Content
Turkeys have always been bred by residents of the Old World. Therefore, the bird is symbolized with the USA and Canada. After turkeys began their “journey” around the world, their appearance changed a lot. Many breeds have been bred by breeders from different countries.
Turkey breeding practiced in Russia for a long time. But poultry farmers did not always get the desired result. Most often it was the bird being underweight or dying from various diseases. Breeders have always strived to obtain a breed that would be the best in all respects.
Breeding history
After crossing, we got a new branch of turkeys. We grew them for several years and observed the hybrids. The North Caucasian breed was registered in 1964.
The resulting birds became popular among animal lovers due to their unpretentiousness, both in terms of living conditions and feeding.
Advantages of the North Caucasian breed
Let's name the most important advantages:
- Each year, one female lays from 100 to 120 eggs: the turkey herd can be replenished in a year.
- Females have a developed maternal instinct.They will never leave the nest with clutches and are capable of incubating the eggs of any representative of the bird farm.
- Caucasians have a wide chest, so white meat in the carcass is about 25% of the weight.
- North Caucasian turkeys weigh on average from 12 to 15 kilograms. The weight of a turkey is slightly lower - from 8 to 10 kilograms. Young animals with proper feeding at 3-3.5 weeks can weigh about 4 kilograms.
Two new breeds of turkeys were developed, each of them has a number of distinctive features:
- North Caucasian bronze;
- North Caucasian silver.
North Caucasian bronze breed
A new breed of bronze turkey was bred in 1946 in the Stavropol region. A female of the local breed was crossed and broad-chested bronze turkey. Birds of a new breed, obtained by scientists from Pyatigorsk, began to be bred in the southern regions of Russia, in the north of the Caucasus. Turkey has become widespread among poultry farmers in the Central Asian republics. Residents of Germany and Bulgaria liked bronze turkeys. Adults and turkey poults were exported to these countries.
Description
The name was approved ten years later. Bronze turkeys have a slightly elongated body, a deep chest, and strong long legs. Although the birds are small in size, males weigh up to 15 kg, females no more than 8 kg. Turkey poults can usually weigh about 4 kg at three weeks of age.
The birds' feathers are bronze, with a greenish and golden tint in the light. Bronze is most abundant in the tail, on the lower back and back. The turkey’s tail itself is gorgeous: there are dark brown stripes on a matte black background. The turkey is smaller than the male and is distinguished by growths under its beak.There are a lot of feathers on her neck, but she was unlucky with her hairstyle; there are almost no feathers. Also, turkey breast is grayish because the edges of the feathers are edged with white.
Survival Features
North Caucasian Bronze turkeys are adapted to pasture feeding. They do well in various climatic conditions.
Turkeys lay eggs weighing up to 80 grams. At least 80 pieces per year. Egg production begins at the age of 9 months. The eggs are light fawn, with brown speckles. 90 percent are fertilized. Of the eggs placed under the turkey, the marketable yield of turkey poults is at least 70%.
In addition, local bird breeds are being modified using turkeys.
If we talk about disadvantages, it refers to the bluish-purple color of the carcass of young animals. It is for this reason that it is not recommended to slaughter young birds.
North Caucasian silver turkeys
When breeding turkeys, the main focus has always been to obtain a large amount of meat and interesting plumage colors. North Caucasian silver turkeys meet this standard.
Who are the parents of the breed
As such, the breeders had the genetic material. Now it was necessary to select the necessary copies so that they fully meet the following requirements:
- They had high productivity.
- They could survive in any, even limited spaces.
- Have decorative plumage colors that differ from other breeds.
- Have a lot of other advantages that other competitors do not have.
But the main thing is to pass on the positive properties over several generations of turkeys. In a word, the characteristics of the breed must be dominant.
Description of the breed
Turkeys belonging to the North Caucasian silver breed are distinguished by their wide, protruding chest and wide, sloping back. The wings are well developed. The coral legs of turkeys are strong and strong.
The tail is luxurious and quite long. When fanned out, one can admire the silvery-white plumage with beautiful stripes of black and fawn. The head is small and neat, but the turkey was unlucky with its hairstyle: the feather cover is insignificant.
Live weight of turkeys:
- Turkey poult at 4 months - 3.5-5.2 kg.
- Adult turkeys up to 7 kg.
- Turkeys up to 16 kg.
Adulthood occurs at 40 weeks. The female begins to lay eggs. The bird is prolific, so from one individual you can get up to 120 eggs per year weighing 80-100 grams.
Reproduction
The eggs are white, brown with speckles. The fertilization rate of eggs is excellent – up to 95%. As a rule, 75% of them hatch.
The percentage of turkey offspring produced is almost the same.
Turkeys of the North Caucasian silver breed are excellent mothers. They can hatch not only their own eggs, but also chicken, duck, and goose eggs. They look after any offspring with special care.
Advantages
- The breed is valued not only for its large eggs, but also for its valuable meat. The yield is usually 44.5-58%. Most of it comes from white meat – brisket.
- Parents are able to pass on dominant traits to their offspring for eight generations: the genetic code is stable and reliable.
- The resilience of birds is enviable.
Conclusion
When breeders in the North Caucasus began developing new breeds of turkeys, they took into account the needs of individual farms. Today, such birds are raised on an industrial scale, providing Russians with healthy and tasty meat.
