This is the turkey who IS looking forward to Christmas after new girlfriend Cranberry gets festive reprieve

Cranberry and Bernard are already making friends.

Bernard the turkey is no longer in a flap after a farmer stepped in to help his owners find him a new girlfriend for Christmas.

The stag, along with a hen called Cranberry, were hatched by Gary Ramshaw, 36, after he bought a batch of fertilised eggs online back in April, with the birds living in the back garden of the Houghton home Gary shares with wife Gemma, also 36, and their son Lincoln, eight.

But Bernard was left distressed earlier this week when Cranberry died, with his gobbles and cries leaving his owners upset.

Lincoln Ramshaw with parents Gary and Gemma and their turkeys Cranberry and Bernard.

Now he is happy again after Gemma's friend put her in touch with Judith Dryden, who runs Murton Moor Farm, on the outskirts of Murton.

A quick count up of the birds they have led Judith to find a large hen going spare as the business prepares for its busiest time of year.

The new Cranberry was today transported to her forever home, where she and Bernard are already making friends and settling in with the family's other pets - two dogs and two horses.

Judith, who runs the farm with husband Martin, also 60, and son Richard, 34, is helping to get 500 free range turkeys and 100 geese ready for December 25.

Cranberry getting ready for her new life with the Ramshaws in Houghton.

"Cranberry will never know how close she came to being Christmas dinner.

"We got a phone call to say this lady's friend had a big stag who was pining and shouting and she thought they had to find him a friend.

"I said I didn't know, because we are in the process of preparing our birds for Christmas orders.

"But we had a count up of all our orders and I was able to say last night that yes, I could get her a large female.

Gemma was delighted when the Drydens sad they could help find a pal for Bernard by offering them a new Cranberry.

"Gemma was delighted and so is her turkey."

While the Ramshaws will be tucking into their traditional Christmas dinner, their two turkeys will be enjoying their own plate of veggies - including sprouts.

Gary had decided to buy the eggs as they are his favourite animals and the family were delighted when two of the six hatched.

However, when Bernard was left on his own with the sudden death of his pal, his owners knew they had to act.

Gemma added: "Bernard was all fluffed and just trotting up and down the fence and making weird noises and was gobbling all through the night, which he never used to do.

"Now he's much happier, he's unfluffed and is much more chilled out in the garden and is just much better.

"We were absolutely over the moon they could help. He would have been a very unhappy turkey this Christmas.

"The sad thing is, we knew where the farm was because that's where we get our Christmas turkey."