Turkeys feast on Halloween pumpkins

A farm near Sevenoaks has been feeding its turkeys with leftover Halloween decorations to reduce food waste and keep the birds happy.

Cottage Farm in Cudham held a special event on Sunday that encouraged visitors to bring along carved pumpkins to feed to their thousand-strong flock.

Farm owner Jody Baxter said they "love to peck at" apples and pumpkins as an additional treat to their usual wheat and barley mix.

The public are invited to bring along their remaining and unused pumpkins on Tuesday afternoon to feed the turkeys, who will soon be sold for Christmas dinners at Cottage Farm Butchers.

Baxter was born in the farm house nearby and has been a turkey farmer all his life, as were his parents before him.

The current flock were hatched in June and have been living in the barns and fields ever since in preparation for Christmas.

"They're really inquisitive animals, good fun, they're enjoyable to be around", says Baxter. "I probably get on with turkeys far better than people!"

The pumpkin feeding events are part of a national celebration to mark 500 years since turkey was brought to England by William Strickland.

The bird gained popularity in the Tudor Court of King Henry VIII where whole roast turkey was more rare and exotic than peacock.

Visitors to Cottage Farm on Tuesday afternoon are asked to ensure their leftover pumpkins are clean and wax free before they are fed to the turkeys.

They are only offered to turkeys as a treat in moderation.

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