A Week on the Estate: Brace of Burrells, Glorious Gardening & Talking Turkey

Midsummer is only just upon us but we’re already thinking about Christmas. We’re planning to offer outstanding heritage-breed turkeys for door-to-door delivery in time for the midwinter festivities. As with our Lincoln Red beef boxes, customers can be assured that South Ormsby Estate free-range turkeys will stand out for superior taste and quality, farm-to-fork provenance, high welfare standards and beautiful eco-friendly packaging.

Graduate trainee Emma Wright is developing the estate’s turkey flock. “I started with the Lincolnshire Buff chickens and have been breeding them since January,” said Emma. “In the spring, we began planning for turkeys and looking for breeders around the UK who could supply a founding population of heritage birds.

“It was important to find a true heritage breed. Such breeds are single-breasted and capable of raising their own young and thriving in a free-range setting. Most of our turkeys are Norfolk Blacks, an old, traditional breed which isn’t mass-market. We’ve also got a few Norfolk Bronzes and a mixture of other breeds. We’ll aim to breed from the Norfolk Blacks to keep the standard high right from the start.”

The Norfolk Black is the UK’s oldest breed of turkey. The breed is also known as Black Spanish as it may have been brought to Europe from the Americas by conquistadors in the 16th century.

“I’m currently focused on costings, supply and the marketing plan,” said Emma. “I’ve also spent a lot of time on hands-on rearing, but now I have one of our excellent Kickstarters, Kiera, to help out with that.

“The turkey chicks are currently in a brooder. When they’re mature enough, they’ll be fully free-range. They’ll be out in the pastures on a rotational basis. They’ll still be fed as turkeys need a high-protein diet, but they’ll also be grazing on some of the bugs that might otherwise bother the Lincoln Reds. I’m told they’re partial to nettles too.

“I graduated last June with a degree in fine art and joined the estate’s graduate scheme in September. I rotated through cattle management, stewardship and estate management and I’m currently developing the estate’s poultry business.

“I’m really enjoying my time at the estate. It’s very busy and there’s a lot to learn. I spend a lot of time doing research and finding new insights. With poultry, a key skill is spotting the warning signs for potential health problems. Turkeys, for example, can develop splayed legs if they get into the habit of slipping on new surfaces, so it’s important to watch and care for them.”

Last but by no means least, Massingberd-Mundy Master Distiller Tristan Jørgensen was delighted to receive a visit from Paul Burrell RVM, former servant to the British Royal Household and butler to Diana, Princess of Wales. Click HERE to find out what happened when Tristan met Paul.

* Adult turkey image courtesy of Turkey Tom via Wikipedia CC