THE end is nigh for these feathered friends as the festive season approaches.

In April farm owner Bill Homewood watched a flurry of hungry goslings settling in at their new home near Abingdon.

But now with Christmas coming, the geese, along with the turkeys, are getting fat.

Farm owner Bill Homewood, 58, of Peach Croft Farm, said his 2,500 geese and 8,000 turkeys would be sold for festive dinners.

The goslings have now blossomed into fully-grown geese, weighing in at about 16lb, while the turkeys range between 10lb and 30lb.

Father-of-three Mr Homewood, who lives on the farm with wife Kim, said more than 1,000 customers called in at a tasting session on Saturday with many placing their orders.

He added: "You could say we don't approve of vegetarians at Christmas - we certainly encourage meat eaters.

"Customers pay for the weight and an average goose or turkey will cost them £65 to £70.

"The geese are getting much fatter - we plucked some just the other day.

"People might think there is no room for sentiment but there is - we do get quite attached to them and it's sad to see them go.

"It's certainly a lot quieter when they are gone but life is one big circle.

"We sell out every Christmas - we supply a lot of customers at the farm gate and also supply a lot of local butchers."

Peach Croft Farm, off White's Lane, has been running for three generations, and mainly produces crops including wheat and barley.

More staff are employed as the poultry season progresses, and the farm also sells produce in the on-site shop and hosts holidaymakers on the farm's caravan site.

The Homewood family has been rearing free-range turkeys and geese for the past 75 years.

The farm's website said: "We take pride in our traditional rearing methods where the welfare of the turkeys and geese is paramount.

"Small flocks of birds are free to roam in the grassy paddocks and fields surrounding the farm."