A Week on the Estate: Easter Weekend, Gin Medals & Meeting Ted

We said hello to Ted this week, the very first turkey chick to hatch at South Ormsby Estate. It’s hard to believe this little chap could one day weigh in at 11kg. Our flock of farm-reared, rare breed turkeys is in its second year, and this is the first year in which we’re breeding our own birds. Over the winter, we kept a number of Norfolk Black birds specifically for breeding with a view to building up a high-quality flock.

The Norfolk Black is the UK’s oldest breed of turkey. Known as Black Spanish, this bird may have been brought to Europe from the Americas by conquistadors in the 16th century. A true heritage breed, the Norfolk Black can raise its own young and does well in a free-range setting.

These birds tend to be feistier and more curious than modern breeds bred for bulk and docility. When conditions allow, they rotate through our paddocks alongside our Lincoln Red cattle, grazing grass, harvesting bugs and scratching to help cycle the dung through the soil. Like their wild cousins, they’re true omnivores and are partial to insects, grass, nettles and thistles.

Their lifestyle and diet come across in the flavourful succulence of their meat. Our birds grow slowly, they eat at their own pace and they’re given longer to mature. Our lovely customers can be assured that South Ormsby Estate free-range turkeys will continue to stand out for superior taste and quality, farm-to-fork provenance, high welfare standards and beautiful eco-friendly packaging.

Jacqui Rhodes has been catching up with some of her feathered neighbours. She snapped some lovely pics of a male great spotted woodpecker, a curious brambling and a yellowhammer. It’s pleasing to see traditional farmland birds doing well in our neck of the woods.

Finally, nature’s in full bloom, the birds are singing, the days are getting longer and Easter Weekend is here. Looking for a lovely way to spend a spring day in the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB? Just follow these three steps:

1. Head to our walking page HERE where you’ll find FREE downloadable trail guides to suit every walker, from the gentle ambler to the hard-core hiker:
2. Pre-book your Lincoln Red beef bap and complimentary tea and coffee from The Walkers’ Hut HERE (open Thu-Sat 11am-3pm, Sun 11am-2pm), a short walk from the Sheepdip Paddock temporary parking area (where a selection of complimentary trail guides can be found).
3. Once you’ve muddied your boots, head to the ‘Walking in the Wolds Certificate’ page HERE, tap in a few details and keep an eye on your inbox:

That’s it. Have a lovely weekend and we’ll see you out there.

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