When growing a turkey for slaughter, the farmer focuses on its weight. In order for a bird to quickly reach the required size, it must be properly fed, but there are other factors that affect weight.
What does mass depend on?
Poultry can gain weight quickly, especially when kept free-range during the summer. Not only does nutrition affect maximum weight gain, but several factors should be taken into account.
- Floor. Female turkeys are lighter than males. On average, their figure differs by 5 kilograms, which is why farmers prefer to grow turkeys for slaughter.
- Breed. The breed also plays an important role, since the dimensions of the future turkey and the structural features of its body are genetically laid down. With age, the weight of the bird slowly increases, six months after hatching are considered ideal for slaughter. It is not difficult to explain why this is so, since during this period the turkey gains maximum weight gain if it is kept and fed properly.
- Ration. As for the diet, it is important not only the quantity, but also the quality of food, including constant access to water and fine gravel, which helps digest grains in the digestive system. Any feed that enters the pen to turkeys must be well balanced, and therefore have sufficient calories and minerals. Be sure to include vitamin supplements.
- Health. It is not possible to achieve a qualitative increase in weight from sick chicks, which is why health is not the last factor that should be taken into account. Grafted turkeys grow faster because they have a good appetite.
- Age.
Particular attention should be paid to the breed and its influence on the mass of the turkey. Today, farmers divide such groups by weight category as:
- lungs;
- average;
- heavy.
It is not uncommon to find producers who claim that turkeys belong to a meat breed, but they forget to mention which category. As a result, the farmer, raising the chicks, remains disappointed, because it turns out that he has a bird belonging to the easy category. The maximum weight of a male turkey, which belongs to lightweights, is only 7 kilograms. Females usually grow no more than 5 kg. In this category, such breeds as the virgin and Tikhoretskaya black.
Representatives of the middle category significantly surpass the previously described turkeys in terms of performance. Males can weigh up to 17 kg, while females only 7 kg. Similar indicators are demonstrated by bronze and white Moscow breeds. Heavyweights gain maximum weight longer, only by two years, but turkeys when weighed show a value of 35 kg, while turkeys – only 10 kg. For meat, only males are bred.
Among the most popular breeds are crosses Big-6 and 9, BYuT 8 and 9, as well as a hybrid converter.
Specialists who describe a particular breed, attributing certain properties to it, always take into account the conditions of detention. Each has its own weight gain norms for the age of turkey poults. During the fattening process, the weight is compared with tabular indicators, if inconsistencies are detected, the farmer needs to review the feeding regimen. It should be understood that slaughter weight and live weight are two different concepts.
The slaughter weight of a bird is 85% of its live weight, with more than 50% muscle mass, internal fat – 9% of the carcass, subcutaneous fat – 13%, but it is considered together with the skin and 23% are bones.
Average performance
At different ages, the turkey weighs differently. On average, an adult turkey at the age of 6 months of meat large breed should have a mass of about 12 kg. After hatching, turkey poults weigh only 50 grams, then they quickly, but unevenly gain weight. The most active phase is observed in the first month, from the second the rate of carcass weight gain decreases, but it is also at a fairly high level, and this does not depend on the breed at all, whether it be blue or slate turkeys.
A slight increase can be observed from 9 to 20 weeks, this is quite normal, which is not associated with the disease. From the 21st week, the process of puberty begins, when the live weight increases again actively, since the body has to spend a lot of energy, it begins to increase the bird’s appetite. Ripening ends by week 30, during this period the turkey reaches its maximum weight. It will not be able to grow anymore, if there is an increase in mass, then very slowly.
If the livestock has suffered an infectious disease, the entire bird is sent for slaughter, as it is unsuitable for the production of offspring and becomes infertile. No development in body weight is also observed. To gain weight quickly, some farmers use protein supplements, but they have one major drawback – obesity, which is the main reason why females stop laying. At the same time, fat deposits are observed not only in the form of subcutaneous formations, they also cover the internal organs of the bird. In young animals, this phenomenon causes serious pathologies; moreover, such meat is not very popular with buyers, since turkey is considered a dietary product.
The easiest way is to determine the weight of a small number of birds, but if there are several dozen individuals, each is not weighed. Choose 5 turkeys and count the average weight. The resulting number is multiplied by the number of birds in the herd. To find the average weight, the mass of all 5 individuals is added and divided by 5. This will be the average for a particular livestock.
Weight gain of turkeys
Farmers who commercially raise turkeys for meat take the issue of weight gain very seriously. The daily increase depends on the age of the individuals, by 6 months most breeds are gaining maximum weight and are ready for slaughter. Chicks are weighed every week. A monthly chicken, which did not reach in accordance with the table indicator, is resettled for fattening. The daily gain should be in accordance with the norm from 47 to 53 grams. The figure fluctuates depending on age, for example, chicks weigh about 50 grams up to three days, so that they quickly gain strength, the feeding regimen is 8 times a day.
Already in the first week, the weight of each individual should increase to 200 grams, but not less than 100 grams.
In a month, each turkey has 120 grams of feed, while the carcass already reaches a weight of at least 1,3 kg. The amount of feed is gradually increased, by the end of the first month the diet should be 3 times larger than the original. Daily gain by day 21 should be at least 75 grams. If the farmer does everything right, then after 5 weeks the turkey should weigh about two kilograms, by week 7 – 4 kg. Every day, the weight grows by 70–80 g. At the end of 2 months, when weighing a live carcass on a scale, it should be 5 kg, while the daily rate for each individual is 300 g.
You can see the table for the North Caucasian white breed of turkeys.
Sometimes it also happens that even with careful care of the bird, the weight increases slightly. There are several reasons for this.
- Disease. When a bird is sick, it refuses to eat, therefore, there can be no question of any weight gain. It is worth calling the veterinarian, but to prevent the possibility of a problem, you need to clean the feeders in time, change the water and do not leave the old food.
- Refusal to eat. This happens when adults or reared turkeys are kept with young animals.
- Incorrect food. The feed must be balanced and contain proteins, vitamins, and mineral components.
Turkeys drink a lot, especially under the age of one year, so they are given round-the-clock access to a drinker.
The largest turkeys
Among the breeds bred by modern farmers, there are real heavyweights. Such large birds reach 35 kg, while the world’s largest turkeys are also known in history, which are remembered for their achievements. Among the largest breeds, it is worth highlighting a few.
- White broad-breasted. This breed was bred not so long ago. It was obtained by crossing the Dutch and the broad-breasted bronze turkey. Farmers were able to appreciate the merits of the described bird rather quickly, since it adapts perfectly to any conditions. Not only turkeys and turkeys have different weights, but the breed also has its own classification. Lightweights reach a mass of 5 kg females and 9 kg males. Those who are classified as heavyweights differ significantly in growth. Males can reach 23 kg, and females – 11 kg. There is a bird with an average of 7 kg of turkey and 15 to 17 kg of turkey.
Representatives of this breed are sent for slaughter at the age of 6 months, since they do not gain weight anymore.
- White Moscow. This breed was also obtained by crossing, brought it to the territory of our country. Individuals gain weight throughout the year, turkeys provide not only meat, but also rush well. The maximum weight of a male is 15 kilograms, a turkey can only grow up to 8 kilograms.
- Bronze standard. The females of the described breed are excellent mothers, they can be used as hens that can even hatch other people’s eggs. Males can reach 10 kilograms, females – 6 kg, despite such meager indicators, in comparison with the rest, this breed is very popular in our country.
Separate attention should be paid to broiler turkeys, as they are the largest in the world. This includes the Canadian broad-breasted turkey, since the weight of males with high-quality fattening is up to 30 kg, females also grow large – up to 17 kg. The Big-6 cross is not much different, with 30 kg of turkeys and 12 kg of turkeys. Slightly smaller than Butt-9, in the breed males weigh up to 26 kg, and females up to 11 kg.
See the video below for the technology of growing the Big-6 turkey breed.
