Living down a tapestry of minor roads and forestry commission tracks we know the local gritting teams are never going to visit. So as soon as we heard of the forthcoming snow we stocked up. Subsequently, by the time the snow actually hit everything was securely undercover and fully supplied with a few days feed and water. In fairness, heritage…
Just a quick reminder that early eggs are an indication of early breeding. So, make sure that your birds are paired up before breeding starts. Most important to remember is that a hen visited by a fertile stag can remain fertile with his ‘deposit’ for the rest of that season. The fertility from the initial deposit will diminish as the season progresses,…
Today we delivered a quartet of Norfolk Black turkeys to their new home at Lambourne End Centre where they will become a ‘breeding group’ as part of the joint Heritage Turkeys, TCUK, RBST and PCGB project. Eagerly met by the volunteers and management the birds soon settled in and we are confident they will become a great asset to both…
Last year Dennis Harding took a group of Buff turkeys and we are delighted to say he had a successful year with them. Our visit today was to help him sort his 2018 breeding groups. As many will know the Buffs have suffered from inappropriate breeding over the years, and they often present with white in the tail, black in…
H5N6 Avian Influenza Prevention Zone – England Following findings of bird flu in South Dorset and Warwickshire, Defra has introduced a national ‘Avian Influenza Prevention Zone’ (AIPZ) covering the whole of England. This national zone replaces the AIPZ put in place for South Dorset on 12th January 2018.
There have been 3 deaths attributed to’avian flu’ in wild swans somewhere in Dorset. This has yet to be confirmed by an announcement from DEFRA, and as yet there are no restrictions in place. It would be prudent to start thinking now about how you are going to manage your poultry if restrictions are imposed.
This weekend I attended a poultry show and the usual question was asked if these turkeys are rare how can eating them be justified. Well, turkeys were originally domesticated and reared for the table, and over the years various varieties with unique virtues have been develop within the domestic stock. However, in recent years commercial turkeys have essentially replaced the original…
Well if one thing stands out from 2017 it was the increase of ‘cross bred’ badly managed turkeys with a doubtful provenance becoming available. This is so disappointing because, other than as pets or table birds, all they do is ‘dilute’ the core breeding stock and undermine what is being undertaken to save our heritage varieties. So, the New Year’s Resolution…
Well where did that year go… Regards the Heritage Turkeys, TCUK and RBST joint turkey project a lot was achieved with a few breeding groups being placed in key locations. In particular we have Buffs well placed and breeding, and it is now a case of networking and selecting and managing them sensibly. Other varieties such as Bourbon Reds, Crollwitzers and Norfolk…
Entry numbers were down on previous years but all varieties were on show, and looking at the judges comments I think the standards were generally good. Champion Turkey, Slate Stag Diane TannerReserve Champion, White Hen Ian & Brenda WatermanBest Opposite Sex, White Hen Ian & Brenda Waterman Best In Breed Blue, Ian & Brenda WatermanBourbon Red, Ian & Brenda WatermanBronze, Ian & Brenda WatermanBuff, Ian & Brenda…