Creature comforts for Co-Operative turkeys

Turkeys at The Co-operative Groups farm in Stoughton, Leicstershire, are gobbling up the chance to roam free, in the run up to Christmas, by indulging in some extra- curricular activities in their very own poultry playground.

Three thousand turkeys, which are being specially reared by The Co-operative Farms, are being sold online, and in over 200 stores across the UK from 20 December.

To keep the turkeys healthy and active during their stay, the Stoughton farm experimented with new ways of keeping the energetic birds busy. The flapping flock has been treated to its own playground, which is equipped with seesaws, swings, a disco ball and a four-acre grassy paddock in which to roam free. The birds even have their own 100-foot polytunnel to snuggle under and shelter in when the weather becomes cold or rainy.

The 3,000 turkeys arrived at Stoughton in late summer as nine-week-old chicks. They had been specially selected for The Co-operatives premium Truly Irresistible range of products for Christmas 2010.

The Reared by us free-range Bronze turkeys are also being fed with the finest mixture of food around, including wheat grown on the farm. They have been eating over half a tonne of food a day and have even become partial to the odd ear of corn, which children taking part in the farms From Farm to Fork educational project have been leaving for them.

Robin Nurse, Farm Manager at Stoughton, explains why they have taken such care and attention over the birds welfare: The turkeys being reared at Stoughton will be absolutely delicious and perfect in time for Christmas Day, but I feel that the least we can do is ensure that they have a really good life whilst they are on our farm and that the living conditions we provide for them are the best around.

Members of The Co-operative Group are able to order a turkey in advance of them arriving in Co-operative food stores, as 1,000 of the turkeys have been exclusively set aside for members to order online for home delivery. The remaining 2,000 turkeys will go on sale in selected stores in time for Christmas.

For more information about where the turkeys will be available to buy, go to www.co-operative.coop/farms

 

About The Co-operative Group

The Co-operative Group stands apart from other major retailers in the UK as a business which is owned, not by a small group of shareholders, but by more than five million consumers. With core interests in food, financial services, travel, pharmacy, funerals and farms, it has an annual turnover of 14 billion, employs 120,000 staff and operates over 5,000 retail trading outlets serving more than 20 million customers per week.

Following the acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain in March 2009, The Co-operative Food is the fifth largest food retailer. The Co-operative Financial Services is one of the largest and most diversified financial mutual businesses, operating The Co-operative Bank, The Co-operative Insurance and Britannia.

The Co-operative is the UKs number one provider of funeral services, the third largest retail pharmacy chain, a leading travel retailer, supplying the travel needs of more than three million people annually, and is the UKs largest farmer.

Among its other businesses are The Co-operative Motor Group, The Co-operative Electrical and The Co-operative Legal Services.