Not Just for Christmas - Hardcover

Houghton-Wallace, Janice

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1904871186 ISBN 13: 9781904871187

Publisher: Farming Books & Videos Ltd, 2007

Synopsis

Heritage Turkeys are ideal for small-scale farming as they show a higher level of immunity to disease and stress over their commercial counterparts. This beautifully presented and highly acclaimed book puts the turkey back where it belongs and covers its illustrious history, the breeds, housing, equipment, breeding, feeding, development, ailments, legislation, sales, processing, dispatching for the table as well as keeping turkeys as pets. Many of the 200 photographs have been especially commissioned for the book and it more than demonstrates that the turkey, so often regarded as the Cinderella of the farm world, can play a significant role in increasing profits for the small-scale farm enterprise.

About this title

Synopsis

If ever there was a bird that has served man well since its inception it has to be the turkey. For centuries, it has been kept for the quality of its meat and its decorative feathering. The Aztecs recognised its worth and held festivals in order to induce good fertility each spring. Seven hundred years later the turkey still plays a significant role in providing meat but there is also a growing acceptance that the turkey deserves a higher profile as a majestic and colourful bird in its own right and should be valued as such. Today, these birds are living gene banks. The standard turkey, although not as heavily muscled as the broad-breasted commercial birds, has shown a higher level of immunity to disease and stress over its commercial counterparts. They are far more acclimatised to free-range systems and, with the current greater interest in how food is reared the standard turkey is once again enjoying a revival, the demand for the slower growing produce from the older varieties of turkey mirrors that same demand for rare breed cattle, sheep and pigs.

Couple this with a growth in the number of people buying a house with some land and the increasing interest in keeping a few turkeys soon becomes apparent. Supported by over 150 photographs the book covers:history and breeds; housing; equipment; breeding; feeding and development; diseases and ailments; legislation; sales and marketing; processing and despatching for the table; and, pets and exhibition birds.

Edition details

• Publisher: Farming Books & Videos Ltd
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1904871186
• ISBN 13: 9781904871187
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160