Ref. 28305-47CHRISTMAS is a pretty stressful time of year for turkeys, so farmer Andrew Freeston has gone out of his way to help his flock.

His 4,000 turkeys have been listening to chill-out tunes in the lead up to the Christmas cull in an attempt to make them happier and, therefore, tastier.

Instead of getting his turkeys into the festive mood with carols or party hits, Mr Freeston, 48, who owns a farm in Bushton, near Wootton Bassett, has been playing his turkeys soothing tunes.

He was sent a turkey top ten CD compiled by the National Farmers' Union two months ago and has been playing it ever since.

The theory behind Mr Freeston's musical farming is that a relaxed turkey is a tasty turkey.

"I am sure the music will help to make them even more succulent," he said.

"They have a happy life, they are well looked after.

"This all makes a difference to how they taste once on the dinner table."

With the cull just around the corner, Mr Freeston's turkeys have every right to be nervous.

But he is adamant they are relaxed and content.

He said: "Anything that makes an animal quiet and placid helps it, and that is the idea behind the CD."

His turkeys are traditionally reared in large sheds with good ventilation and plenty of straw as well as a top-of-the-range sound system.

Mr Freeston has been a farmer for 30 years but this is the first time his turkeys have listened to music before they face the chop.

The NFU sent out specially compiled CDs to more than than 100 farmers in the UK who signed up to their turkey hotline.

The tracks were compiled after consultation with animal behaviour experts at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh.

They range from the dawn chorus to whale sounds and the noise of happy gobbling turkeys.

Mr Freeston farms traditional white turkeys, as well as Wiltshire blacks.

They are sold for about £2 a pound to butcher Jesse Smith, in Marlborough and Cirencester, and to pubs, including the Trotting Horse, in Bushton,

They are also available direct to the public. To order a turkey call Mr Freeston on 07721 539658.

Tony Windle, the proprietor and executive head chef of the Three Crowns pub, in Brink-worth, agrees that calm turkeys make tastier meat.

"It makes a lot of sense because the texture of the meat is changed if the animal is stressed when adrenaline rushes through the body," he said."I can tell just by looking at a side of beef if the animal was scared."

Emma-Kate Lidbury