Where do your holiday turkeys come from?

Many of our customers are looking for naturally-raised meats with no antibiotics or animal by-products. When asked about our turkeys, here is what our farmer had to say:

Thanks for your e-mail, we're happy to answer your questions.

Our birds are raised with a drug-free feed which is corn, soy and wheat-based. We include a probiotic in the feed that maintains a healthy balance of good bacteria in the digestive tract, thus helping the turkey to absorb nutrients from the feed more effectively.

The turkeys have the run of the barn, with plenty of south-facing windows. The fans are on a computer control to provide a constant flow of fresh air. We heat the barn with propane heaters as needed, but just recently have installed a solar wall outside that passively preheats the air before it's drawn into the barn, which in the long-term will significantly reduce our carbon footprint. The floors in the barn are covered with wood shavings which are continually replenished. We feel that the barn provides the ideal environment for the birds — lots of sunlight and fresh air being brought in as well as protecting the birds from extreme weather, predators and possible disease.

Thanks,

C. & A. Brubacher,
Turkey farmers