early so I will finish and get back to the garden to enjoy the burst of new life the the rain has brought and the fledglings that are flitting about and calling for food.