Consumers warned of ‘big, big’ shortage of British free range turkeys this Christmas

A British Free Range Bronze ‘Roly Poly’ Tom turkey is surrounded by hens at the Traditional Norfolk Poultry Farm in Shropham, Norfolk (Jeremy Durkin/PA) (Picture: PA Archive)

Consumers have been warned of a “big, big shortage” of British free range turkeys this Christmas with half already dead due to bird flu.

Half of the free range turkeys produced for Christmas in the UK have already been killed in the bird flu epidemic, British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.