The bronze broad-breasted turkey is a favorite among breeders of these birds. This breed was bred for closed farms in the United States of America, obtained by crossing domestic and wild turkeys. Then the original form of Orlopp Bronze was bred in the UK, on the basis of which 708 bronze turkeys (heavy cross) are produced in France. The name of the breed is due to the plumage of a bronze tint.
Breed benefits
- Rapid maturation of the bird: after only 23 weeks, the female becomes suitable for obtaining meat, the turkey after 24 weeks.
- Adult bronze turkeys reach record sizes for poultry: the mass of females reaches 10 kg, turkeys – twice as much.
- Despite their large size, the birds do not require too much food.
- Turkey meat of this breed has excellent taste.
- Females do not require artificial insemination.
- The egg production of females is at a high level – within 120 eggs per reproductive period.
- A large percentage of both hatchability of turkeys (85-90) and their survival, which ensures a good increase in the number of birds.
- Bronze broad-chested birds are resistant to many diseases.
The only inconvenience in breeding a bronze broad-breasted turkey is the need for aviary keeping (then the productivity of the bird will be at a high level).
Cross «BRONZE-708»
Currently, the country of origin of this heavy cross is France.
Turkeys of cross-bronze 708 are larger than birds of the bronze broad-breasted breed. Like all crosses, bronze 708 turkeys do not inherit the characteristics of their parents.
The turkey is considered a broiler. It can weigh up to 30 kg, subject to all conditions of detention: a stable certain temperature in the room where the birds are kept, and a balanced diet. As a rule, it is difficult to fulfill these requirements at home (especially to maintain the temperature regime, since this requires a microclimate system). Therefore, when breeding turkeys of this cross in non-industrial conditions, the real weight of females is within 9 kg, males -18 kg.
Tender turkey meat, which tastes like game, is ideal for diet food – it contains only 8-9% fat. The meat part of the carcass is 60-80% (most of the meat is on the chest, back and limbs).
At the age of 10 months, the turkey begins to lay. The egg production of females is very high: a maximum of 150 eggs can be obtained per season, while 120 of them will be fertilized. The eggs are large, speckled brown, have excellent taste. Usually, crosses do not have a maternal instinct, but this does not apply to bronze 708 females – they are good hens, and they can even incubate other people’s masonry.
Turkeys aged from one year to 3-4 years are suitable for reproduction, and the best hens are two-year-old females.
What cross bronze 708 looks like can be seen in the video:
Conditions of detention
The aviary should be spacious – at least one square meter per bird. The temperature in the room should not exceed 20 degrees Celsius in summer and not fall below 5 degrees below zero in winter. Drafts must be excluded. Cells must be kept clean.
Be sure to lay sawdust, straw or hay on the floor. The bedding should be changed regularly.
To install perches, you need to choose the warmest place in the room. You need to put them at a height of 40-50 cm from the floor. Nests need to determine the darkest place.
To prevent the appearance of parasites in turkeys, you need to install a container with ash and sand in the house, where the crosses will take “baths”.
You can walk turkeys only in the warm season on a dry surface of the yard or in an aviary. On the street, a walking area can be sown with grass and provided with a canopy.
In the spring, it is necessary to disinfect the place where turkeys are kept. Treatment is carried out with hot water with the addition of soda (caustic).
The ideal placement of birds: in one aviary, a male and two females. It is impossible to settle several males at the same time – they will arrange bloody fights, up to serious injury to each other.
Turkey Care
Of the entire brood of turkeys, at least 70% survive, but they need to create greenhouse conditions: exclude both drafts and air stagnation, and prevent dampness in the room. The turkey requires at least 10 hours of daylight, so additional lighting must be installed in the poultry house.
For 20 chicks, you need at least five square meters of enclosure area; when the turkeys reach four months, the area should be doubled.
Bird feeding
Young growth must be provided with food 3 to 4 times a day.
The feed should be balanced, contain vitamins, minerals and trace elements. You also need to add top dressing. Birds eat grain, chopped grass, vegetables and mash. Bone meal is added to the feed. One young bird eats, on average, 2 kg of food.
What nutrients are required for the nutrition of turkeys and adult birds can be seen from the table in the photo:
In winter, in order to avoid beriberi, you need to add to the feed: nettle, tree brooms, green hay, vitamin coniferous and herbal flour, sauerkraut. You can combine cereals with legumes. To make the food better ground, fine gravel mixed with limestone is added to the feeder. The ratio of herbs, green vegetables and dry concentrates should be equal.
When turkeys are laying eggs, their diet should be reduced in grains and increased in herbs and vegetables. In order for the eggshell to be strong, cottage cheese, bone meal and skimmed milk are added to the feed for the layers.
Turkey poults of cross-country bronze 708 need more protein food than others. To fortify the feed, green onions, beets, carrot tops, and colza are added to it.
Conclusion
Breeding and raising bronze turkeys is extremely profitable in a household environment: the funds spent on their maintenance pay off very quickly. The main thing is to comply with the conditions of detention – and you can enjoy a tasty and healthy product.