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Since about the time the wild turkey was killed and cooked on the first Thanksgiving, birds of this species have been raised for their meat. Therefore, no one specially bred egg-bearing turkey breeds, since usually you have to choose: either a lot of meat or a lot of eggs. Birds that would gain a large body weight, simultaneously laying 300 eggs per year, simply do not exist in nature. Just as there is no fat but dairy breed of cow.
When choosing turkeys, you will have to choose not between egg production and meat quality, but between rapid weight gain and endurance. Modern meat crosses gain weight very quickly, but are quite demanding in terms of housing conditions and feed. Many local turkeys are much smaller, grow longer, but are able to live on pasture in the summer and do not require a special microclimate in the chicken coop.
The hardiest breed of turkey is, of course, the ancestor of all domestic breeds - the wild turkey, which still crosses with domesticated stock, producing the second-highest level of endurance offspring. But since there are no wild turkeys in Eurasia, it makes sense to pay attention to turkey breeds that have long been acclimatized in the conditions of the South of Russia.
Turkey breeds, formed on the basis of crossing local Caucasian turkeys with productive meat breeds, although they lost some weight compared to the parent meat breed, they more than compensated for the loss of a couple of kilograms with the ability to survive in not very favorable conditions acquired from local birds. Moreover, the new breeds of North Caucasian turkeys are larger than the original local ones.
North Caucasian bronze
The local breed, bred in the Caucasus until the second half of the twentieth century, was distinguished by a very low live weight (3.5 kg). At the same time, she could survive in very extreme conditions. After the Second World War, it was decided to increase the meat mass of local turkeys. Local turkeys were crossed with the American meat breed of turkeys: bronze Broad-chested.
The bronze broad-breasted has a significantly larger body weight and higher egg production.
As a result of breeding work in 1956, a new breed of turkey was registered - North Caucasian bronze.
There are two lines in the North Caucasian bronze:
- Easy. Adult turkeys weigh 11 kg, turkeys -6. The slaughter weight of turkeys of this line is more than 4 and 3.5 kg, respectively;
- Heavy. Weight of adult turkeys is 18, turkeys are 8 kg. Slaughter weight at 4 months is 5 and 4 kg.
Under favorable conditions, both lines become sexually mature at 8-8.5 months, and under unfavorable conditions at 8.5-9 months. The egg production of turkeys is 70 eggs per year with a fertility rate of about 82% and hatchability of turkey poults from fertilized eggs up to 90%.
Birds begin to lay eggs at about 9 months, and the egg-laying period lasts about 5 months.
The North Caucasian Bronze is highly viable and can be bred not only in the south of Russia and Central Asia, but also in other regions with a temperate or continental hot climate.
From the local breed of turkeys, the North Caucasian Bronze has inherited high resistance to infections, which is very important for the owner of a personal farmstead. Unfortunately, the population of the North Caucasian bronze is declining due to the introduction broiler breeds of turkeys.
North Caucasian silver
After the emergence of interest in turkey breeding not only in industrial complexes, but also in private plots, a need arose to breed turkeys with colored plumage and good meat qualities.
The turkey had to be distinguished by early maturity, gain weight well, be adapted to being kept on a personal plot and have an interesting appearance.
The new breed was bred on the basis of the Uzbek fawn breed of turkeys and the American white broad-breasted.
The turkeys bred were supposed to pass on the ability to reproduce in natural conditions, meat quality and plumage color.
When breeding, introductory crossing with white broad-breasted animals, internal breeding, strict culling for color, and moderate culling for economic characteristics were used.
The result of the selection work was a breed of turkeys with good reproduction ability and a rate of live weight gain. Adult turkeys weigh 11.5 kg, turkeys - 6. At 4 months of age, turkey poults weigh 4 - 4.8 kg.
The main advantage of the North Caucasian silver is its colored cover feathers with white down, thanks to which both the live turkey and the carcass have an attractive appearance.Turkeys have a very interesting color, and the carcass does not have black stumps in the skin, which give it a repulsive appearance.
Since the North Caucasian Silver was created with priority for breeding in private farms, it has increased embryonic resistance and good viability of turkey poults after hatching. Capable of reproduction in natural conditions (the brooding instinct is developed) and in an incubator.
Today the breed is quite homogeneous and retains its characteristics for several generations, which indicates its stability.
You can compare photos from an old magazine and a modern turkey of the North Caucasian silver breed.
Uzbek fawn
The unpretentious Uzbek fawn breed of turkeys is highly resilient. Turkeys are able to obtain food on pastures practically without feeding and raise their entire brood to adulthood. These advantages make the Uzbek fawn breed of turkey a good choice for a private farmstead, due to which it is bred not only in Uzbekistan, but also in the North Caucasus and Tatarstan.
But the breed has many disadvantages: low egg production (65 eggs per cycle), low egg fertility, low live weight of birds. An adult turkey weighs 10 kg, a turkey weighs about 5 kg. Young animals gain 4 kg at 4 months, but they are usually raised to adulthood. The meat quality of the breed is also low.
These shortcomings served as prerequisites for the breeding of the North Caucasian silver turkey, which took endurance and unpretentiousness from the Uzbek breed, and good quality meat and rapid weight gain from the broiler breed.
Black Tikhoretskaya
The breed is of the light type.Brought out in the 50s of the last century by crossing local breeds of turkeys with bronze broad-breasted ones. At first the breed was called “Kuban Black”. Turkeys of this breed have pure black plumage without brown feathers, like the bronze varieties, but also with a green tint.
Adult turkeys weigh up to 11 kg, turkeys up to 6. In principle, this breed gives a good slaughter yield of meat (60%). For comparison: meat breeds of turkeys give a slaughter yield of 80%. At four months, young animals weigh up to 4 kg, but few people slaughter them at this age. Usually grown to adulthood.
Turkeys are good brood hens, although they have average egg production: 80 eggs per year. The hatchability of turkey poults from eggs is 80%.
It is bred in the central and southern parts of Russia. The breed did not become widespread due to its too high adaptability to the region of breeding. Its advantages include the ability of turkeys to live in uninsulated rooms until cold weather. And the disadvantages are great mobility, due to which the breed requires a mandatory spacious walk. Black Tikhorets are often used to breed new breeds of turkeys.
The best breeds for broiler breeding are Big turkeys from the English company BYuT. More precisely, these are broiler numbered industrial crosses Big - 6, Big - 8, Big - 9.
Crosses are of the heavy type and do not differ in appearance. They prefer white plumage so that the carcass has an attractive appearance.The turkey poult of these crosses already reaches a weight of 5 kg at 3 months, and can be sent for slaughter. Adult turkeys can weigh up to 30 kg.
But it should be borne in mind that these turkeys cannot be called unpretentious. If it is not possible to provide them with high-quality feeding and maintenance, it is better to focus on less productive, but more unpretentious breeds. In addition, according to the owners of Bigs, a large carcass is still very difficult to sell. They themselves prefer to slaughter turkeys weighing from 5 to 10 kg.
Reviews from owners of domestic turkeys
Conclusion
When choosing a turkey breed, a beginner can be advised to use one of the North Caucasian turkeys, as a golden mean between completely unpretentious, but unproductive local birds and very productive, but pampered meat crosses that require special conditions.
