About Lydiard Turkeys
Free range bronze Christmas turkeys direct from our farm near Swindon, Wiltshire.
Please visit our website for full details
Lydiard Turkeys Description
Lydiard Turkeys is a small business run by Chris and Lindsay Rumming on a farm near Swindon. The tradition of rearing turkeys for Christmas on the farm goes back a long time but ceased in the 1980s when Chris’s aunt stopped the enterprise. This time coincided with the boom in supermarkets selling intensively reared cheap turkeys. However 8 years ago Chris found that there was a local market for a quality product and realised that rearing turkeys in an extensive way for Christmas was viable and potentially enjoyable!
Lydiard Turkeys have hatched out eggs themselves but for the last 5 years have bought in day old chicks in July. This year we have 275. These live indoors to start with but as soon as they are big and hardy enough (which doesn’t take long) they have access to a big outdoor run, full of plants and interesting things to explore, eat and scratch and most importantly of all behave like a real turkey.
They come inside at night (as extra protection against foxes) but are free range during the day.
We joined the Traditional Farm-fresh Turkey Association (TFTA) in 2012, this is a group of about 50 seasonal turkey producers who adhere to very strict welfare rules. We are all independently inspected to ensure good health and wellbeing for our turkeys.
We take great pride in the fact that all our turkeys arrive at the farm at a day old and are carefully reared and then processed by ourselves, reducing any un-necessary stress.
In November 2013 Sim Courtie from BBC Wiltshire radios morning show visited the farm and chose himself a turkey to have for Christmas dinner. He followed it's life on the farm from paddock to plate. The show broadcasted 5 weekly shows about the process of turkey farming the clips can still be listened to on http://www. bbc. co. uk /programmes /p01jrgpw /clips .
In March 2014 we were short listed as finalists for the Wiltshire Life independent food producer of the year with the awards ceremony held in Marlborough town hall and we WON!
Reviews
That's the recycling done after yesterday's litter pick. It appears that the good folk of Swindon like fosters and vodka! All this came from about 500m by the Lydiard park cattle grid
Thanks to everyone who helped this morning, we cleared between the top park gate to the cattle grid, only a short stretch but we filled 10 big bags. Most was beer cans. Thank you to Enlan commercial cleaner for supplying signs and all equipment, and for disposing or all the non recyclable waste. When my recycling bin gets emptied they will think I've had a huge party!
Please come and help! 10 this morning at Park Farm hook street
Practising ready for the Lydiard turkeys Hook Street litter pick tomorrow. We could do with a few more volunteers so if you have an hour to spare please join me at Park Farm at 10.00
Please come and help Lydiard turkeys litter pick Hook street this Sunday! Due to the amount of litter on Hook Street I've decided to organise a litter pick from Bess road to the cattle grid by the park. If you'd like to help please meet at Park Farm SN5 3NY at 10.00 24th march and bring gloves and a high vis vest if you have one. As it's all on road verges so I'm afraid this makes it unsuitable for children. Your help will be rewarded with a cup of tea! If you want to help ...please drop me an email or comment. Thanks Chris
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Cow enjoying the grass yesterday, today they escaped through the electric fence but luckily I got them back before anyone spotted so I got away with it. They were joined by 12 pies wagtail and 6 meadow pipits which let me get surprising close, when the grass is longer pipits just fly up out of it with you having a chance to see them, smart little birds. 🐂☘🐦
Best watched with audio OFF! This was yesterday, even windyer today! These are last year's ewe lambs so about 14 months old. We keep them behind an electric fence as it enables us to manage the grass well - very important as volume of grass is still low as a result of last summer. Grass is now growing but carefully management is key! A back fence is uses to prevent over-grassing
One of the best times to spot wildlife is at night with a torch, this chap was out for a walk tonight and some fantastic big earth worms as well
Happy cows! Pleased to be out to have a run around
Always an exciting day for me, my first 🦋's of the year! A glimpse of a brimstone and a small tortoise shell (video in comments). Both in a South facing warm hedge full of places for the adults to hibernate. Last year we were robbed of these glorious early spring days with the long wet winter jumping straight into a scorching May. This IS the best time of year, get out and enjoy it - but please keep your dog on its lead - more on this later. 🐛🐝🐜🦋🌱
Sorry for the lack of posts lately but we've been a bit busy with this little lot of beauties! I hope to do plenty more farm updates from now on
The other day we were thrilled to discover the 87th species of bird on the farm. This beautiful Teal was spotted on one of the wildlife camera in our brook. Its not often we discover a new species so its really rather exciting! Teal are ducks that over winter here to escape the cold in other parts of Europe. Its a good job the camera found him or we may have never know he was here! I wonder what the 88th species will be and when it'll be found!
Had the wildlife cam in the brook for 3 days and captured these 9 species (and a very blurry badger). One is a first for the farm so pretty exciting stuff! One of the birds is a tricky one and I'm not sure on one of the mammals. Can you identify them all?
Thank you so much to all the customers who sponsored the planting of this wild bird feeding crop and made this possible. With out this crop these birds would not be here. Previous to this crop maximum linnet number was 3, we currently have.... well, watch the video
Chris and Carol with the Lydiard turkeys Christmas address
Merry Christmas! 🦃😁
Thank you to all our amazing customers who have collected their turkeys over the last 2 days. It's VERY hard work doing what we do and is the pleasure of seeing your appreciation that gets us trough it. Thank you. We are currently in the lambing shed sat in our camper van watching a lamb that was born at 5pm today while sampling some sloe gin that a customer supplied. Then an early night - as long as the sheep behave!
We have lots of extra goodies for you when you come to collect your Turkey! Stock up on Mothers homemade Jam, brothers bressoila, our own mutton, pork, sausages, apples and bargain Turkey legs for the freezer. We also have meat thermometers, essential for perfect turkey cooking and the digital ones make a great last minute present.
Totally saved our bacon (in-blankets!) this year... Thank you so much! Fantastic to be able to source a turkey so close to home #zerofoodmiles! :-)
This was our 2nd turkey from you and it was delicious! We followed the simple cooking instructions and it turned out to be perfectly cooked. I'm sure we'll be back again next year.
The turkeys are lovely & moist . Best Turkeys iv ever had . So tasty xx
Thank you for yet another fab turkey. Merry Christmas Lindsay and Chris Xxx
Our turkey was absolutely delicious, followed Chris’ cooking instructions to the letter and it produced a really juicy bird, well done Chris and Lindsay, we will be ordering another next year.
Incredibly tasty turkey !! Would highly recommend.
Hi guys. Thanks for yet another great tasting turkey. Everybody loved it and said how juicy and tasty it was. Can't wait for the lamb (and pork if I read correctly) to come. Hope you had a great Christmas and wish you a happy new year.
Had a turkey crown for Christmas lunch from Lydiard Turkeys. Followed the cooking instruction and produced a perfectly cooked succulent pieces of meat. Can’t wait for the sandwiches and salad today. Thank you Chris, Lindsay and the team.
Genuinely the best turkey and pork products I've ever tasted - keep up the great work!!! :-)
Excellent - looking forward to another Turkey this year
Delicious turkey and excellent service!!
Chris has supplied our turkeys for the last four years and the service and quality of the turkey's has always been outstanding. About to place this years order ,Christmas lunch sorted !