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Among broiler turkeys Breeds the palm in the world holds the meat cross from the British United Turkeys company at number 6.
Turkey breed Big 6 wins the battle with other, later crosses of broiler turkeys so far. When comparing the Big 6 with the Euro FP Hybrid, it turned out that the females and males of the BYuT Big 6 gained a higher live weight than the Hybrid turkeys. There was no significant difference in feed conversion between males of both breeds, but Big 6 turkeys showed significantly lower conversion rates than Hybrid turkeys.
Slaughter meat yield between turkey breeds differed insignificantly, but when slaughtered after 147 days of the fattening period, Hybrid males gave a greater yield of white meat than Big 6 turkeys.
There were no significant differences in meat quality between these broiler breeds.
After this research, it was concluded that the Euro FP Hybrid has not yet reached the performance level of BYuT Big 6 and cannot be recommended as a replacement for the Big 6.
Description of the cross Big 6
Big 6 is a heavy cross of broiler turkeys. Males gain weight up to 25 kg, turkeys up to 11. Turkeys have white plumage, which is more profitable when selling products due to the fact that white hemp is not visible in light skin.
Big 6 turkeys grow very quickly, at the age of three months gaining 4.5 kg, by six months the turkeys grow completely, and growth stops. Further weight gain occurs due to body fat.
Slaughter meat yield from Big 6 turkey carcasses 80%. The graceful skeleton often does not support this body weight and broiler turkeys develop bone problems.
Studies of the American Poultry Association have shown that as a result of breeding such massive individuals in the genotype of broiler turkeys, hereditary diseases have accumulated and now broiler turkeys suffer not so much from bone diseases, but also from diseases of the cardiovascular system (too much weight is harmful not only to humans). In addition, in Big 6 broiler turkeys, immunity to pathogenic microorganisms is reduced, which is the reason for the confidence of poultry farmers in the "capriciousness and delicacy" of Big 6 broiler turkeys.
Due to hereditary diseases, producers of turkey meat suffer great losses. These problems cannot be solved by conventional breeding, so work is underway to decipher the turkey genome. Deciphering the turkey genome and using the genetic information of birds resistant to Salmonellosis, influenza and E. coli should allow for healthier birds to be raised. And genophobes will be deprived of dietary turkey meat.
Genetic information can also be used to strengthen skeletal bones, which today are deformed by the rapidly growing muscle mass of the Big 6 broiler cross, unable to keep pace with muscle growth.
But the solution of these problems will take more than one year, but for now farmers will have to work with what they have and try to optimize the content of Big 6.
How to raise Big 6 turkeys in a private courtyard
A Big 6 turkey can lay up to 100 eggs per year. This is not a bad result considering that the hatchability rates of turkeys are quite high.
There are two opposite opinions regarding the cultivation of Big 6 in private backyards.Some people think that it is better to cross a heavy line turkey with a lighter male, because they believe that almost 30 kg broiler turkey will damage a much lighter turkey. In this case, not the largest turkeys are obtained. But they also eat less in the process of fattening.
The second way is to obtain turkey poults with a large muscle mass by crossing a light line turkey with a heavy broiler male. In this case, already at 4 months, a broiler turkey can have a live weight of up to 14 kg, a slaughter weight of 70% of live weight and a safety of carcasses of 95%. For 1 kg of weight, 2 kg of feed is consumed.
Growing turkey poults
One-day-old turkey poults are kept in a brooder at a temperature of 30 ° C. The best option when growing BYuT broiler crosses is to use starter feed for broiler chickens.
As the chicks fledge, the temperature in the brooder is reduced. Contrary to the belief that broilers love warmth and need to be kept at high temperatures, in fact, the optimal temperature for already fledgling chicks is 20-25 ° C. At temperatures above 35 ° C, broiler growth slows down and they may even die from heatstroke. This is due to the fact that with rapid growth, turkey poults have an accelerated metabolism, and with an accelerated metabolism, the body of a turkey poultry releases a lot of heat. If this heat still has nowhere to go, since the air temperature is almost equal to the body temperature of the turkey, then problems begin. The bird does not know how to sweat, and thermoregulation through an open beak is not enough for it.
Grown turkey poults are transferred to the aviary content... They are kept like adult turkeys on the floor. To prevent skeletal problems, turkey poults need plenty of room to walk. Today the only way to somehow strengthen bones and ligaments that cannot keep up with the growth of muscle mass is the longest possible walk. Most likely, this will not save all turkeys, but it will reduce the number of cripples as much as possible.
If there is a cow in the yard, the owners often can no longer look at milk, cottage cheese and other dairy products, giving them to poultry. “Eat the curd, daughter, eat, throw away the chickens anyway” is a real replica of a village mistress who did not have the opportunity to sell milk. Chickens may not appreciate this concern, and broiler turkeys will respond well to protein and calcium-rich feed.
Grown turkey poults can begin to give wet mash of bran and turkey, mixed with whey or milk. You can also mix cottage cheese there. It is only necessary to ensure that the portion given out is eaten within 15 minutes, especially if it happens in the summer. And thoroughly wash the feeders after such a mash, since dairy products spoil very quickly in the heat.
Turkeys should always have water. So that it does not sour, after the turkeys rinse their beaks in it after feeding, it must be changed twice a day. In this case, care must be taken that the turkeys do not spill water. They will not swim like ducks, but they can overturn it by stepping on a container of water. Dampness is contraindicated for turkeys, therefore, drinkers must either be made closed, or the possibility of overturning them must be excluded.
In a turkey house for birds of any age, there should be shell rock and coarse sand. Small pebbles help turkeys, like any bird, digest tough grain.
Sawdust or straw is used for bedding in a turkey house. It must be changed twice a week. The thickness of the litter should be sufficient so that the turkey, even digging a hole for itself to sleep, does not reach the cold floor. But it should not be made too thick either, since a too thick layer of litter increases the cost of keeping turkeys.
The poultry house should be well ventilated so that condensation does not form on the walls.
When keeping turkeys to obtain hatching eggs, it is necessary to provide them with long daylight hours using fluorescent lamps.
How to prepare compound feed yourself
The situation when special compound feed for broiler turkeys cannot be obtained due to the remoteness of the settlement or lack of finance is quite real in the Russian open spaces. In this case, you can prepare feed for broiler turkeys yourself.
Theoretically, you can simply mix all the components, but it must be borne in mind that whole grains are poorly absorbed, so it is better to grind them in a grain crusher. As a rule, farmers very quickly acquire this useful tool.
To prepare compound feed you need:
- wheat - ⅓ of the total volume of the planned compound feed:
- corn and soybeans - ⅕ each by volume;
- vitamin and mineral premix - 0.15 of the total volume
- fish meal - 1/10 part;
- shell rock;
- ground eggshell.
Chalk should be given very carefully, or you can get by with shell rock and shells, as the chalk can stick together into lumps and clog the intestines.
By replacing wheat with barley, the turkey will gain weight faster, but can lead to obesity.
