Content
- 1 Turkeys - poultry
- 2 Features of the blue turkey breed
- 3 Myths and realities associated with turkey breeding
- 3.1 Feeders for small turkeys
- 3.2 What happens to a turkey chick that falls into the water?
- 3.3 Is it dangerous for a turkey to turn over on its back?
- 3.4 Is it necessary to wet the feet of turkey poults with alcohol?
- 3.5 In order for a turkey to eat well, it must be trained.
- 3.6 Antibiotics: benefit or harm for turkey poults
- 4 Some tips for caring for turkey poults
Traditionally, we are used to seeing turkeys in the yard with black or white plumage. Of course, there are brown individuals. Some breeds of idek have a mixed feather color with peculiar shades. But a blue turkey breed is rarely found anywhere. There is little information about this bird. In reality, in the vast expanses of our country, blue turkeys are rarely bred, and even then they are considered not purebreds, but mixed breeds. In fact, such a breed of turkeys exists, and it is called “Slate”.
Turkeys - poultry
Turkeys are the largest poultry and are commonly bred for their meat. Turkeys are also the best hens. Many housewives leave several individuals for the sake of breeding offspring. The turkey hatches its chicks in 26–28 days. You can even place the eggs of other poultry under the female, and she will hatch them without any problems.
Now breeders have bred many turkey broilers. Such males are capable of gaining weight up to 30 kg. Regular turkeys of different breeds weigh from 14 to 18 kg. The female is much lighter.Its weight usually varies from 7 to 9 kg. The growth of females stops after five months. Turkeys take up to eight months to grow. Further accumulation of body weight in a turkey occurs due to the deposition of fat and the increase in muscle mass. The turkey begins to lay eggs at the age of seven months. The eggs are larger than those of a chicken and can weigh from 75 to 100 g. In terms of the content of nutrients, turkey eggs are healthier than chicken eggs, but they are usually used for breeding turkey poults. Only culls that are not suitable for incubation are used for cooking.
Despite the existence of various myths about the tenderness of the bird, turkeys are quite hardy and unpretentious in care. Individuals of many breeds have adapted to our harsh climate and live well in unheated barns. Turkeys love to fly, so many owners cut off the flight feathers on their wings. As an option, the turkey paddock is covered with any mesh on top.
Features of the blue turkey breed
There is very little information about the purebred blue turkey “Slate” breed. Often there is only a brief description where the bird is characterized by a gray beak, pink legs and dark brown eyes. Blue turkey feathers should be light in color according to the standard. There are heterozygous individuals with a darker shade of blue feather. All other blue turkeys with other differences are considered not purebred and are culled.
In our country, “Slaty” turkeys can only be found in zoos and in private yards, where owners keep the bird for decoration.Blue turkeys are unprofitable for industrial rearing due to their low weight: an adult turkey gains weight of no more than 5 kg, and a female is almost half that size. In fact, blue turkeys of the “Slate” breed in their purebred form are considered decorative.
Turkeys with baby blue plumage can sometimes be seen in some private yards. Moreover, there may be different shades of this color. Some individuals even grow to impressive sizes. It should be noted right away that these are all mash-ups, and turkeys have nothing to do with the “Slate” breed. Unless the color of the feather was taken from a distant purebred ancestor.
Blue mixed breeds are crossed with other breeds of turkeys in households. Thus, experienced poultry farmers receive egg-meat poultry adapted to our climate. After crossing, 50% of turkey chicks are usually born with blue feathers, and in the second half of the chicks the parental color characteristic of a particular breed is dominant.
The video shows a blue domestic turkey:
Myths and realities associated with turkey breeding
Many owners are afraid to raise turkeys due to existing prejudices about the difficulty of raising, the tenderness of the bird, sickness, etc. It must be said right away that many stories are fictitious, and now we will try to dispel some myths about raising turkey poults.
Feeders for small turkeys
There is a myth that chicks should be fed only from soft feeders. If a turkey chick hits its beak on a hard surface, it will inevitably die. In fact, the non-domesticated turkey lives in trees in the wild.The chicks peck berries, insects, midges, hit wood with their beaks and do not die. Plastic feeders are well suited for domestic turkey poults, the main thing is that they are clean, and their hardness does not in any way affect the vital activity of the turkey poult.
What happens to a turkey chick that falls into the water?
Some housewives panic even when the turkey chick gets its paws into the drinking bowl. According to existing prejudices, he will not live long. The fact is that the safety of turkey poults depends on feeding, adequate intake of vitamins and good maintenance. If the chick lives in a clean, warm place, he can not only enter the water, but also completely swim in it. The feathers will dry quickly, and nothing will happen to the turkey.
Is it dangerous for a turkey to turn over on its back?
There is no danger in turning the chick on its back. A well-developed turkey poult has a developed muscular system, so it should be able to stand on its own feet without any problems. If the turkey's independent attempts are unsuccessful, this determines underdevelopment of the muscles. Such a turkey can be safely culled. Nothing will grow from it, or the chick will simply die over time, but not because it has rolled over on its back.
Is it necessary to wet the feet of turkey poults with alcohol?
The next belief is based on the fact that small turkeys need to wipe their feet with alcohol to prevent them from falling on their feet. This latest gossip has no basis. Turkey poults falling on their feet is caused by a disease of the musculoskeletal system. This is usually observed due to poor nutrition, exposure to antibiotics, or simply in chicks from bad parents.Most paw diseases are inherited by offspring. It is unacceptable to leave for breeding animals with any leg defects.
In order for a turkey to eat well, it must be trained.
From the first day of life, a little turkey will be able to drink water without any problems and eat food when he feels the need for it, and there is no need to train him. If this does not happen, it means the chick is weak and sick. Such a turkey won't do any good. However, it is necessary to take into account the fact that turkeys have poor eyesight. The chicks may simply not see installed feeders in a heavily shaded place. In addition, it is necessary to take care of a sufficient number of feeders, otherwise, due to lack of space, stronger chicks begin to drive away weaker chicks. In the future, the last chicks will lag behind in development, after which they will die.
Antibiotics: benefit or harm for turkey poults
With the advent of a huge variety of antibiotics in veterinary pharmacies, rumors began to spread that turkey poults, and indeed all broiler poultry, could not be raised without them. Here we must take into account that antibiotics kill all bacteria in a living body: bad and good. In young turkey poults, the microorganisms that produce vitamin B are first destroyed. It is precisely after feeding with an antibiotic that the paws of turkey poults are quite often bent, as well as the occurrence of fungal diseases. Antibiotics should not be given to turkey poults to treat viral diseases. The drug will not help with this, it will only reduce the immune system.
The use of an antibiotic is justified only if the type of bacteria that caused a certain disease is accurately determined.Naturally, for this you will have to do an analysis.
Some tips for caring for turkey poults
Sometimes it is enough just to follow the basic rules of care, and turkey poults will grow up healthy. Let's look at two answers to frequently asked questions about breeding this bird.
Hatching time
There are no restrictions regarding the hatching time of the chicks. It could be any time of the year. The main thing is that appropriate food and a warm room are available. Turkey poults require heating for a month.
Temperature for heating turkey poults
One-day-old turkey poults are placed in a box. The bottom can be covered with sawdust, hay, but not with newspaper. On slippery paper, the paws will move apart, which can cause injury to the chick. To heat turkey poults, any safe source of heat is allowed, and it is placed not in the center of the box, but on the side. This allows turkey poults to choose an area with a comfortable temperature. For the first six months, it is necessary to provide round-the-clock lighting.
The first week of the chicks’ life should be spent in a room with a temperature of +28OC. Near the heating source, the temperature allowed is no more than +33OC. Starting from the second week, they try to gradually reduce the temperature so as to achieve a room temperature of about +22 on the 21st day of the chicks’ lifeOC. Next, the heating is turned off, and the turkey poults live at a temperature not lower than +18OWITH.
The video talks about raising turkeys:
If all the rules for raising turkeys are followed, turkeys can be released for slaughter at four months of age. It is advisable to fatten turkeys up to 9 months.
