As Featured in Country Smallholder Magazine
I'm excited to chat with you about a special piece of our life at East Sussex Smallholders that's been featured in Country Smallholder Magazine. It's all about how we rear turkeys – but it's more than just farming; it's about the joy and simplicity of being self sufficient where we can.
Our Smallholding in Lewes, East Sussex
Our smallholding is tucked away near Brighton, in Lewes. It's our little slice of heaven where we grow veggies and rear a bunch of animals like chickens, pigs, goats, quails, and ducks. We believe in eating what we grow and sharing what we know about living off the land, and we run smallholding courses to show other people what we do too.
The Star of the Show: Our Turkeys
Now, let's talk turkeys! Christmas isn't just about decorations and carols for us; it's turkey time. We love raising these birds. They're easy to start with if you're new to producing your own meat, and trust me, they make Christmas dinner something really special.
How We Do It
We start our turkey journey every February by ordering day-old chicks from a hatchery. We've been doing this for six years now, and each year we get a mix of White, Bronze, and Black turkeys. We raise them for about 22 weeks, treating them to a life roaming around in our woodland pens, munching on natural goodies like bugs and acorns. Come mid December their journey with us comes to an end.
Looking Ahead to 2024
Even though we haven't yet savoured our Christmas turkeys this year, we're already planning ahead. We're taking orders for turkey chicks that will be hatched in June 2024. It's never too early to think about next Christmas, especially when it comes to ensuring you have the perfect bird for your table. You can place your orders on our website to ensure that we set enough eggs for next years hatch. Click to buy meat turkey chicks.
Turkey Harvest Day: A Festive Affair
Our Turkey Harvest Day is a big deal here. It's about mince pies, mulled wine, and Christmas hats. We make sure our turkeys are culled humanely, and we even invite neighbours and friends to join in. It's hard work but doing it together makes it fun and rewarding and we share the produce.
From Our Smallholding to Your Table
After plucking and chilling the birds, we either gift them, sell some, or enjoy them ourselves on Christmas Day. There's nothing quite like the taste of a turkey that you've raised yourself. It's a tradition we cherish and are proud to share.
Join Our Journey
If you're curious to know more, have a look at the full article in Country Smallholder Magazine. It's a peek into our world here at East Sussex Smallholders – simple, fulfilling, and connected to the land.
Read The December 2023 Edition of The Country Smallholder Magazine - Featuring our articlei
Hello
I was wondering whether you had a breeding bronze turkey stag
or know where i can find one. i have 3 heritage bronze hens ready to breed.
Hope you can help
Many thanks DES.