The largest turkey in the world. The main meat and egg breeds of turkeys and how to grow them. Large breeds of turkeys for meat

Breeding turkeys has long been given Special attention not only in Russia, but also in many European countries. Their meat is distinguished by its taste and dietary properties. These poultry can gain up to thirty kilograms of live weight in a relatively short period of time, while they are unpretentious to the conditions of detention. Meat breeds of turkeys are crossed and improved by breeders so that their breeding is a promising business, both for creating a business and for growing for their own purposes.

All breeds of meat and egg turkeys can be divided into two classifications.

Separation of birds according to their purpose:

• meat direction (breeds of turkeys, broilers and crosses);
• egg-meat individuals or station wagon (yield up to a hundred eggs during the year, but the yield of meat products decreases);
• egg orientation (egg production exceeds a hundred pieces per year).

Advice! Raising turkeys for eggs is not very popular, as mixed breeds can produce the same number of eggs without reducing weight gain.

Separation of turkeys by weight category:

• lungs (male weighs about 9 kg, female - about 5 kg);
• medium (the male has a weight of 16 kg, and the female - only 7 kg);
• heavy cross (turkey can reach 30 kg, turkey - 12 kg).

A good increase in live weight of any breed of turkey can only be obtained by creating appropriate living conditions, nutrition and care.

wide-breasted white

The breed of turkeys White broad-breasted has become widespread in the farms of Russia, despite the fact that America is its homeland. It is characterized by rapid growth and taste of meat. Of the external signs, one can distinguish: white plumage with a black mark on the chest, limbs are not long, the back is sloping, a pronounced chest, a long pink growth on the beak, a massive oval body. Egg production reaches 90 eggs per year, which are characterized by a beige tint with small specks.

These inhabitants of the poultry yard are distinguished by the fact that they are capable of rapid weight gain even when kept in cages. They do not require additional food. Large white turkeys are not inferior in precocity even to Canadian ones.

bronze broad-breasted

Turkeys of the breed Bronze broad-breasted or American turkey are the largest variety among other individuals of their species. Males can be raised with a weight of about thirty kilograms, although this will not be cost-effective. Turkeys produce 120 eggs a year, most of which are fertile. Almost all of the young survive, since the Bronze breed of turkeys is characterized by a developed maternal instinct.

Distinctive external features:

• large oval body;
• the color of the feathers is black, sometimes with a copper tint;
• strong legs;
• in a male turkey, the tail forms a fan.

The breed is unpretentious to the climate and living conditions, and it is very profitable to breed it.

North Caucasian bronze

The North Caucasian bronze breed is common in Stavropol, Kuban and Caucasian farms. They are perfectly adapted to the climate of these territories and are characterized by an undemanding nature. But these birds are accustomed to living in a herd and grazing. Appearance is distinguished by a bronze color of feathers, a dense massive body, strong limbs and wings, as well as a medium-sized head. Females begin to rush from the age of nine months and are able to bring up to a hundred eggs a year. Adult males reach a weight of 15 kg, and female - only 7 kg.

Birds have strong immunity, and therefore the young survive almost one hundred percent. Turkeys of the North Caucasian bronze breed are considered to be a generalist for obtaining eggs and meat. These domestic inhabitants have an active type of behavior and a good appetite.

Black Tikhoretskaya

The Tikhoretskaya breed was recently bred by breeders. Turkeys can live both in cages and on pasture. Them appearance considered very beautiful. A strong physique with a small head and black plumage, with a tint at the end of the tail, give the bird majesty. From the sides, feathers turn into threads, which is also interesting feature this breed of turkeys.

Adult males are no more than ten kilograms, and females - only about five. Egg production, like most crosses, is a universal of this indicator and is approximately 85 pieces. A turkey chick comes from 85% of all eggs.

Cross Big 6

The Big 6 turkey breed is capable of rapid growth and has high productivity. These qualities give it advantages over other meat crosses. Farmers often prefer to choose heavy-weight Big turkeys for growing. Their weight quickly accumulates, with minimal feed costs. This fact affects the profit from the sale, shows what it is, what results can be expected from breeding broiler birds.

By five months, Big 6 turkey poults are already gaining more than seven kilograms. An adult female has a body weight of about 11 kg, and a male has 18-20 kg. Only the breast fillet is up to 30% of the total live weight. Growing up to the age of one hundred days, turkeys reach the extreme threshold of their weight, and then they can already be slaughtered.

Cross Wagon

Cross Universal is a breed that matures quickly, is undemanding to living conditions and is quite economical to keep. Birds have a large body and a wide chest, densely spaced white feathers, a medium-sized head and long limbs. Breeds of broiler turkeys Universal weigh from 12 to 18 kg. There are few eggs per year (70 pieces), but the survival rate of turkeys is very high.

Canadian

Canadian breed turkeys are bred in the North of the American continent, but at the same time they are well adapted to Russian conditions. Their meat is considered one of the best for dietary nutrition and has a very delicate texture.

Distinctive external features:

• snow-white plumage;
• dense body;
• wide chest.

The Canadian breed is a giant breed, since the representatives of these particular birds are the largest of their kind. With proper care and feeding, birds are ready for slaughter as early as two months after birth. AT summer period they are able to gain about 30 kg of live weight. The turkey lays up to 120 eggs per year.

Advice! Due to the small weight of females (about 15 kg) compared to males, artificial insemination is often used to produce offspring.

Representatives of this breed are demanding on the quality and composition of feed. Their food should contain a large amount of vitamins and minerals.

Grade Maker

Grade Maker turkeys are bred in Canada. The breed is aimed at obtaining maximum profit from the sale of a large amount of meat. Birds are considered precocious and are ready for slaughter as early as 2-3 months. Grade Maker is characterized by very tender, tasty fillet and attractive presentation. For a big output quality products, turkeys do not require a special type of food or enhanced care.

Grade Maker has a strong immune system that can withstand many bird diseases. This fact makes the breed even more interesting and significant for poultry farmers. Turkey claims only apply to temperature regime. Grade Maker feels comfortable at 24 degrees Celsius indoors. Birds reach their maximum weight at five months of age and are ready for slaughter. Further feeding does not make sense. The mass of an adult Grade Maker is twenty kilograms.

french birds

The French turkey does not have a large body size, but has an attractive plumage. The breed is characterized by a high survival rate of chicks. At four months, the birds are already gaining enough weight for slaughter. Turkeys love to walk in space, which must be taken into account when breeding them. Feathers are unpretentious in nutrition and rarely get sick.

Uzbek fawn

The Uzbek fawn breed is popular in Asian countries, although it was selected in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The yield of eggs is small and amounts to only fifty pieces annually. Fertilized testicles are usually up to 90%, and about 70% are excreted.

The fawn breed of turkeys got its name in connection with the color of the feathers. Birds have a medium body size. The live weight of a turkey reaches 14 kg, and a turkey - 6 kg. Individuals calmly endure abrupt climate changes and are adapted to both Uzbekistan and Russia.

hybrid

The Hybrid Converter turkey breed originated in Canada by crossing Bronze Broad-chested and White Dutch. Birds are capable of rapid weight gain and can develop quite a lot of speed when running, so they got a second name - indoostriches. The output of the finished product can be up to 85%. Turkeys lay 50 eggs a year and incubate their own offspring. Adult specimens weigh from 12 to 22 kg, depending on gender. Hybrid turkeys are unpretentious and quickly acclimatize in different conditions, which is why they are considered one of the best among broilers.

Victoria

The Victoria turkey breed was bred in Russia. For crossing, early maturing, prolific turkeys and heavy, strong males were used. The breed is adapted for cage and floor maintenance. Males are able to reach 25 kg in the weight category, and females - 11 kg. Cross Victoria has become famous for its large yield of clean meat, as a result of which it is easily and profitably sold.

Bronze 708

Cross Bronze 708 was bred in the USA through several crosses. According to the external description, turkeys are similar to the Bronze Broad-breasted, but differ in larger sizes. The cross has brown feathers with a bronze sheen on the breast and back, the head is covered with pimply skin and is devoid of plumage. The turkey differs from the turkey in its fan-shaped tail and black lines on its back.

,

Each farmer wants to choose the best breeds of turkeys for his farmstead. This can be done without difficulty by studying the characteristics of the birds, the requirements for keeping, food preferences and climatic conditions. It is also necessary to take into account the purpose of cultivation and the possibilities of the economy. Making a profit from the sale of the final product will depend on the correct choice of breed and the creation of conditions for the living of turkeys.

The first turkeys were made poultry The original inhabitants of the American continent are the Indians. In the 16th century, turkeys were brought to Europe. The bird interested the breeders with its impressive size and volume of muscle mass. The yield of meat in large individuals is up to 80% of the total weight.

Now about 300 breeds of this large bird with dietary meat have been bred. Breeders identified 3 groups of breeds:

• meat;
• oviparous;
• mixed - egg and meat direction.

In addition, there is a subdivision of turkey breeds according to the mass of an adult bird. Breeds of turkeys weighing up to 9 kg are considered light, up to 18 kg - medium, from 25 kg and more - heavy.

Cross big 6

The largest breed of turkeys, which was bred by English breeders of the British United Turkeys company in 2008, is the Big 6 cross. Representatives of the breed grow rapidly, on average, they reach the desired size in 3-4 months. The usual weight of a bird is 25 kg in males, individual specimens can grow up to 40 kg. Females grow up to 10-11 kg, their further feeding is considered irrational. At 100 days of age, a bird of this breed stops gaining weight.

The breed of turkeys has snow-white lush plumage with a small black spot on the chest. The soft down of this breed is highly valued. The chest of the birds is wide, the wings are large, the head is small. Legs are long, paws are yellow. Earrings and beard should be bright scarlet.

Egg production - 105 eggs per life cycle. High hatchability. Adult birds rarely get sick. Meat productivity is record - 80% per carcass. This is a very popular breed in our country, which is often used for home breeding.

Cross butt 8

The Cross Butt 8 breed is also a product of British United Turkeys. It belongs to the heavy and medium-sized type of meat breeds of turkeys. Adult males weigh 25-27 kg, females - 10 kg on average. The maturation of birds occurs over 5 months.

The plumage of birds is white all over the body, without color inclusions. The head and neck are gracefully curved, the beard is red. In the domestic poultry industry, the breed is not very common.

Moscow bronze

The breed of turkeys of Russian origin, distinguished by the beauty of colors and endurance, is called the Moscow Bronze. It is suitable for growing in poultry farms and private backyards. The bird adapts to both pasture conditions and closed cages.

One female produces 80-90 eggs per year. The size of the birds is average, the male reaches 19 kg, the female - 9-10 kg. The slaughter age comes already at 4-5 months. A characteristic feature of the breed is the beautiful plumage of birds. The feathers are black, brown, and white with a pearly sheen. The wings of birds are decorated with bronze-white stripes. The chest is wide, the body is elongated. The head is white, the beard is red. The color of the skin of birds of this breed is dark, which reduces the presentation of carcasses.

White Moscow

Domestic breeders, by crossing Dutch, white and Beltsville turkeys, received a very productive White Moscow breed. The main characteristic that captivates beginners in cultivation is unpretentiousness and fast adaptation to the conditions of detention. The young growth is hardy and practically without losses grows up to slaughter age. The breed is adapted to pasture cultivation, feels good in the cold season.

The feather of the birds is white without inclusions, the head, beak, beard are bright pink or red. The breed is in many ways similar in quality to the Moscow Bronze, but surpasses it in egg production and meat quality. Turkeys grow 13 kg each, turkeys 7 kg each. Egg-laying breed up to 140 pieces per cycle. The meat is pink in color, it always turns out tender and lean.

hybrid converter

Large birds of this breed are distributed throughout the world. They were bred for the first time in Canada as an industrial breed of turkeys with excellent meat taste. By five months, males reach a weight of 20-22 kg, and females - 10-12 kg. After another four months, the females begin to rush. However, the egg production of this breed is low - only 40-50 eggs per year.

They are muscular and agile birds with white plumage and a small red head. Individual male hybrid converters can be very large - up to 30 kg. When slaughtered, up to 80-85% of the meat from the total weight of the carcass comes out. Other useful qualities of the breed: endurance and good adaptation to growing conditions.

bronze broad-breasted

American breeders, by crossing wild turkeys and black English breeds, created a bronze broad-breasted breed of turkeys. Birds have dark plumage with a green tint. The tail is in a thin beige-brown stripe with a bright black-beige wide edging. The thoracic region of turkeys is highly developed, which influenced the name of the breed. Females are distinguished by a light spot on the chest.

The breed belongs to the egg-bearing group. The female is able to lay up to 120 eggs, almost all of which are fertilized. Females have a strong maternal instinct, they can hatch both their own and other people's eggs and carefully care for the young.

Adult turkeys weigh 15-16 kg, turkeys - 10 kg. Birds are immune to various diseases, but are not adapted to grazing.

Bronze North Caucasian

The breed was obtained in 1946 in Stavropol by Soviet breeders and was recognized and distributed in the republics of Central Asia. The bronze North Caucasian breed of turkeys quickly gains weight, is distinguished by endurance and unpretentiousness to feed. In the first month, the young weigh already 4 kg. By the time of slaughter, adult males reach 12-15 kg, females - 8-9 kg.

The body of the birds is elongated, the legs are long. The chest is wide, so up to 25% of white meat is present in the carcasses. The plumage of males is very impressive. Black and brown feathers have a golden and bronze sheen. A large fan-shaped tail is decorated with wide matte black stripes, which are interspersed with light brown sectors. Females look more modest, the feather pattern resembles a gray pied hen.

Turkeys grow well on pasture type of cultivation. Females carry 80-100 eggs per year. The skin of young turkeys has a purple hue, so it is not customary to slaughter young animals for sale.

Cross station wagon

Broiler breed of turkeys cross wagon was obtained in the Caucasus region Russian Federation. This unpretentious breed is perfect for private households.

The cross wagon is classified as an egg-bearing breed of turkeys, despite the fact that the ability to lay eggs in birds is average. Females produce 60-70 eggs per year, but their fertility is high - up to 90%. The survival rate of chicks is also high - 98-99%.

An adult bird weighs an average of 17 kg (turkeys) and 10 kg (turkeys). The breed is economical in feed consumption. The plumage of birds is white, wings are large, paws are long.

fawn

The breed belongs to the mixed egg-meat type. It was bred in Uzbekistan. The fawn turkey is adapted to life in southern latitudes and is widespread in the Caucasus and Central Asia. The size of the birds is average, males reach a weight of 12 kg, females - 6-7 kg.

The color of the feathers of the breed is always red, ranging from light brown to beige. The bird grows slowly and gains mass. Feels better when free range. Egg production up to 60 pieces per year. The survival rate of chicks is low, no more than 65%.

blue

The breed of blue turkeys has a different name - "slate". This is a rare breed for our country. It can be found only in nurseries and single private farmsteads. The breed is considered decorative for most poultry farms, because even adult males barely reach 5 kg of weight.

The attractive side of the blue breed is the unusual color of birds, which can occur from pale blue (standard) to dark gray (culling). Interspersed with other colors indicate a non-purebred origin. Many blue breed breeders note increased sensitivity and soreness of birds.

Abroad, turkeys are bred not for meat, but as a pet, like parrots. Blue turkeys quickly become attached to people and have a playful nature.

The first domesticated turkeys appeared in Europe in the 16th century. They were brought back from a trip to South America sailors. This large and beautiful bird with tender meat, the Europeans liked it, and they began to actively engage in its breeding and selection. Turkeys came to Russia a little later, but also did not go unnoticed by domestic breeders.

Centuries of selection have not been in vain. New species of these birds have appeared, suitable for home breeding. Today, there are about 30 breeds of turkeys all over the world. Of course, this is not much, in comparison with the same chickens, but it is quite enough for breeders to divide all breeds into classes.

There are 2 types of classification of domestic breeds of turkeys. The first type of classification is based on the purpose of the bird. According to this division, turkeys are:

• Meat. These include crosses and broilers.
• meat and egg. They get a little less meat from such birds than from broilers, but at the same time, turkeys carry up to 100 eggs per year. They are most often bred at home.
• egg. There are very few such turkeys and in our country they are bred only by enthusiasts. This is explained by the fact that some heavy crosses can produce almost the same number of eggs as a pure egg breed.

The second type of classification is based on the weight of turkeys. According to weight, all birds are divided into the following groups:

1. Lungs. Turkeys gain up to 9 kg of weight, turkeys only 5 kg.
2. Medium. The weight of a male can reach 16 kg, and females up to 7 kg.
3. Heavy. Turkeys weighing under 30 kg, and turkeys can reach 12 kg in weight.

It makes no sense to describe all 30 existing breeds of turkeys. We will only touch on those breeds that are actively grown in Russia and take the classification by weight as a basis.

Gallery: breeds of turkeys (25 photos)

Light breeds

These birds are most often grown at home in small backyards in rural areas.

Black Tikhoretskaya

These turkeys were bred by zootechnologists of the Tikhoretsk poultry farm in the 50s of the 20th century. main feature these birds is that the black plumage has a bronze-green tint. Despite the fact that the body of the turkeys of this breed is small, it is very fleshy. Growing black Tikhoretsk turkeys in cages is not possible, as the birds are very mobile. Therefore, they are mainly kept on small pastures, where turkeys feed themselves. As a result, the costs of breeders for feed are halved.

During cold weather, the house needs to be heated. It is desirable that the air temperature in the room does not fall below 15 ° C.

To obtain more eggs farmers go for a little trick: they artificially increase the daylight hours for BIG 6 turkeys.

Inside the poultry house, the birds are kept in individual houses, which are similar in design to traps. Their doors are arranged in such a way that another turkey cannot enter inside.

The care of BIG 6 turkeys must be very thorough. Feeders and drinkers should be cleaned twice a day. Birds should only have fresh water.

For the health of poults and adults, the house should be regularly ventilated. In summer, this can be done with the help of vents. In winter, for these purposes, you need to use a ventilation system.

Rearing of young animals

The main condition for success is maintaining a certain temperature in the house. The turkey will not be able to gain weight in time if it catches a cold.

When growing turkeys, the following recommendations should be observed:

1. All chicks should be kept in boxes of 4. Boxes must be heated from below. For this, electric heaters are used.
2. Rags should be used as bedding for turkey poults in the first 5 days of life. Starting from day 6, they are replaced with wood shavings.
3. In the first week of life, the air temperature in the room where the turkeys are nursed should be kept at 32 - 35 ° C. Then it is gradually reduced. By week 14, it should be 16 ° C.

The BIG-6 broiler turkey will grow rapidly only if the right conditions are created for it. Starting from the 15th week, the chicks should live in fenced-off enclosures. No more than 18 turkey poults can be kept in one enclosure at the same time. Otherwise, the conditions of detention in young animals are the same as in adults.

As for the diet, already on the 5th day, turkey poults receive good food. This is cottage cheese, fresh herbs,. Weekly turkey poults must be given vitamin D 3 in the form of an aqueous solution. They are fed chicks for 3 days. After a month and a half, the procedure is repeated. Upon reaching the age of 3 months, beets and potatoes are introduced into the diet of turkeys. Yeast needs to be fed to the young from time to time.

The largest bull in the world exceeds the weight of 1500 kg. This is a truly huge animal that lived in the last century. The record for his weight has not yet been broken, although there are many breeds of large cattle, and farmers today use the best feed and advanced technologies to raise beef bulls.

The largest bull in the world exceeds the weight of 1500 kg

There are several main types of cow breeds: dairy, meat and dairy and meat. Representatives of the meat breed are distinguished by a large body weight, as they are specially fattened. In addition, they do not milk, and the calves are not separated from the udder too early. They stay close to their mother for a year, so these calves are larger than other breeds already at an early age.

Then the grown calves are transferred to a mixture of feed, hay and vegetables, and later grain is introduced into the diet. Such nutrition helps to achieve rapid weight gain.

There are several main types of cow breeds: dairy, meat and dairy and meat.

From quality feed improves the taste of meat. The largest meat breeds include:

1. Italian. Representatives of this particular breed are the largest, with the greatest body weight. Moreover, Italian cows are bred exclusively for meat. Farmers feed and raise cows and bulls so that they gain only muscle mass. The amount of fat is a small fraction. Therefore, the meat of this species is highly valued for its excellent taste. Animals of the Italian breed have only a white or light cream color, for which they were nicknamed "porcelain". The average weight of bulls exceeds 1000 kg, and the height at the withers can reach 2 m. For comparison, the largest turkey in the world weighs 30 kg, a pig weighs about 700, and the weight of large horses reaches 1000 kg. But if the same turkeys are easy to feed, and the turkeys hatch in in large numbers, then it takes a lot of effort to grow a muscular bull. The Italian breed has several millennia of existence.
2. Kalmyk. This meat breed was bred by the inhabitants of Central Asia about 400 years ago. Kalmyk cows and bulls are the best achievement of domestic farmers and breeders. These are not soy-soaked cuts of beef. Kalmyk bulls quickly build muscle mass in a natural way. Their distinctive feature is unpretentiousness in care. Growing up in a difficult steppe climate, they easily adapt to any change in the situation. Cows usually weigh 500-700 kg, bulls - 800-1100 kg. The color of animals is brown, red or brown. As a result of long breeding work with the participation of Kalmyk bulls and cows in 2007 in the Volgograd region, a new highly productive breed was bred - Russian polled. The characteristics of its representatives are similar to the Kalmyks, only the animals have a black color.
3. Hereford. It is the most common meat breed, bred in England several centuries ago. Successful breeding work by English farmers has turned Herefords into highly productive animals, although they were once used only as labor in the fields. Today it is considered the most delicious, "marble" with veins. More than half of the powerful physique of the animal falls on the muscles. Like Kalmyk cattle, Herefords are used to breed improved meat breeds.
4. Charolais. French breed of cattle, bred in the 18th century. The weight of the Charolais bull is 1000-1500 kg. Calves at birth already weigh about 60 kg. The representative of this breed is a strong and hardy bull. It does not require special conditions of detention and easily adapts to adverse climatic conditions. A distinctive feature of Charolais bulls is the late accumulation of subcutaneous fat, so more than 500 kg of tender and healthy meat can be obtained from one male.
5. Holstein. These are red-and-white or black-and-white cows. Initially, they were bred in Holland, but American breeders managed to achieve high productivity from cows. Adult bulls reach a weight of 1200 kg, and cows - 800 kg.

Gallery: the biggest bulls in the world (25 photos)

Record Animals

Bulls-record holders belong to the Italian breed. Their muscles are huge, as if inflated on top of each other. They are also unmatched in strength. Interestingly, the temperament of the strong men is not violent at all. Huge Italians are distinguished by their complaisant nature and friendly attitude towards people and animals.

The largest bull in the world was born in Switzerland in the middle of the 20th century. His name was Donneto. Its maximum weight was 1740 kg, and at the withers it reached 190 cm. Today, Chili lives on an English farm - a bull, which, with a weight of 1300 kg, was entered into the Guinness Book of Records. He was born in 1999. This is the largest bull to date. Chile adds about 100 kg per year, so his final weight is still unknown.

Another English bull, named Field Marshal, is currently the weight record holder. In growth, he did not reach an impressive size, but his weight exceeds 1700 kg. How much the bull weighs now is unknown, as its muscle mass is constantly increasing.

Bulls-record holders belong to the Italian breed

The English bull Trigger has the greatest growth. He is not a heavyweight champion, but he has no equal in size. The height of the animal is 196 cm, and the length from the tip of the tail to the nose is 4.3 m. The trigger has a rebellious disposition, so they even cut off his horns so that he would not injure anyone.

A goby named Repp lives on a Ukrainian farm. This is a huge bull-inseminator. 50,000 calves are born from him per year. From Repp, only seed material is required, since the fertilization of the cow occurs artificially. The weight of Repp himself is 1500 kg, although initially they did not plan to grow him as a large representative of the meat breed, but the bull-calf added 2 kg per day and quickly reached an impressive size.

The biggest bull (video)

Let's look at the reasons that can affect the weight of the bird:

• sex - females usually weigh about five kilograms less than males;
• breed - birds differ in size, structural features of the body;
• age - the age of 5-6 months is considered ideal for obtaining meat. At this time, the maximum in the set is reached, it is believed that the bird will not have a greater percentage of meat gain;
• diet - it should have a clear balance of minerals, vitamins, enough calories, water is always available;
• diet - you need to feed the bird at the same time (kids more often, teenagers less often);
• health status - a healthy chick grows faster;
• care and conditions.

Did you know? Cooing - the sounds that turkeys make are characteristic only of males, females do not communicate like that. Cooing is a kind of statement by the male that the territory belongs to him, as well as a signal to attract a female.

General growth rates by months

For clarity, the average data are shown in the table:

class="table-bordered">

As we can see from the table, growth is uneven.

• first, the baby intensively increases weight;
• the peak of growth falls on the interval from two to four months;
• after sixteen weeks, growth stops, although the bird continues to gain weight;
• after six months of age, growth is usually not observed.

How to determine the weight

Modern farmers use electronic scales, they are more accurate in readings and easy to use.

It is not difficult to use a spring device. The chick must be placed in a special bag with holes for the head and paws or a box in which the bird is upside down.

If you need to weigh a group of birds, a decimal scale is used, on which you can place a cage with the desired number of individuals.

VIDEO: HOW TO WEIGH A TURKEY

How much does an adult turkey weigh

Consider the weight of adults of the most popular breeds for domestic poultry breeding.

A relatively young breed, obtained by crossing a white Dutch and a bronze broad-breasted turkey. The main advantage is adaptation to any climate conditions.

The breed is divided into three species, the individuals of which (females / males) have different weights:

• light - 5kg / 9kg;
• medium - 7kg / 15-17 kg;
• heavy - 11 kg / 23-26 kg.

Important! Upon reaching the age of six months, the chicks stop gaining weight, they are slaughtered, since the content is not profitable.

White Moscow

It was bred in Russia by crossing local specimens with Dutch and Beltsville individuals. The breed has an increase during the year of life, it is used as an egg and meat breed. The weight of the female is up to 8 kg, the male is 13-15 kg.

One of the most popular varieties in farms. The main advantage is that turkeys are excellent hens, hatching even someone else's offspring. The breed has an average size, however, is in demand among farmers. Females weigh from 4.5 kg to 6 kg, males - 7-10 kg.

The breed was bred and used in the conditions of Central Asia. The average weight of females is 5-7 kg, males - 10-12 kg. In our latitudes, low weight gain and productivity of individuals in egg laying are noted.

The result of the work of breeders of the Krasnodar Territory, is intended for slaughter for meat. The average breed, the weight of females - up to 6 kg, males - up to 10 kg. Growth ends at about five months of age.

What are the largest turkeys

Broiler turkeys are characterized by rapid growth and large mass, a list of the largest of them:

• Canadian broad-breasted - 15-17 / 30 kg;
• cross Big-6 - 12/30 kg;
• White broad-breasted - 10/25 kg;
• BYuT-9 - 11/26 kg;
• cross Big-9 - 11/22 kg;
• Grade maker - 10/20 kg.
• North Caucasian white - 9/18 kg.

Why don't turkeys gain weight?

The main causes of underweight can be:

• improper care;
• unbalanced diet.

To find out if the bird is healthy, you need to contact the appropriate specialist. Often birds refuse to eat, feeling unwell.

VIDEO: TIPS FOR FEEDING TURKEYS Birds may develop poorly due to unsuitable conditions:

• too tight dark;
• humidity, cold, presence of drafts;
• lack of walking;
• lack of fresh water;
• dirt in the place of residence.

As far as food is concerned, In no case should chicks be given the following products:

• fiber;
• poor quality animal feed;
• stale food (mash is prepared 15 minutes before meals);
• whole grain.

Did you know? The bird owes its name to the Indians, who were the first to domesticate it in the territories of modern Mexico. This was found out and shared by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania. The birds came to Europe with the Spaniards in 1519.

How to feed turkeys so that they grow well and gain weight

On the first day of life, babies are fed dairy products:

• cottage cheese;
• buttermilk;
• powdered milk;
• curdled milk.

The second day - boiled eggs mixed with some small porridge (corn, wheat, oatmeal) in a ratio of one to four.