Description of Victoria turkeys

Although the number of breeds of domestic turkeys is only slightly more than 30, it is worthwhile for beginners and experienced farmers to carefully study their differences in order to obtain the best economic result. Therefore, it will be useful to consider the description of Victoria turkeys and the main features of their proper breeding.

Description of Victoria turkeys

Breed origin

Victoria turkeys were bred in Russia, namely at the North Caucasian experimental poultry station, which is located in the village of Obilnoye near Stavropol. This breed belongs to the hybrid, which is commonly called crosses. This means that it was obtained by crossing 2 other breeds. The white broad-breasted breed was used as the base for breeding Victoria. During the selection, females with maximum egg production and growth rate were selected, and from the representatives of the paternal line, the largest-sized turkeys were selected, which were distinguished by well-developed muscles of the legs and chest. The resulting cross was categorized as light (up to 15 kg) and recommended for use on small farms.

Description of Victoria turkeys

Appearance

According to the approved breed standard, all Victoria turkeys must have the following external features:

  • dense plumage of white color without spots and the presence of other colors or shades;
  • developed pectoral muscles, strong legs and a compact physique;
  • dark pink color of the head, which should have a small size relative to the body;
  • the legs should also be dark pink in color and set wide apart;
  • the body length of the male is about 1 m, for females this figure is 80 cm;
  • the mass of an adult (over 20 weeks old) turkey reaches about 13 kg, and for turkeys of the same age it should be about 9 kg.

Description of Victoria turkeys

Birds whose conformation differs markedly from these requirements must be culled and should not be used for further breeding.

Productivity and nutritional value

The egg productivity of Victoria turkeys is up to 5 eggs per week. Given that the reproductive period of these birds lasts a little more than 4 months, the total number of eggs obtained from 1 female will be about 85. The weight of 1 egg of such a bird is 85 g. The calorie content of eggs will be up to 170 kcal per 100 g, while they contain more vitamins A, B and D, as well as trace elements than chicken eggs. The main disadvantage of turkey eggs in terms of a healthy diet is high cholesterol. Nevertheless, many nutritionists consider these eggs the third in nutritional value (they are second only to quail and guinea fowl eggs).

Description of Victoria turkeys

Victoria turkey meat is distinguished by its delicate texture, high digestibility, high content of protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids, low fat content and the absence of toxins.

Advantages and disadvantages

All crosses generally show more viability and gain weight faster than “pure” lines, so the Victoria is preferable to white broad-chested and other similar breeds in these indicators. This variety also has other advantages over other common types of turkeys, namely:

  • increased immunity of turkeys, which increases their survival rate (usually almost 6% of chicks survive up to 95 weeks, while the remaining 5% usually die not due to diseases, but due to injuries);
  • an acceptable percentage of hatching of turkeys from eggs when grown by the incubator method (about 75%);
  • good economic efficiency in terms of the ratio of fattening costs to the resulting weight gain (about 1 kg of feed is spent per 3 kg of meat obtained);
  • the meat of these birds belongs to the dietary category and has a high nutritional value;
  • turkeys tolerate stressful situations well and are highly resistant to adverse climatic conditions, which makes it possible to breed them throughout the Russian Federation and save on poultry house heating;
  • the possibility of fattening by free grazing.

Description of Victoria turkeys

A huge disadvantage of Victoria is the shortage of eggs and young animals in free sale, since their breeding is mainly carried out by specialists of the North Caucasus Station, whose production capacity is still very limited. At the same time, it is difficult to breed this bird on your own: males often inflict injuries on females during mating. To obtain large batches of young animals, it is necessary to use the method of artificial insemination.

Description of Victoria turkeys

Content Tips

Acquiring young animals to create a new herd, it is necessary to adhere to the following ratio:

  • 2/3 of the birds must be descended from the maternal line;
  • 1/3 must represent the paternal line of the breed.

Description of Victoria turkeys

It is necessary that there are 1 females per 10 male. Basic requirements for a poultry house in which Victoria can be kept:

  • bright and spacious room;
  • low humidity;
  • lack of drafts;
  • be sure to provide regular ventilation.

Description of Victoria turkeys

So that the birds do not suffer from high humidity, you need to arrange bedding on the floor of the house. Hay, straw or wood shavings are best suited as a material for it. To avoid the development of pathogenic microflora and mold, the bedding should be replaced at least once a month.

Description of Victoria turkeys

It is worth making sure that there is always clean water in the drinkers, and that they themselves are not damaged. Leaking liquid from the drinker will damage the litter and increase the humidity in the house.

In order for the birds to clean their feathers on their own, it is necessary to put a container with a mixture of ash and sand in the room. Victoria turkeys sleep equally well both on perches and in cages. At the same time, it is important that each individual has enough living space, so the dimensions of the drinker must be calculated based on the fact that each turkey has at least 4 cm. The same applies to the feeder: its width should be at least 20 cm per every bird.

Description of Victoria turkeys

If you keep birds in cages, then in good weather it is worth taking them out of the house so that the turkeys can breathe fresh air and get enough sunlight. When setting up an aviary for walking birds, do not forget to equip it with a canopy to protect it from rain. Despite the good resistance of the breed to cold weather, its young are quite demanding on growing conditions. Therefore, make sure that the turkeys are warm.

Description of Victoria turkeys

As soon as the chicks emerge from the eggs, they should be placed with the turkey separately from the rest of the flock so that she can provide them with proper care. Make sure that the young get enough sunshine: its deficiency will lead to a lack of vitamin D and may result in the development of rickets. Therefore, it is worthwhile to prepare an open aviary for walking chicks in advance. In order for sunbathing to be combined with proper nutrition, the aviary should be sown with oats, barley, clover or peas.

Description of Victoria turkeys

You can release the chicks into the aviary when their size becomes comparable to a chicken. After the turkey reaches the age of 22 weeks, its growth practically stops. Therefore, if you are raising poultry for meat, then this particular period will be the right moment for slaughtering it.

Feeding

Improper organization of the diet of turkeys is fraught with both a decrease in their growth rate, and, conversely, the development of obesity in them, which reduces the nutritional value of their meat. It is especially important for the health of the bird to ensure that it is properly fed during the first 8 weeks of life. In the first 10 days, chicks can be fed with a wet mash of the following composition (based on 1 bird per day):

  • 8 g of grain;
  • 5 g bran;
  • Xnumx greenery;
  • 10 g skim milk (skim milk).

Description of Victoria turkeys

In the first 5 days, it is worth adding 3 g of boiled eggs to the mixture. Upon reaching 5 days of age, a small amount of crushed shells and chalk can be carefully added to the food. Young turkeys need to be fed every 2 hours, and if the food is in the feeder for more than 35 minutes, it must be removed and replaced with fresh. When turkeys reach the age of 15 days, dry food can be gradually introduced into their diet. It is desirable that dry food be present in the feeders constantly. Potatoes, bone meal, boiled meat can be gradually added to the mixers.

Description of Victoria turkeys

When the bird reaches the age of 21 days, corn can be introduced into its diet, and the shells and gravel can be removed from the mixture and poured into separate containers so that the turkeys can consume them on their own as needed. From the 40th day of life, the chicks can be transferred from milk mash to water-based food.

Reviews

Most Russian farmers highly appreciate Victoria’s resistance to frost, its unpretentiousness in forage and high growth rate. The main disadvantages are the relatively low carcass weight (heavy Dutch crosses reach a mass of 20 kg) and the difficulty of acquiring large batches of young animals.

Description of Victoria turkeys

For information on how to properly care for the Victoria turkey breed, see the following video.

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Anna Evans

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