Contents
Among broiler turkey breeds, the meat cross from British United Turkeys at number 6 holds the palm in the world.
The Big 6 turkey breed is still winning the battle with other, more recent crosses of broiler turkeys. 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 a significantly lower conversion rate than Hybrid turkeys.
The slaughter yield of meat between the breeds of turkeys differed slightly, but when slaughtered after 147 days of the fattening period, the Hybrid males gave a greater yield of white meat than the Big 6 turkeys.
In meat quality, no significant differences were observed between these broiler breeds.
After this study, it was concluded that the Euro FP Hybrid has not yet reached the performance level of the BYuT Big 6 and cannot be recommended as a replacement for the Big 6.
Description of cross-country 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 stumps are not visible in light skin.
Big 6 turkeys grow very quickly, gaining 4,5 kg at the age of three months, by six months the turkeys grow completely, and growth stops. Further weight gain occurs due to body fat.
The slaughter yield of meat from the carcass of a turkey Big 6 is 80%. The graceful skeleton often does not withstand such body weight and broiler turkeys begin to have bone problems.
Studies by 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 only from bone diseases, but also from diseases of the cardiovascular system (too much weight is harmful not only to people). In addition, Big 6 broiler turkeys have reduced immunity to pathogenic microorganisms, which is the reason why poultry farmers are confident in the “capriciousness and effeminacy” of Big 6 broiler turkeys.
Due to hereditary diseases, turkey meat producers 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 that are resistant to salmonellosis, influenza and E. coli should allow healthier poultry to be raised. And genophobes will be deprived of dietary turkey meat.
Genetic information can also be used to strengthen the bones of the skeleton, which today are deformed under the rapidly growing muscle mass of the Big 6 broiler cross, not keeping 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 grow Big 6 turkeys in a private backyard
The Big 6 turkey can lay up to 100 eggs per year. This is a good result, considering that the hatchability of turkeys is quite high.
Regarding the breeding of Big 6 in private farmsteads, there are two directly opposite opinions. Some people think that it is better to cross a heavy line turkey with a lighter male, because they think that a nearly 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 get turkey poults with 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 the live weight and a carcass safety of 95%. For 1 kg of weight, 2 kg of feed is consumed.
Growing turkeys
One-day-old turkeys are kept in a brooder at 30°C. The best option when growing BYuT broiler crosses is to use starter feeds for broiler chickens.
As the turkey poults fledge, the temperature in the brooder is lowered. Contrary to the belief that broilers love warmth and need to be kept at high air temperatures, in fact, the optimum temperature for already fledged turkeys will be 20-25 ° C. At temperatures above 35°C, the growth of broilers slows down and they may even die from heatstroke. This is due to the fact that with rapid growth, turkeys have an accelerated metabolism, and with an accelerated metabolism, the body of a turkey produces a lot of heat. If this heat still has nowhere to go, since the air temperature is almost equal to the body temperature of a turkey, then problems begin. The bird does not know how to sweat, and thermoregulation through the open beak is not enough for it.
Grown up turkeys are transferred to aviary content. Contain them, like adult turkeys on the floor. To prevent skeletal problems, turkey poults need plenty of room to run. The only way today to somehow strengthen the bones and ligaments that do not keep up with the growth of muscle mass is the longest possible walking. Most likely, this will not save all turkeys, but it will minimize the number of cripples.
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 cottage cheese, daughter, eat it, throw it away to chickens anyway” – a real replica of a village mistress who did not have the opportunity to sell milk. Chickens may not appreciate such care, and broiler turkeys will respond well to feed rich in protein and calcium.
Grown up turkeys can begin to give wet bran and mash mixes mixed with whey or milk. You can also mix in cottage cheese. 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, as dairy products deteriorate very quickly in the heat.
Turkeys should always have water. So that it does not turn sour, after the turkeys rinse their beaks in it after feeding, it must be changed twice a day. In this case, you must ensure that the turkeys do not spill water. They will not swim like ducks, but they can knock over a container of water by stepping on it. Dampness is contraindicated for turkeys, so drinkers must either be made closed, or the possibility of turning them over should be excluded.
In a turkey house for birds of any age, there should be shell rock and coarse sand. Small stones help turkeys, like any bird, digest tough grains.
Sawdust or straw is used for bedding in the turkey house. You have to change it twice a week. The thickness of the litter should be sufficient so that the turkey, even after digging a hole for sleeping, does not reach the cold floor. But it should not be made too thick either, since too thick a layer of bedding increases the cost of keeping turkeys.
The turkey house must 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 a long daylight hours using fluorescent lamps.
How to cook 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 open spaces. In this case, you can prepare feed for broiler turkeys yourself.
Theoretically, you can simply mix all the ingredients, but keep in mind that whole grains are poorly digested, so it is better to grind it in a grain crusher. As a rule, farmers acquire this useful device very quickly.
For the preparation of feed you need:
- wheat – ⅓ of the total planned feed:
- corn and soybeans – ⅕ of the volume;
- vitamin and mineral premix – 0,15 of the total volume
- fishmeal – 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.
When replacing wheat with barley, turkeys will gain weight faster, but can lead to obesity.
How much does it cost to grow BIG-6 turkeys in rubles
