by Good afternoon. Today we will discuss the rules of growing turkeys at home. Many novice poultry farmers believe that breeding turkeys is a difficult and troublesome business, and also expensive, so they do not dare to start this bird in their subsidiary farm.
And it is absolutely in vain – it is enough to get acquainted with the rules of breeding this domestic bird, have start-up capital for the purchase of young animals, and also prepare a place for their maintenance – and you can buy turkeys for fattening. If the rules of cultivation are observed, the income from keeping turkeys can be quite high.
Turkey characteristics
The main features of this poultry:
- quarrelsome nature;
- gluttony. But thanks to their insatiable appetite, turkeys quickly gain weight;
- strict hierarchy – only the most important male fertilizes females;
- the growth of this bird is slow – they gain marketable weight in six months, while representatives of broiler breeds – in 90 days;
- Females are not particularly prolific egg-layers and can lay no more than 120 eggs per year.
How to distinguish between males and females
You can determine the sex of turkey poults a day after their birth. The “boys” have even wing outlines, since the length of their plumage is the same. But then this feature disappears, and you can determine the sex of the young at the age of 0 days.
The main differences between “boys” and “girls”:
- “Boy” turkeys have a nasal appendage on their heads that hangs down to their chests. These growths resemble large fleshy warts;
- the male chicks are completely devoid of feathers on their heads;
- The weight of male turkeys is twice that of female turkeys;
- “Boys” have a harder plumage on their chest, with tassels. And “girls” fluff is so soft that it can be used to stuff pillows;
- Turkeys have spurs on their limbs.
Egg-laying – the main nuances
The egg production rate of females of this poultry depends on their age, physical condition and conditions of keeping. The highest productivity is shown by females at the age of 12 months. And by the age of 2 years, the egg production rate of turkeys drops by at least 1/3.
Therefore, to obtain full-fledged eggs, summer residents select from the entire flock only the strongest turkeys aged 17-18 months.
To obtain full-fledged offspring, females lay eggs from the last ten days of March to the first ten days of April; by this time, farmers must select strong females of the appropriate age.
How much do turkeys weigh
The weight of turkeys can vary from 10 to 34 kg. Depending on the weight of males, this type of poultry is divided into the following classes:
- heavyweights;
- medium;
- lungs.
The maximum weight of females can be up to 10-15 kg.
Pros and Cons of Breeding Turkeys
Rules for growing turkeys at home for meat. The main goal of breeding turkeys is to obtain tasty dietary meat, and obtaining eggs is secondary, especially since females lay little – no more than 120 eggs per year.
It is important to note that turkey carcasses weigh much more than other poultry of the same age (and even much older).
The time of slaughter of turkeys is at the age of six months, by this time each body contains at least 80% of valuable dietary meat. Moreover, its indicators are much more valuable than those of rabbits or chickens.
The most funds will be needed at the initial stage of breeding this poultry – when buying eggs, hatching chicks in an incubator and raising them in the first 30 days of life.
Later, expenses are partially reduced as the turkeys are transferred to more affordable food.
The advantages of breeding this poultry are obvious:
- the meat of this poultry has excellent dietary qualities and good taste, therefore it is in demand among buyers;
- the costs of breeding them pay off quickly;
- In addition to meat, turkeys sell down and feathers;
- turkeys gain weight quickly;
- The individuals are undemanding to the conditions of maintenance and diet.
Many summer residents refuse to breed turkeys because they have many disadvantages:
- low egg production rate;
- there is a high risk of death of young animals;
- demanding regarding the quality of drinking water – it must be constantly fresh and at room temperature;
- if the rules of sanitation and hygiene are violated, turkeys may get sick;
- Because of their gluttony, birds are prone to obesity.
What breeds to breed
When poultry farmers decide to breed turkeys, they must first decide on the breed, and be guided by the goals of their breeding, as well as the conditions of their keeping. Personal preferences usually do not affect the choice of breed.
The most popular turkey breeds among Russian poultry farmers are described below.
Bronze
Representatives of this breed have red and brown feathers with characteristic stripes. Males have a black neck. They like to be outdoors and are unpretentious. The weight of boys is 13 kg, girls – 7. Females lay up to 100 eggs per year.
Moscow bronze
The main advantage of this breed of turkeys is their increased endurance. This breed can be bred at home and on a large scale. They prefer pasture walking. “Boys” weigh up to 15 kg, “girls” – up to 9. Turkeys can lay up to 100 eggs per year.
Bronze Broad-chested
This type of turkeys originated from representatives of the bronze breed, which they are very similar to, but the body of the bronze broad-breasted is larger. They cannot be kept on a range, females are distinguished by low egg production – no more than 75 eggs per year. They are most often bred on an industrial scale.
The weight of males is up to 14 kg, females – up to 8 kg.
North Caucasian bronze
This breed was developed in the Soviet Union in 1946, and since then North Caucasian bronze turkeys have been the most popular among Russian poultry farmers. Individuals are large in size and well adapted to any living conditions. Males weigh up to 14 kg, females – up to 7 kg. One turkey can lay no more than 80 eggs per year.
White broad-breasted
Representatives of this breed have a wide chest and back. Individuals are distinguished by luxurious plumage and strong limbs. The weight of adult turkeys is up to 15 kg, turkey hens – up to 7 kg. An adult female can lay up to 120 eggs per year.
North Caucasian White
Representatives of this breed are distinguished by their endurance and productivity, they gain weight very quickly. They prefer pasture walking and do not require special nutrition.
Rules for growing turkeys at home
Before purchasing young birds, it is necessary to prepare the poultry house for their arrival so that the turkeys are comfortable in it.
Brooder for chicks
The brooder is made from materials that are safe for the young. It is best to use wooden boards or plywood sheets.
The floor should be 0,4*0,4 m in size, and the brooder height should be 0,6 m. If the brooder volume is larger, it will be more difficult to maintain the necessary microclimate for the turkeys. More powerful lighting devices, a forced ventilation system will be required, and it will be more difficult to care for the floor litter.
Brooders for turkeys are never installed on the floor, but are fixed to the walls at a height of at least 0,3 m, or placed on supports or tables.
Heating lamps are attached to the ceiling, and a pair of thermometers are installed – one under the heating device, the other – in the farthest corner. To determine how correctly the temperature in the room is set, the readings from the thermometer are taken under the heating lamp.
During the first 10-12 days, disposable diapers or cotton fabric should be laid on the brooder floor. After 13-15 days, the young are transferred to regular bedding, wood sawdust or mesh can be used as a material for it.
If you make the brooder yourself, it is better to use a mesh with 1*1 cm cells as a floor covering – such a floor is easier to keep clean, which is good for the health of the chicks.
The longer the young are kept in brooders, the stronger they will become, so in the future they will cause less trouble for their owners. Experienced poultry farmers recommend not to transfer young from brooders to floor keeping immediately.
When the turkeys are 3-4 weeks old, they are transferred to separate cages, where the chicks will live for up to 45-60 days. The duration of the chicks’ stay in brooders and cages depends on the air temperature and the nuances of the breed (especially for broiler turkeys).
Rules for growing turkeys in cages
Turkeys of light breeds can be kept in cages. This method of keeping has many advantages:
- in this case, the bird requires significantly less feed, and its losses are also reduced;
- Bird cages are stacked on top of each other, which allows more turkeys to be kept in a small space;
- faster weight gain – due to their sedentary lifestyle, turkey poults gain weight faster.
But keeping young animals in cages also has a number of disadvantages:
- the cells are quite expensive;
- it is necessary to adjust the daily menu;
- chicks can often get injured;
- As a result, the yield of meat products with this method is lower than when keeping young animals on the floor.
Turkeys raised on the floor grow larger, their egg production increases, and there will be more fertilized eggs. But it is not always possible to arrange a separate poultry house with an aviary for this bird on the plot due to the small size of the plot. And in this case, keeping turkeys in cages is the best option.
Floor keeping of turkeys
This method of breeding turkeys is the most popular both in private farmsteads and on an industrial scale. When setting up a poultry house, each individual must have 1 sq. m of space. The poultry house can be built from any available building materials from plywood to brick.
Inside, the birds need to be provided with everything they need for a comfortable existence: perches, feeders, drinkers, ash-sand baths and nests. The floor should be covered with bedding, the thickness of which should be at least 15 cm. Sawdust, wood shavings, hay, straw are used as bedding material. If the bedding is populated with bacteria, then in this case:
- the premises are cleaned less frequently;
- birds will get sick less often because bacteria will destroy pathogenic microorganisms;
- In winter, the bedding will warm up, so you can save on heating.
A ventilation system is also installed in the room, and the air exchange in the room should be 4 times the room’s volume in winter and 6 times the room’s volume in summer.
Fans are usually installed in the lower part of the room.
The room is divided into sections depending on the number of adult males. Usually there are 4-6 females for each turkey.
When poultry is kept on the floor in private farmsteads, turkeys are provided with a range, but when raised on an industrial scale, they do without it.
Growing turkeys at home is not a very difficult process if you familiarize yourself with the basic rules of this process and strictly follow them. In this case, in just six months you can get a lot of dietary meat with good taste.
