Description of Bronze Broad-breasted turkeys
For most people, turkey is associated with Thanksgiving, because in fact it is the brightest symbol of this holiday. This bird is a real decoration on the farm and a source of the most tender meat. There are many breeds, but bronze turkeys are still at the top of the list. Since they differ from everyone else in their unique characteristics.
Basic data
Bronze broad-breasted turkeys belong to broilers... They were originally created specifically for closed-type farms in America. This breed turned out after they began to cross home view and wild. Therefore, they have undeniable advantages over the rest.
Bronze wide-breasted turkey is large enough for poultry.
On average, a female bronze broad-breasted turkey weighs from 8 to 10 kilograms. If you stick to correct nutritional conditions and the content of birds, then the weight may be more than 10 kg. With regard to turkeys, they reach even greater weight indicators, on average from 15 to 18 kg. And if the farmer carefully monitors a balanced diet, then the weight of the bronze broad-breasted turkeys was more than 20 kilograms. If the male gained up to 30 kg or more, then this is not a normal indicator, with this weight the bird develops obesity.
External characteristics
They fully correspond to the name of the bird.
- The chest is wide, the body is massive, the legs are strong.
- The head and neck are large enough, the upper ball of the skin has a slightly bluish tint.
- The plumage is dense, color: dark with a bronze tint. Bronze broad-breasted turkey differ from turkey the color of the feathers, since the female has specialized feathers in the shoulder area (they are called coverts), which have a white edging at the tips.
- Males have a fairly large tail, which is very similar to a fan or fan.
Types of bronze turkeys
The largest birds
In the mid-60s of the last century, a new breed was bred, which was named the Caucasian bronze turkey. Inexperienced farmers often confuse it with the usual one, but it differs in a number of characteristics. To improve productivity and weight, the North Caucasian turkey is crossed with other breeds. The greatest distribution of this species is in the southern part of Russia, hence the name North or simply Caucasian, as well as in Ukraine, Belarus, and North Asia. The very first difference from bronze broad-breasted turkeys in weight, the body weight of this breed is on average half less, males 10 -11 kg, females 5-6 kg. Egg production rate also not very high 65-70 eggs for the period of production.
At the very beginning, turkeys of the bronze breed were bred for industrial conditions, so the birds do not adapt well enough to other feeding options (walking). In order to achieve the desired level of productivity, the producer must correctly recreate the conditions in which the birds are kept.
- The broad-breasted bronze needs a well-ventilated and spacious building.The ideal solution would be to keep turkeys in an aviary. To do this, one male and several females are placed in one enclosure.
- Despite the fact that the weight of broad-breasted birds is very large, and sometimes even frightening, they consume so much feed in one day. The main thing is that it is rich in vitamin complexes and antioxidants with minerals, and also be as balanced as possible. Some farmers add food supplements to improve the health of birds. Suitable as feed: grain, cereals (mash), grass, etc.
- Up to 20 weeks, bronze broad-breasted turkeys consume an average of 1.5 kg of feed per kg of their weight per day.
The Canadian Bronze Broad-chested are the largest of these poultry. This breed is meat broilers, in which the weight of a turkey can reach 15-30 kg, and in this case, such an indicator does not indicate any anomalies. Keeping these birds is economically beneficial, they are not picky in their diet, the optimal weight is achieved in 2-4 months. Therefore, at the age of 1.5 months, Canadian turkey poults have the weight of an adult duck. But the main thing that farmers should pay attention to is that chicks quickly seize intestinal infections and other diseases.
For their breeding, the necessary well-lit, clean and warm house... Canadian bronze broad-chested turkeys cannot thrive in cramped conditions, so it is necessary that the room be spacious. The minimum acceptable air temperature in the poultry house is 5-7 degrees, the maximum is 29-30 degrees Celsius.
The Moscow bronze broad-breasted turkey is a unique bird species. Indeed, unlike the rest, this breed feels great in open areas, so they can be bred and kept in backyards, and not only in poultry houses. The average weight of Moscow bronze broad-breasted turkeys reaches 18-20 kilograms. The turkeys are half the size.
France in modern times is one of the leaders in the breeding of this breed. Many French farms, along with America and Russia, raised quite good individuals, which, thanks to the place of production, became known as the "French bronze broad-breasted turkey."
Productivity characteristics
Since the breeding of this breed, birds differ from the rest in their rapid growth rates. Somewhere after 4 - 6 months, the farmer receives a fully formed individual, which will already be an excellent source of the most tender meat. Breeders know that females need a week less time to gain weight than males.
The broad-breasted bronze breed has good resistance to various diseases... This is due to the fact that they come from the crossing of wild and domestic individuals. Wild, always distinguished by good endurance and excellent health, as they had to survive in difficult and dangerous conditions.
Bronze broad-breasted turkey begins to rush at 8-11 months. For the season, the egg production rate averages 90-100 pieces.
The breeds of bronze broad-chested turkeys quickly pay off all the costs that were spent on their maintenance. Since their meat is very tender and many people like it, especially those who have dietary food. The amount of meat in an adult is 70-85% of the total mass. Of these, muscle tissue - 50%, fat content up to 10%.
Features of content and nutrition
Breeding and growing a cross is not a very difficult process, since females are excellent brooders, so they easily take care of not only their chicks, but also goose and chicken babies. An important point, only born turkeys are wet, so you need to wait until they dry, after which they must be placed in a room or place where the temperature is not lower than 28-31 degrees. The hatchability rate, as well as the survival rate, is quite high.
- The house should be spacious for the bird to feel comfortable. Some industrial farms keep birds in cages, since one square meter is enough for one adult bird. If the climate of the region presupposes too cold winters, then additional heating of the room is necessary. It is also important to exclude drafts, high levels of humidity and dampness. In the room, the ambient temperature should be constant, and not change from hour to hour.
- You can lay hay or straw on the floor. So broad-breasted, even in severe cold, will not freeze their lower limbs. With all this, the room still needs to be ventilated.
- Perch mounted at a distance of half a meter from the ground. The width between the perches is 35-40 centimeters. To maintain cleanliness, specialized containers for litter can be mounted under them. They are regularly cleaned and disinfected to prevent the spread of harmful microorganisms.
- For the summer period, prepare a small fenced area for walking birds. It is good if it is covered with a canopy from the rain.
- For young individuals, it is necessary to carefully formulate the diet so that it is rich in mineral supplements and vitamins. Since during the period of development, they gain the bulk. For adults, you can use specialized feed, as well as waste (boil well, peel from vegetables).
- In winter, when there are not so many herbal mixtures, in the morning and in the evening you can feed the birds with dry, clean grain, and give a mash at lunch for a change in the diet. The ratio of dry food to vegetable supplements should be one to one.
- Bronze broad-breasted turkey poults do not need special nutrition, but there is one caveat, they need to be given a little more protein food. Vitamin supplements (carrot tops, green onions, beets) and boiled potatoes are added to the mash.
If the process seems very difficult in words, then you can watch the video description, which shows all the points regarding the breeding of bronze wide-breasted turkeys.