Feeding and caring for broad-breasted white turkeys

The breed of white broad-breasted turkeys was bred in North America in the mid-60s of the last century, by crossing a white Dutch turkey and bronze broad-breasted turkeys. After some time, it was brought to the territory of Russia and began to be raised as an industrial poultry to obtain valuable dietary meat.

In this article, we will look at the care and feeding of white broad-breasted turkeys. We will find out how they look, get acquainted with the characteristics of the breed and learn about their breeding.

White Stavropol turkeys: breed description

Appearance

White wide-breasted turkey differs from birds of other breeds by an oval, upright body, wide massive chest and powerful pink legs. The feather color of turkeys is crystal white. Some birds have a patch of dark feathers on their chests.

The head and neck of the bird are long, bare. The color of the skin on the head and neck is bright red. On the head of birds there are fleshy warty growths that resemble earrings. The same growth is found under the beak.

Temperament

Stavropol wide-breasted turkeys are distinguished by an agreeable disposition. From turkeys, beautiful hens come out, including when ducklings, chickens and even goslings are placed under them. Birds love long walks in the fresh air, raising this breed of turkeys, you need to take care of walking. Cellular maintenance is also possible, but again, only if there is free access to fresh air and walking.

An adult turkey is in the pen for at least 1 hour, young animals - at least 2-3 hours.

Turkeys and turkeys of this breed are distinguished by their extensive dimensions, high weight and thick plumage, in conditions of a lack of space and space for movement, they can be hot.

The birds wither and get sick. So that the well-being of the birds does not deteriorate, it is necessary to provide at least 1 meter of free space for each of them. This rule must be observed both for walking and cage keeping.

Industrial farms or home gardens

The breed of white broad-breasted turkeys is bred most often on an industrial scale, but these birds feel no less comfortable on their backyards, differing in their amazing ability to quickly adapt to any conditions of detention.

For breeding white wide-breasted turkeys, an ordinary barn is suitable, where other birds may also be located. The only thing that should be taken care of in advance is the provision of a separate room for males during the breeding season. At this time, turkeys become extremely aggressive and can even attack humans; other birds should be kept away from them as far as possible.

Breed characteristics

The weight of turkeys and turkeys depends on their belonging to one of the three groups into which the breed is divided.

1. Lightweight. The weight of turkeys does not exceed 9 kilograms, turkeys - 5 kilograms. Grown mainly for industrial purposes, kept in cages.
2. Average. The weight of turkeys reaches 17 kilograms, turkeys - 7 kilograms. It is grown both on personal plots and on an industrial scale, mainly in a pen.
3. Heavy. The weight of an adult male can exceed 26 kilograms, and that of a female - 11 kilograms. Young individuals reach a weight of 11 kilograms by the age of six months.

Egg production. This breed of turkeys is not famous for its high egg production rates. On average, the egg-laying period lasts from six months to 9 months. During this time, the female manages to lay a little more than 100 eggs covered with a dense shell. The color of the eggs is beige, there are specks.

Mass of eggs. Turkey eggs are large, their weight is much larger than chicken eggs and is at least 85 grams. Eggshells are hard and difficult to break or strangle. Sometimes in large eggs, two yolks can be found at the same time.

Consumption of compound feed per day. Adult turkeys should be fed at least 3 times a day. At the same time, one bird must consume at least 500-800 grams of feed. During the period of breeding mating, the need for food increases, therefore the number of feedings at this time is brought to 5, with the calculation of at least 1 kilogram of food per 1 head.

In the morning and in the afternoon, the birds are fed with wet food, in the evening - with dry food. The birds benefit from juicy feed, which guarantees a large amount of juicy meat in the future.

How much feed for 1 egg?During the laying period, one female should eat at least half a kilogram of feed per day. To create a full-fledged forage base in the winter, it is advisable to stock up on some hay. In summer, birds are advised to feed chopped grass.

Breeding white broad-breasted turkeys

Food: chickens, adult turkeys, layers. To obtain a large number of eggs and meat, turkeys need adequate feeding. The daily food ration should consist of wet and dry food, vegetables, fruits and all kinds of vitamin supplements. The diet of white broad-breasted turkey poults necessarily includes:

• dry and sprouted grain;
• dry and wet mash;
• greens;
• carrots, cabbage, beets.

Young turkeys are fed with crushed eggs and small cereals. Instead of water, you can give turkey poults milk, but only if the farm has its own cow and the milk is constantly fresh. Beginning at the age of one month, turkey poults are fed with mash, consisting of wet cereals and herbs, mixed in water.

Young nettles, slightly dried alfalfa or cabbage leaves are suitable for making mash. In specialized stores, ready-made mash-ups for turkey poults are on sale, saturated with all essential minerals and vitamins. Adult birds will also not refuse such a diet.

Features of growing and care

You should not be zealous with feed, since birds reach their maximum weight at the age of 1.5 years. At the same time, the growth of turkeys and their weight gain stops at about 6 months, which makes their further industrial maintenance unprofitable, because it is the young poultry that has not yet matured that enters the meat markets.

Diseases of turkey poults and treatment at home

Adult turkeys rarely get sick, but young animals suffer from a runny nose and various infectious diseases. Left untreated, the disease leads to serious consequences and even the death of the livestockTherefore, widespread vaccination of turkeys of this breed is recommended.

Birds are considered thermophilic, the air temperature in the room should not drop below 15 degrees. In addition, infectious diseases such as:

• brucellosis;
• tuberculosis;
• histomonosis;
• smallpox.

The listed diseases are difficult to treat with antibiotics, provoke massive forced slaughter of poultry, therefore the task of each poultry farmer is to create conditions that block their appearance.

The treatment will destroy existing insects and prevent their further appearance. In addition, it is recommended to urgently seal any holes that appear in the floor and walls of the room, through which rodents penetrate, bringing diseases dangerous to birds. Turkeys often suffer from worms, which also affect the respiratory system. For prophylaxis, it is recommended to purchase appropriate drugs from a veterinary pharmacy on a monthly basis and give them to birds.

Improper feeding of turkeys leads to the development of a perverse appetite... Signs of the disease are an increased interest in swallowing chips, dry leaves, stones and other foreign objects. Fighting the disease can only be done by establishing the strictest diet and transferring birds to a balanced feed ration.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

When breeding white broad-breasted turkeys, there are much more advantages than disadvantages. So, for six months of intensive feeding, it is possible to get an almost adult bird, ready for slaughter, weighing up to 11 kilograms. No other bird weighs that much by this age. Turkeys are unpretentious in keeping, like other birds, they need a lot of fresh air, a lighted room and access to walking. Delicate and healthy poultry meat is very popular with buyers.

The only drawback of turkeys is that they consume a large amount of feed.

Reviews

Tatyana Ivanovna: The breed is wonderful, it pleases that there is a choice between light and heavy turkeys. I personally raise turkeys weighing up to 14 kilograms, but I am familiar with farmers who feed birds weighing up to 30 kilograms.

Zinaida Leonidovna: Nice birds, I will definitely buy myself a couple. I only heard that they need to be artificially inseminated. I don't know if it's true or not, but I'll buy the birds anyway. I really liked their meat. A friend ordered such a turkey for my birthday, meat was just in bulk, I want to grow one for myself.

Gennady Nikolaevich: I have been raising turkeys for a long time and I am constantly amazed at the complaints of poultry farmers about the difficulties with raising young stock of a white broad-breasted breed. I personally did not have any problems with this, most of the eggs were not only fertilized, but also with healthy tenacious turkeys inside. I recommend this breed to both beginner and experienced farmers. Bird lovers website.

As you can see, raising white broad-breasted turkey poults at home is extremely profitable from an economic point of view. Birds get sick a little, adapt well, have good egg production and no tendency to obesity. White females are good brood hens and males rarely show signs of aggression.