by Good day, experienced and novice poultry farmers! Turkey meat has always been considered quite valuable and healthy. In addition, the size of an adult turkey guarantees that you can get quite a lot of meat from one individual. Among those who have taken up poultry farming, there are many who want to breed turkeys. But there are also those who, having tried to do this, at first glance, simple business, gave up quite quickly. How to properly keep turkeys at home so that they do not get sick and grow well?
And yet, if you follow all the instructions for breeding this large domestic bird exactly, then achieving the desired result will not be difficult. Since the conditions in which turkeys should be kept are basically similar to those for domestic birds, with the exception, however, of some important requirements.
What are the special features of keeping turkeys?
How to properly keep turkeys at home
Turkeys are the most susceptible to colds. If you do not create the right conditions for them, you can lose the entire brood. And it is especially important that the room is spacious enough. Birds like turkeys are prone to obesity, so they should move more.
It is calculated that the optimal floor area for one individual should be approximately one and a half square meters.
In the cold season, the difficulties in keeping these birds are that it is necessary to protect them as much as possible from the influence of the difference in air temperatures and at the same time provide access to fresh air in the room where they are kept. Therefore, for ventilation, you should choose days when there is no strong wind and the weather is relatively warm.
If possible, a separate poultry house should be used for the turkeys. But why? These birds are very susceptible to all kinds of diseases that can be acquired from other birds.
Turkeys also like to roost on the roofs of private houses and are very fond of grazing in open pastures where fresh grass grows.
If the turkeys are not hatched by a hen, then the person watching the turkeys should be very attentive and show maximum care to them, providing very comfortable conditions for their survival.
Mother turkey
The turkey is a wonderful mother. Her instinct to hen is expressed more strongly than that of other feathered beauties. In natural conditions, this is very valuable, but in artificial breeding it complicates the process of caring for turkeys. The hen herself loses weight, lays fewer eggs. And it is very difficult to make her move away from the nest.
To get a turkey to leave the nest, you have to resort to some farm tricks:
- Reduce the temperature in the poultry house;
- forcibly remove a hen from the nest;
- to introduce such a responsible “lady” to a very active male;
- illuminate the nest with bright light.
The conditions for proper care of turkeys also include the introduction of various vitamins into their diet. Moreover, at different stages of growth and life of birds, various supplements are required.
It should also be taken into account that the taste and properties of turkey meat directly depend on what the birds eat. And do they get enough fresh grass or some vegetables?
The egg production rate also depends on adequate nutrition. Taking into account all the wishes and following the instructions of experienced farmers, you can achieve very good results in breeding turkeys.
Advice given by Olga Ushakova. This is my personal opinion on how to properly keep turkeys. Share your experience in the comments.
It is worth adding that keeping poultry on sawdust with bacteria will save you from cleaning, unpleasant smell and will make the floor warm!
