Content
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 Orlopp Bronze form was developed in the UK, on the basis of which the Bronze 708 (heavy cross) turkeys are produced in France. The name of the breed is due to its bronze plumage.
Advantages of the breed
- Rapid maturation of the bird: after just 23 weeks, the female becomes suitable for meat production, the turkey - after 24 weeks.
- Adult bronze turkeys reach record sizes for poultry: the weight 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 during the reproductive period.
- A high percentage of both hatchability of turkey poults (85-90) and their survival rate, which ensures a good increase in the number of birds.
- Bronze broad-breasted birds are resistant to many diseases.
The only inconvenience in breeding a bronze broad-breasted turkey is the need for enclosure keeping (then the bird’s productivity will be at a high level).
Cross “BRONZE-708”
Currently, the country of origin of this heavy cross is France.
Turkeys of the Bronze 708 cross are larger than birds of the Bronze broad-breasted breed. Like all crosses, Bronze 708 turkey poults do not inherit the characteristics of their parents.
A turkey is considered a broiler. It can weigh up to 30 kg if all conditions are met: a stable certain temperature in the room where the birds are kept and a adjusted diet. As a rule, it is difficult to meet 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 actual weight of females is within 9 kg, males – 18 kg.
Tender turkey meat, which tastes like game, is ideal for dietary nutrition - 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 eggs. The egg production of females is very high: a maximum of 150 eggs can be obtained per season, with 120 of them being fertilized. The eggs are large, speckled brown, and have excellent taste. Usually the maternal instinct is not expressed in crosses, but this does not apply to females Bronze 708 - they are good hens, and can even incubate other people’s clutches.
Turkeys aged from one to 3-4 years are suitable for reproduction, and the best hens are two-year-old females.
You can see what cross bronze 708 looks like in the video:
Conditions of detention
The aviary should be spacious - at least one square meter per bird. The room temperature should not exceed 20 degrees Celsius in summer and not fall below 5 degrees below zero in winter. Drafts must be excluded.The cages must be kept clean.
Be sure to lay sawdust, straw or hay on the floor. The litter should be replaced regularly.
To install perches, you need to choose the warmest place in the room. They need to be placed at a height of 40-50 cm from the floor. The 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 poultry 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 enclosure. On the street, the walking area can be seeded with grass and provided with a canopy.
In the spring, it is necessary to disinfect the area where turkeys are kept. Treatment is carried out with hot water with the addition of soda (caustic).
Ideal placement of birds: a male and two females in one aviary. You cannot house several males at the same time - they will start bloody fights, even seriously injuring each other.
Caring for turkey poults
Of the entire brood of turkey poults, at least 70% survive, but they need to create greenhouse conditions: eliminate both drafts and air stagnation, and prevent dampness in the room. Turkey poults require 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 turkey poults reach four months, the area should be doubled.
Feeding the bird
Young animals must be provided with food 3 to 4 times a day.
The food must be balanced and contain vitamins, minerals and trace elements. It is also necessary to add fertilizing. Birds eat grains, 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 to feed turkey poults and adult birds can be seen from the table in the photo:
In winter, to avoid vitamin deficiency, you need to add to the food: nettles, tree brooms, green hay, vitamin-rich pine and grass flour, sauerkraut. You can combine cereals with legumes. To make the food grind better, add fine gravel mixed with limestone to the feeder. The ratio of herbs, green vegetables and dry concentrates should be equal.
When turkeys lay eggs, reduce the amount of grain in their diet and increase the amount of herbs and vegetables. To ensure strong egg shells, cottage cheese, bone meal and skim milk are added to the feed for laying hens.
Bronze 708 cross turkey poults need protein food more than others. To fortify the feed, add green onions, beets, carrot tops, and rapeseed.
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.
