FIVE turkeys have been rescued from the Christmas dinner plate — and are looking for loving new homes.

The birds were due to be killed at a Stirlingshire farm and sold on for £75 each.

But Stefanie Robb and her husband Calum, who run Gourock-based animal rescue centre Underheugh Ark, heard about their plight and came to their rescue.

Now they are now hoping to find suitable homes for the feathered friends.

Stefanie told the Telegraph: “We get a lot of notifications about turkeys and geese which are going to be slaughtered.

“So when we heard about this farm in Stirlingshire which had turkeys we wanted to save them.

“They would’ve been killed and sold for £75 for somebody’s Christmas dinner.

“We bought five male turkeys using donations we received, it feels great that we saved them.” Stefanie says the birds look beautiful when they spread out their tail feathers and are also very placid creatures.

She said: “They are fab and are so friendly.

“We have hens and cockerel and the turkeys seem more freaked out by them than the other way about.

“It would be great if we could find them loving homes.

“To look after a turkey, people would need to have a big shed and land for them to roam about — ideally in a countryside environment.” As they settle into their temporary new home in Gourock, the turkeys have been enjoying a healthy diet of potatoes, vegetables and leftover scraps.

She said: “When they came to me their feet were all curled up as they had just been left to sit in a stable with some straw and their food, so there was no reason for them to stand up.

“They were so heavy that it was more comfortable for them to sit, which made their wee feet curl up.

“Since we rescued them, they have really come on and they are now walking about.

“We’re also being careful about what we feed them as we don’t want them to get too heavy.” Anyone who would like to re-home a turkey should phone 07817 646427.