Conditions for growing turkeys at home: care in detail for beginners

Increasingly, site owners are thinking about breeding poultry, in particular - turkeys. Often this occupation becomes a promising business with a serious approach of the owner. It is enough to have a little theoretical knowledge, initial capital - and you can buy chicks for fattening. The most important thing is to create the necessary conditions for the competent cultivation of turkeys at home.

Features of the bird

Turkey farmers with some experience are well aware that turkey farming is much more difficult than other poultry.They are more demanding in terms of maintenance and feeding. Turkeys are hard to tolerate the slightest errors in the diet and environmental conditions. However, if you carefully study the basic rules of keeping, the result will please any novice poultry breeder.

Turkeys differ from other poultry in their low egg production and slow development. In addition, these birds are voracious, but at the same time they have high rates of meat productivity. Turkeys are cocky birds. It is for this reason that about three dozen females and 3-4 males are kept in one poultry house.

Turkey is a bird from the order of chickens. They have short but powerful wings, a small wide tail and strong legs. It is easy to recognize the bird: warty growths - corals - are located on the head. Farmers notice that they change shade depending on the mood. In the normal state, the growths are bright red, when the bird is aggressive, the color changes to purple.

Differences between males and females

Every farmer should be able to tell a male from a female. It is easy to determine the gender by some signs:

• males are more massive;
• a skin process (horn) is visible on the forehead of the male, it is not so developed in the female;
• males lack head feathers;
• male legs have spurs;
• female plumage is not so attractive;
• females have very soft down and feathers, males have much stiffer.

When the chick reaches the age of one day, its sex is determined. Males have the same length of feathers on the wings, so their outline is more even. However, after a while, such a sign disappears, and then it will be possible to find out the sex of turkeys in a couple of months.

To determine the sex of the chick, put it on the palm with its stomach up and gently press your finger on the lower abdomen. In boys, the cloaca protrudes outward, a small tubercle will be noticeable on its inner shell - a copulatory organ in its infancy.

At home, turkeys live up to 10 years. However, the optimal life span for birds is no more than 2 years. For males with high reproductive function, this period is 5-7 years. Long lifespan results in lower meat quality.

Features of oviposition

Each breed starts laying eggs at different times. Heavyweights start laying at 8-9 months, light crosses lay their first clutch no later than 7.5 months.

Laying females do in the spring, when daylight hours increase to 10 hours. However, if you take care of artificial lighting for birds, then egg-laying begins much earlier.Long daylight hours are also beneficial for males, as their puberty period is significantly accelerated.

In general, egg production is affected by: age, he alth, environmental conditions. Females show greater productivity by the age of 1, in the second year of life, egg production begins to gradually decline.

How much do turkeys weigh

The weight of a male adult is from 10 to 30 kg. In some cases, their weight reaches 35 kg. The female turkey weighs much less - from 5 to 12 kg. Turkeys are considered one of the largest poultry. Only an ostrich can be compared with them in size. Weight largely depends on the cross. There are heavyweights, medium and light turkeys.

Pros and cons of breeding

Many farmers are forced to abandon this very profitable business, because they could not fully appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of breeding turkeys. They are frightened by the relatively low egg production, the high requirements of poultry for clean water, diet, the tendency to infectious diseases and the high mortality of chicks.In addition, turkeys are prone to obesity, and this leads to the development of certain diseases and reduced productivity. However, these problems can be solved if you study the intricacies of breeding and caring for chicks in advance.

Experienced farmers note the following obvious advantages of growing turkeys:

• quick weight gain;
• obtaining dietary meat with excellent taste;
• breeding costs pay off in a short time;
• eggs have dietary qualities and a unique taste.

In addition, to get a good profit, you can sell not only meat and eggs, but also feathers, feathers, young and newborn chicks.

Which breeds are popular

For novice farmers, it is important to understand that there are breeds of turkeys that are most suitable for home breeding. Therefore, before making a choice in favor of a particular breed, you need to study the characteristics of birds.

Black Tikhoretskaya has a shiny black plumage. These are birds with powerful muscles, a slightly elongated body. The head is small with a wide nose. The breed belongs to the light group, the weight of the male reaches 10 kg, the female - 5 kg. Turkeys of the black Tikhoretskaya breed are resistant to stress, trusting towards people and peaceful, females have a maternal instinct.

French breed turkeys reach 12-13 kg. They are active and mobile, so they need to allocate a place for walking. Already at four months, individuals reach their maximum weight, and they can be slaughtered for meat. This breed does not require the inclusion of expensive feed additives in the diet. Chicks have a high survival rate compared to other breeds - about 80-90% to adulthood.

The grade maker breed was specially bred, taking into account the necessary parameters of profitability.These birds can be sent for slaughter as early as 2-3 months, while the carcass has a marketable appearance, and the meat meets the stated requirements. Adult birds and young birds feel good under normal conditions, chicks are resistant to many infectious diseases that are inherent in turkeys.

White broad-chested breed - the fruit of the labors of American breeders. Birds are slightly smaller than broilers, but already at the age of one and a half months, males reach 17 kg. Turkeys are distinguished by a slightly elongated body shape, a wide chest, and powerful legs. Females start laying eggs at 9 months. During the season they bring more than 120 eggs, each weighing up to 90g. This is a high egg production rate for any breed of turkeys.

The station wagon breed is characterized by rapid weight gain. Birds are large - males reach 17 kg, females - up to 10 kg. They have white plumage, long legs, a powerful body and wide wings.Turkeys of this breed have strong immunity and high survival. Egg production is low - up to 70 eggs per year. Universal common in many countries.

Breed Features Male, kg Egg production,Black Tikhoretskaya juicy meat, 5French high immunity, 16 9 120Grade maker meat cross, 20 11 100White Broad Breasted demanding diet,Universal precocity, 17 10 70

			Female, kg	pcs/year
	small body fat, high palatability.	10		100
	unpretentiousness to feed, meat yield over 65%.
	unpretentious diet, stress resistance.
	high degree of precocity.	17	7	100-120
	good productivity, unique flavors.

Poultry Requirements

You can build a turkey house yourself, but you should familiarize yourself with the basic requirements for a poultry house. At the initial stage, any barn can be allocated for the premises, and then the most suitable building can be built, which will fully satisfy the basic needs of the birds.Keep turkeys in a spacious and clean room.

General requirements include:

• for an adult you need at least 1 m2² area, for chicks - 0.25 m^2;
• outdoor paddock adjoining the main room;
• separate compartments for adult birds to avoid conflicts between males;
• a room for newborn turkey poults with the necessary conditions for the survival and subsequent maturation of young animals;
• dry litter - turkeys do not tolerate moisture;
• roosts, based on the number of livestock, nesting houses;
• boxes of sand in each compartment;
• drinkers and feeders;
• no drafts;
• forced ventilation;
• lighting, including additional lighting in winter.

The farmer must ensure the cleanliness of drinkers, feeders, the premises as a whole. Keeping the house clean will reduce the risk of possible diseases.

Place for walking

When building a turkey house, its subsequent arrangement, special attention should be paid to the place for walking, this should be discussed in more detail. Exercise is useful for poultry, including turkeys. A daily walk has a beneficial effect on the physical development of birds, their productivity. Exercise is especially useful for turkeys, since these birds are more prone to obesity than others.

The best place for walking is an equipped paddock. Its territory should be well fenced, it is advisable to use a metal mesh for these purposes. Birds should have free access to water and food.It is desirable that vegetation is located on the territory - grass and small shrubs.

Necessary climate

Grow turkeys at a comfortable temperature for them. The microclimate, including the temperature regime, affects the he alth and productivity of poultry. The coldest outdoor temperature tolerated by turkeys is -15°C (if frosts are brief).

The optimum indoor temperature for adults is 12-16 °C, for newborn chicks it is much higher.

20-25 daysnot below 12 °C

Chick age	Required temperature
up to 5 days	22 ° C
5-20 days	16-20 °C

How comfortable birds are indoors can be determined by their appearance and behavior. Turkeys have a he althy appetite and drink water regularly if the temperature suits them. The flock is evenly distributed in the house.

When turkeys are cold, they huddle together, spreading their wings slightly to create an extra layer of air. When the room is hot, the humidity is high, the birds breathe rapidly, the wings are spread to the floor, the beaks are open. At the same time, turkeys refuse to eat, but often drink.

Wintering features

In regions with severe weather conditions, additional heating is required. You can increase the temperature in the room using the following devices:

• infrared lamps;
• electric heaters;
• heat collectors;
• gas boilers.

However, before using heating devices, it is important to inspect the room for cracks. Window and door openings should be insulated. Also, a prerequisite for winter bird care is the absence of dampness, drafts, additional lighting, enhanced diet and the presence of dry bedding.

Meeting plan

Feeding directly depends on the age of the turkeys. In addition, you should pay attention to the purpose of the birds. Also, the diet is based on the time of year. Birds require more food in winter as they use more energy to keep warm.

Turkeys

The need for chicks in feed varies depending on age, it largely depends on the breed and purpose of the birds. Kids need: cottage cheese, greens, boiled potatoes, eggs and yeast. Such a diet allows the bird to grow quickly and develop fully.

The basic diet consists of the following products:

• corn grits;
• wheat groats;
• wheat bran;
• shells and chalk.

From the 10th day of life, green mass is added to the chicks, starting from 1 month, they are fed with coarse mixtures, and s alt is gradually introduced. At 2 months, turkeys are transferred to an adult diet, but in a grated, chopped form.

Adults

Adult birds need to provide good nutrition 3 times a day. In the morning and in the evening it is necessary to feed the turkeys with grain mixtures, and in the afternoon add juicy feed and wet mash. It will not work to grow poultry on one grain, so it is worth adding vitamin supplements to the diet in the form of acorns, needles, chestnuts.

In the summer, the bird will find useful herbs for itself, but in winter, bunches of dried greens are needed, which will be prepared in advance. Birch, aspen brooms are hung around the poultry house so that the turkeys can feast on the leaves.

Feeding during breeding season

During the breeding period, the bird needs more energy, so the diet must be complete. At the same time, males at this time demonstrate poor appetite, for them it is necessary to provide for different types of root crops to maintain body weight.It is also necessary to add legumes and cottage cheese.

Egg-bearing females need to be provided with proper nutrition, consisting of yeast, cottage cheese and red carrots. Juicy herbs, vitamin and mineral supplements are also important for them.

Slaughter fattening

It is necessary to introduce a special diet for subsequent slaughter, starting from 4-5 months. At this time, the bird is gaining the desired weight. In addition to vitamin supplements, she should be getting:

• root crops;
• greens;
• milk and cottage cheese;
• fresh fish and meat waste;
• crushed eggshell.

One month before the alleged slaughter, each bird should receive up to 800 g of feed per day.

Bird breeding

Many farmers try to get their own eggs. To do this, you need to organize the parent herd. It includes turkeys with high productivity rates. The herd consists of 1 male and 5-7 females that he looks after.

Mating is difficult, because the body weight of the birds is large, the males have large claws, with which they injure the female. The volumetric plumage of birds also interferes with the process.

Natural mating is suitable for a small backyard, and large farms often resort to artificial insemination. The sperm of the producers are taken, injected into the prepared females. One dose of semen is enough to inseminate 20 turkeys. This method preserves the he alth of the female and allows rational use of breeding males.

Diseases and prevention

Farmers who keep turkeys in their backyard report a tendency to the following diseases:

• pox;
• mycoplasmosis;
• worm infestations;
• histomoniasis;
• tuberculosis.

Disease prevention lies in the right diet, appropriate conditions. Newborn turkeys are fed with glucose, vitamin preparations. It is important to disinfect the premises to avoid outbreaks of infectious diseases.

How profitable is breeding

Contrary to the opinion of beginners, breeding turkeys is much more profitable than keeping and breeding chickens. However, it should be noted that investments will be required, especially in the first months, initial capital, and the first profit will appear in 5-6 months, after the slaughter of the bird. After that, the farmer buys new stock of turkeys and continues to grow the business.

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