Breeding and caring for turkeys. The diet of adult turkeys

America is considered the birthplace of turkeys. Turkeys began to be domesticated about a thousand years ago. They came to Europe only in the 16th century, after four voyages of Christopher Columbus.

Turkeys are colorful, majestic and at the same time, poultry differing in size. They love space and freedom. From the first days of life in the community of turkeys, a hierarchy begins to line up.

Turkeys walking in the yard

A bold and cocky male appears and gluttons are already visible - contenders for fattening for meat. In flocks of male turkeys, the right to impregnate female turkeys belongs to only one turkey, which is at the top of the hierarchy.

Pros and cons of withdrawal

A clear advantage of growing a turkey herd at home is getting healthy meat and eggs. Turkey meat is a dietary meat that has a low level of cholesterol and high level content of useful microelements and vitamins.

Turkey eggs

It is hypoallergenic and easy to digest, useful for pregnant women, young children and athletes. Eggs also have a large set useful components, ranked 3rd in terms of useful substances, after quail eggs and guinea fowl eggs.

Note! The only disadvantage in keeping and growing turkeys is that they give out much fewer eggs than, for example, chickens. The number of eggs from turkeys can reach up to 100 pieces per year, while chickens give out up to 340.

But when you consider that turkey meat costs twice as much as chicken and eggs in terms of quantity nutrients and the mass is three times higher than chicken, then this minus does not seem so significant.

The most famous breeds for breeding

The most common breed of turkeys for breeding on a personal farmstead is the breed North Caucasian bronze. It has an elongated body, a small chest and bronze plumage.

These birds are very agile, long-legged and well adapted to foraging. The live weight of adult males is from 13 to 18 kg, females 7-8 kg. Turkey egg production varies from 80 to 100 eggs per year.

A very favorable breed for keeping is white broad-breasted. They are divided into three main types:

• Heavy: the weight of males reaches 25 kg, the weight of females is up to 10 kg;
• Medium: the weight of males is 15 kg, and females 7 kg;
• Lungs: turkeys weigh 7 kg, and turkeys up to 5 kg.

White broad-chested breed

Turkeys are mature for egg production by 9 months of age, bringing up to 115-125 eggs per year.

The bronze broad-breasted breed of turkeys has a high viability of young animals and almost one hundred percent fertility. The live weight of males is up to 18 kg, females up to 10 kg.

Moscow white and bronze breeds are characterized by a powerful body structure, productive fertility and early egg production. Turkeys begin to lay as early as 6 months old, bring from 100 eggs a year. The live weight of males reaches 13 kg, females - 7 kg.

Conditions for keeping and growing

The main requirement in keeping turkeys, which is worth focusing on, is the thermal factor. Turkeys themselves are frost-resistant birds, but for full growth and development they need warmth and dryness in the paddock.

Important! Create conditions in the paddock that will exclude dampness and drafts. The temperature in the summer season should be at least 20 degrees, and in winter time year, the air temperature should not be below 5 degrees.

The room should be ventilated frequently. Not infrequently, “former” chicken coops are used to keep turkeys, which are slightly modified for a larger bird.

Turkeys in an aviary

The main indicators of the paddock for 10 turkeys:

A minimum of 40 cm per roost is required per turkey, so there should be as many perches as there will be birds in the pen. The distance between perches should be more than 60 cm.

Turkeys need constant walking. In the summer season, outdoor enclosures are arranged for them near the poultry house, with an area equal to the number of birds, at least one is allocated per bird. square meter.
Conditions for arranging a summer paddock:

• On the territory of the paddock must have a canopy under which birds can hide from direct sunlight in hot weather;
• It will be ideal if it grows on the territory alfalfa, oats and clover that are sown in early spring;
• drinkers, the water in which should be changed as it gets dirty, at least once a day;
• feeders with barley or oats.

Keeping turkeys in a cage

In the winter season, when the air temperature is below 10 degrees, turkeys are also recommended to be released for walks. To do this, a layer of straw is laid on the territory of the corral so that the birds do not frostbite their paws, and food is scattered throughout the corral.

Walking turkeys is simply necessary, otherwise they will only get fat without gaining muscle mass.
Most turkey breeders keep separate individuals of different sexes.

In this case, only one producer is launched to females. But there are poultry farmers who prefer to keep all the birds in one aviary. In this case, there should be no more than 5 females per male in a flock of turkeys, otherwise he will not be able to cover all the turkeys.

If the herd of turkeys is large, then it is better to divide it into small groups, each of which will have one manufacturer.

Care and feeding during puberty

Puberty in turkeys occurs at the age of 8-10 months. For the most complete development, turkeys must be fed with a special mixture, which consists of:

• Yeast- 5 grams;
• Carrots and greens 70-80 grams;
• Cottage cheese 20 grams;
• sprouted corn 100g.

Youngsters on the run

A turkey starts laying eggs at 10 months old. Very often they suffer from the “brood hen” syndrome, therefore, in order to collect the laid eggs, it is often necessary to drive her from her place.

It is very important to monitor the nutrition of rushing individuals. When the birds are just starting to rush, they need to be fed up to 5 times a day. In the winter season, moistened cereals, finely chopped carrots, herbal flour should be given. In the summer, cereals with greens.

After mating, the egg-laying process begins.

How to keep and grow

Young turkey poults

During lay, a young turkey can lay up to 17 eggs, which must be checked for fertility. To do this, the eggs in turn need to be lowered into a container of water, if the egg sinks, then we return it to the nest, if it floats, to the refrigerator.

The process of incubation of eggs lasts up to 28 days. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that the turkey eats on time. Feeding is done in the morning. It is best to feed the hen with soaked and swollen oats. When the turkey is eating, it is imperative to cover the egg laying with a warm cloth for this time in order to prevent its hypothermia.

One turkey is able to sit and grow not only its own offspring, but also someone else's. One bird is able to raise 75-80 turkeys.

How to keep and how to care for turkeys

The thermal factor is the basis for rearing turkeys. Cold young animals are highly susceptible to various diseases, which can prevent them from gaining the desired weight, even with a good balanced diet.

Turkeys need to be bred in cardboard boxes with fabric lining, or dry fine sawdust. For 10 kids, a container with dimensions of a meter by a meter and a wall height of up to 40 cm is suitable.

Feeding turkeys

Heating and lighting is carried out by electric lamps, the power of which must be at least 40 watts. Electric lamps are fixed on top of the box, with the help of table lamp. You can lower the lamp directly into the box, but for this, it is necessary that it be in a special weighted glass shade.

The first two days, turkeys are kept under round-the-clock lighting, gradually reducing the light regime by 30-35 minutes.

From 20 days, the light regime lasts 15 hours. In addition, for the first 10 days of a baby's life, it is worth maintaining the temperature up to +36 degrees, gradually lowering it and bringing it up to + 25 degrees. In two months the temperature should be +20 degrees.

Turkey chicks

Important! From the first days of life, disease prevention and reinforcement of chicks with vitamins are carried out to develop their own immunity.

Prevention of young animals during cultivation

• On the 1st day, the solution is evaporated ascorbic acid with glucose, since the turkey is still weak and is not able to absorb other complex elements;
• From the second to the fifth day is given irex-vital(a pinch is diluted per liter of water);
• You can also amino-vital(a pinch per liter of water).

Keeping turkey chickens

The earlier the feeding of turkeys begins, the more viable they become. On the first day, it is best to feed a hard-boiled and chopped egg.

Then a specialized compound feed is given for young animals up to 40-45 days old, as well as milk mash, reverse, sour milk and buttermilk are included in the diet. Be sure to give the kids finely chopped greens of nettles, dandelions, clover. In a month and a half, you can transfer them to an adult diet.

• From the 6th to the 10th day is given to the chicks in small quantities furozolidone, which goes for the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases;
• From the 15th to the 20th day, turkeys need to drink amprolium, which goes against coccidia;
• Before releasing turkey poults for walking, you need to give them ASD-2 - fraction against fungal and aspergillosis;
• Soldered in 40 days metronidazole, for 4 days (4 tablets per liter of water). It will protect the young from the development of the simplest microorganisms that are formed when earthworms peck and can cause the death of a turkey.

Important! For the first 10 days of life, give babies only boiled water to drink.

What to feed the birds

Compound feed for feeding

The adult diet includes:

• compound feed, which includes proteins, vitamins and proteins. Usually used to feed breeding males.
• oats, preferably sprouted.
• For fattening, it is best to feed turkeys wheat.
• tops vegetable crops(during the summer period).
• crushed vegetables(potato, carrot, turnip).
• Greenery(alfalfa, green onion, clover, dandelions).
• Young twigs trees, hay, sauerkraut (in winter period).

If you raise a bird for fattening, then you need to feed it more with wheat and other grains. During the morning feeding, it is better to moisten the crops with water, and give dry food in the evening. In order for the meat to be tender and juicy, you need to feed greens and vegetables as much as possible.

In order for laying turkeys to rush in a balanced way, their diet should also include:

• 150 grams boiled potatoes per day, despite the fact that the laying hen produces up to 9 eggs per month, if from 15 to 18 eggs per month, then potatoes, respectively, from 110 to 130 grams.
• Bone flour and salt should be up to 2 grams daily, regardless of how many eggs the bird produces.
• fish waste should be 30 grams with an egg production of 9 eggs per month, 40 grams with the issuance of 15 eggs per month, 50 grams if the turkey produces 18 eggs.
• Cottage cheese, if the issuance of a laying hen is 3 eggs per month, then 3 grams per day, 9 eggs, then 5 grams, 15-20 eggs, then 10 grams.

Important to remember! That the nutrition of turkeys should always be balanced, enriched with essential vitamins and microelements, feeding should always be done on time.

mature turkey

Breeding turkeys in a private courtyard, subject to all the necessary measures for the care and rearing of young animals, will be a very interesting and profitable activity even for a novice farmer.

Maintain and raise a free range turkey herd in the summer and cell content in winter will give a large number of large eggs and dietary meat enriched with vitamins and various trace elements. Recently, broiler breeds of turkeys, which are kept for fattening, are gaining popularity. They are not picky eaters and are easy to keep.

Turkey breeding is a lucrative industry Agriculture, which gained popularity due to the high demand for products and relatively low start-up costs. Many poultry farmers are interested in this particular type of bird due to low competition and high profitability, compared, for example, with.

Turkey meat is dietary, rich in protein, protein and iron, contains little fat, and is characterized by excellent taste. It is recommended for daily consumption to both heavyweight athletes and pregnant women.

For beginners to build highly profitable business for raising turkeys at home, you need to carefully plan organizational issues– issue permits for conducting activities, choose a breed of turkey, create comfortable conditions for keeping poultry.

In the absence of experience in running this type of business, you can start by breeding turkeys at home, and only then move on to increasing turnover and creating a poultry farm.

The scale of the business depends on the availability start-up capital. Initial investment will be needed to purchase or lease a plot of land, purchase of young turkeys, poultry house equipment and stock forage base. As practice shows, such a business pays for itself in 2-5 years of work.

indicator correct operation mini-farms is a constant weight gain (140 grams of turkey, 90 grams of turkey per week), the absence of poultry diseases, the minimum production price of a kilogram of meat at a high selling price.

Many households, after several years of active development, continue to look for and move on to the development of new areas - building a slaughterhouse on the territory, production finished products and semi-finished products from turkey meat - schnitzels, sausages, butchered carcasses and offal.

Turkey farming as a business

When organizing a business for breeding turkeys at home, the main issues that should be addressed even at the time of planning are the choice of feed, the creation comfortable conditions content and search for distribution channels.

On the one hand, it is not difficult to grow turkeys at home or on an industrial scale. They are resistant to diseases, do not require special breeding conditions, they simply tolerate heat and cold (therefore, those that cannot tolerate low temperatures are more difficult).

But all of the above benefits apply to adults, turkeys have poor health. If you do not have enough experience in breeding turkeys, start a business on a small scale at home or look at other types of business, for example,.

It is also worth stocking up on a sufficient amount of feed. Since the food consumption per turkey is small, especially given the rapid weight gain of the bird, the cost of buying a feed base will be small.

Advice: if you decide to grow a turkey, keep in mind that this is a bird with character. They can get depressed worse than a man sometimes even fatal. Turkeys are very conflicting, during a fight they can harm the health of themselves and their fellow tribesmen.

Choosing a business specialization

You also need permission from the veterinary service, quality certificates from the SES authorities, without which the sale of meat to start-up entrepreneurs is impossible.

Feed preparation, mode and feeding technique

For the health and rapid weight gain of a turkey when breeding at home, you need the right, complete, balanced diet, which includes enough proteins, vitamins, fats, minerals and carbohydrates. It is necessary to start preparing feed even before the purchase of young animals.

Feed base for breeding turkeys:

• cereals and legumes (provide 70% of protein and are a source of fat);
• cakes and meals, especially soybean, which is rich in useful trace elements;
• greens (fresh and dry);
• meat and bone, blood, fish meal;
• fir or pine needles (a source of vitamin C in the cold season);
• straw (rich in fiber);
• vegetable oils, nuts, acorns (add tenderness and softness to turkey meat).

What is the difference between feeding turkeys at home from other types of poultry? Turkeys with a sedentary lifestyle gain harmful fat, their daily diet should contain a lot of proteins and vitamins. All this should be taken into account when growing.

Turkeys need to be fed three times a day. In the morning and in the afternoon they give mashes with fresh herbs, in the evening - grain in the form of flour. You can make a wet mash from compound feed or give it in its pure form. You need to cook cereals immediately before serving, as they can turn sour in 30-50 minutes.

Advice: in the breeding stage, males eat very poorly. So that the weight does not decrease, it is recommended to feed them with carrots, nuts, legumes, cottage cheese and sprouted grains. During this period, females should be given yeast, sprouted grains and fresh herbs to increase egg production and improve the incubation properties of eggs.

Grazing turkeys on a pasture in the summer is a great option. A mobile lifestyle will not allow the turkey to build up fat, fresh herbs will become a source of vitamins and useful minerals and, most importantly, save on feed costs.

In winter, poplar, linden, acacia, which is harvested in July, can be added to the feed. The leaves of these trees are rubbed and added to cereals. You can make brooms from branches and hang them in the house. So the birds will independently reach dry leaves.

Growing turkeys

Hatched chicks when grown at home need to be watered green tea, which is an excellent antiseptic, with sugar (a tablespoon per liter of boiled water). Do not give them a solution of potassium permanganate. After 3 days, you can replace it with unboiled water at room temperature.

In the first month, turkeys are rapidly gaining weight, so they require proper nutrition. It is better to feed them with PK 5 compound feed plus vitamins. The easiest way is to buy a package of special vitamin supplements that already contain a balanced ratio.

After a month, you can switch to cheaper compound feed - oats, barley, bran, crushed corn, plus the addition of cottage cheese, fish giblets and grated carrots.

An obligatory component that turkeys should receive when breeding at home is vitamin B. To do this, a little dry yeast is added to the mixers.

A month later, turkeys can steam porridge. Boiling water reduces the level of starch in food, as it is harmful to the growing body.

Growing turkeys Big 6 at home

Big 6 is a meat breed of turkeys, which belongs to a heavy-weight species. The cross was launched in the UK in 2008, with a short time gained great popularity.

Turkeys have white lush plumage with a black spot on the breast. Their wingspan is large, their legs are massive, and their chest is widely convex. Distinctive feature- a large amount of feather coverage. When the turkey spreads its tail, it becomes like a downy ball. The down of this breed is very valuable.

The male Big 6 weighs 20-25 kilograms, the weight of the turkey reaches 11 kilograms. At the same time, 30% of the total weight falls on the sternum. The carcass weight yield is 80% - a record figure in the poultry industry. Turkey poults gain weight intensively - by 3 months they weigh 4.5 kilograms.

A distinctive feature is a fast ripening period. With the right ratio of food supply, they reach the weight of an adult and stop growing at 100 days of age. It is during this period that poultry farmers advise slaughtering: the weight is gained, the plumage is sufficient.

The temperature regime of newly hatched turkey poults without plumage should be + 35ºС.

There should be enough drinking bowls with fresh water in the poultry house. In addition to feeders with compound feed, it is necessary to install containers with sand and ash, where turkeys like to clean their feathers.

Big 6s are fed the same food as other breeds, only the difference is in quantity, as these turkeys weigh more. Complete nutrition consists of high-quality compound feed, greens, chopped carrots and potatoes, silage, and corn. From dry food, you can make mixes with fresh herbs or with the addition of fermented milk products. You can give chopped turkeys before lunch onion to increase appetite.

Growing broiler turkeys

Broilers are huge. Of the poultry, only ostriches exceed their weight. Male broiler turkeys reach 30 kilograms, the weight of the female is half that.

Broiler turkey poults are very thermophilic, so in the first days they need to be kept at a temperature of + 35ºС. A few days later temperature regime can be reduced to +20ºС. They feed turkeys with special compound feed, they also put a separate container with chalk, shell rock and river sand. A month later, oats and wheat are introduced into the diet of turkeys.

From the first days of growing at home, chicks need to be given fresh herbs, bran and yogurt mash. Tops of carrots, nettle, knotweed, garlic and onions are especially valued for them. You can also give grated zucchini, carrots or apples.

A detailed plan for the selection of the food base and the conditions of keeping at home depend on the breed, consider the most common of them:

1. Light breeds. Their weight does not exceed 15 kilograms, they are distinguished by a high level of egg production, resistance to infections and other diseases. This group includes the Dutch White, Small Bestville and Norfolk cross.
2. Medium - characterized by a large weight - up to 16 kilograms in turkeys and up to 7 kilograms in females. They are highly productive. The middle breeds include the North Caucasian, Moscow White and Moscow Bronze.
3. Heavy - innovative species, the weight of males can reach 30 kilograms, females - 11. Big 6, Big 9, BYuT 8, BYuT 9, Bronze and White Broad-chested belong to this cross.

Breeding turkeys as a business: profitable or not

The profitability of the business of breeding turkeys at home for beginners will depend on many factors: proper care, selection of food supply, choice of breed, creation optimal conditions content. The success of the project also depends on the search for distribution channels, the choice of poultry breeding method.

Financial plan

Consider exemplary financial expenses for breeding turkeys for beginners:

• For a large-scale project, reproduction of a panel house with a heating system worth 1500-2000 rubles per square meter is suitable.
• The construction of a small turkey house for growing several dozen turkeys at home for beginners will cost 30-35 thousand rubles.
• The cost of a battery for cage rearing of birds is 40 thousand rubles. for 80 heads.
• Purchase of feed base - 20-30 thousand rubles. per 50 heads (this amount includes feed, vitamins, nutritional supplements and medications for prevention).
• Additional costs for the purchase of incubators, the organization of a slaughterhouse - 35-45 thousand rubles.

Profit depends on the availability of buyers and the chosen specifics of the business.

1. the cost of meat is 250-350 rubles per kilogram;
2. the price of an egg for incubation is 120-160 rubles apiece;
3. the price of turkey poults is 150-200 rubles per individual;
4. the cost of an adult bird is 1600-2500 rubles per head.

Return on investment in different regions is 60-70%. If you organize family farm for beginners, the profitability will be 50-60%, depending on the starting costs. AT family business You can save on staffing.

Sales channels

Turkey meat and offal can be sold in bulk - to shops, large chains or small outlets. It is possible to arrange regular deliveries to catering establishments.

Eggs for incubation and young animals are sold to start-up farms, individuals who are going to breed turkeys at home.

Delicious dietary meat, quick weight gain of turkeys and sufficient ease of maintenance (not counting the first weeks) make the turkey breeding business in demand among poultry farms. Today, this segment is unfilled and is characterized by a low level of competition.

At proper organization business processes, ensuring all necessary conditions keeping turkeys and establishing sales channels can build a highly profitable business that has good development prospects.

Breeding poultry is quite profitable and simple.

But chickens, geese or ducks are not able to provide enough meat to feed a large family.

In this case, the ideal option is turkeys, whose weight can reach 20-30 kilograms.

These birds have many other advantages, the most important of which is their excellent dietary meat.

To date, not only amateur poultry farmers, but also farmers have begun to actively engage in breeding turkeys.

If you are also interested in turkeys as poultry, we will try to tell you in as much detail as possible about the advantages and disadvantages of their breeding.

And yet: how easy is it to breed turkeys at home?

In fact, breeding turkeys is not so easy, since these birds are quite whimsical and not as adaptive at a young age as all other domestic birds. Therefore, we will not brazenly lie and praise these birds to you, but we will approach this issue absolutely objectively and describe how their merits when grown in household as well as disadvantages.

Advantages and benefits of breeding turkeys

Of course, the benefits from breeding this bird are greater, and first of all, you should pay attention to the very good meat that they provide. It belongs to dietary varieties, and brings a lot of benefits when consumed:

• Turkey meat contains a very low cholesterol level, which even such affordable chicken meat cannot boast of.
• The composition of this meat includes a large number of necessary human body vitamins, various amino acids and microelements.
• Turkey meat is easily absorbed by the body, it is recommended for eating with various complications and problems in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and does not cause allergic reactions.

Do not forget about the usefulness of turkey liver, which can replenish your body folic acid and vitamins that belong to group K.

Turkey meat is recommended for pregnant women and young children. It is believed that she is able to restore strength after a long and very intense physical labor, has a positive effect on nervous system man, relieves insomnia.

Also, do not forget that turkeys lay eggs that are much larger than chicken ones. They are ahead of chicken and palatability and dietary, ahead of turkey eggs are only quail and guinea fowl eggs. However, the described bird does not have such intensive egg production as chickens.

If you want to provide turkey exclusively for your family, then of course it will not be so troublesome to just buy this meat from time to time.

But still, purchased meat does not always get high-quality, and you will never be able to find out what exactly they fed and pricked the bird on the farm. Moreover, creating your own farm at home is also quite realistic.

Experienced poultry farmers claim that turkey breeding not only pays off very quickly, but also begins to bring significant profits. After all, if you sell homemade turkey meat, then it will be valued much higher, not only because of its significant advantages, but also due to the very low supply of such a product on the market.

Do not forget that turkeys are also growing very fast, while intensively gaining live weight. Indeed, in the body structure of a turkey, about 60% of the total mass is muscle mass, that is, the most important dietary white meat, the beneficial properties of which we have already mentioned.

If you are engaged in breeding turkeys for profit, then this business is also beneficial because, in addition to meat, eggs, young and small turkeys, fluff and feathers are subject to sale.

But in the care of these birds are not quite whimsical. The right amount food, fresh water and sufficient space in the house are the most important and almost the only requirements for the conditions that birds need to provide.

Difficulties and disadvantages associated with the process of growing and breeding turkeys

Despite the fact that the adults of these poultry do not require much attention, this cannot be said about the newly born turkey poults. At this age, they are very tender and susceptible to various sources of external influence.

Inappropriate nutrition, too low or high temperature conditions, improper conditions of detention in most cases lead to the death of an impressive part of the young.

Therefore, in order to prevent their death, it is worth considering the following:

• Immediately after birth, turkeys should be kept in a room with a temperature of 33ºС, and so on for 5 days. After that, and until the 10th day, it should be reduced to 27 ºС, and from the 11th - to 23 ºС.
• It is believed that light-colored turkeys need much more heat than those that have dark plumage.
• You can not plunge young animals into temperature extremes.
• If the hen hatched the turkeys, then in the poultry house it is enough to provide a temperature of 23 ºС, she will provide the rest on her own.
• Until turkey poults are 5 weeks old and skin growths do not form on their necks, keep them away from dampness, dew and other precipitation.
• It is important to prevent damage to the beaks of the chicks, as this is guaranteed to cause their death. Place cardboard under the food, and never hard metal.

When growing different types birds should not be kept together with their chicks, to which turkey poults react very negatively - they can get enterohepatitis. Turkey poults develop more slowly and adapt to external environment, than chickens, can get sick faster, react more sharply to a change in room or feed.

Also, they definitely need warm, clean and fresh water. In no case do not allow small chicks to plunge into the water completely, do not get wet.

A very common problem that occurs when caring for adult turkeys is obesity. In this regard, you need to be attentive to the diet of birds, make it more dietary due to greenery, herbal flour. Grains need to be given less, to force the birds to move a lot.

Basic requirements for premises for keeping turkeys

Probably one of the most important conditions One thing you need to do before you even start raising turkeys is to create a suitable house for them. There are enough requirements for it, so we will describe each of them in detail and clearly even for beginner poultry farmers.

What microclimate of the room should be provided to turkeys: important aspects

• Temperature conditions and maintenance of birds in winter.

  We have already mentioned what temperature is needed for small turkey poults. It is worth noting that it is also impossible to allow freezing of adults. Therefore, in the winter period, it is recommended to provide even special heaters indoors, avoiding temperatures lower than 10ºС.

  If this is not possible, then it is important to at least insulate the house as much as possible, to cover the floor with a dense layer of dry straw. But in the summer it is also important that the birds do not get too hot. High temperatures not only negatively affect the general well-being of birds, but also cause the spread of various diseases.

• Humidity in the room with birds should be at the level of 65-70%.

  Both very dry and very humid air negatively affect the functioning of the respiratory tract of turkeys, leading to various diseases. Also, if the required air humidity is not observed, the birds may begin to lose plumage.

• Air ventilation.

  It is also an important factor, especially when keeping a large number of individuals in one room and in the hot season.

  Dampness does not develop in well-ventilated rooms. Thus, when building a turkey house, do not forget about special "hoods" and windows, which must be placed in such a way as to prevent drafts.

• Light up the turkey room.

  Artificial lighting is very importance if you want to increase the egg production of your pets. It is very important that daylight hours for them last almost 14 hours a day. Therefore, in winter, the light bulbs are switched on from 6 in the morning until the sun rises.

  They do the same in the evening. Due to this, laying hens molt faster, and young animals reach puberty faster.

We organize an ideal place for females in the poultry house

The most important thing that females need is nests in which they can lay their eggs.

It is very important that they are easily accessible for the turkeys and for you, that is, in order to take eggs from them and clean them.

It is best to place the nests in shady places, this allows the layers to feel more secure, not to worry.

What kind of space do males need?

In general, both males and females need a lot of space, longline perches, manholes and special ash-sand baths. That is, the birds need to organize such a room where they could not only just spend the night and eat, but also lead a fairly active lifestyle.

In particular, even perches should be at least one meter high, placed against the rear wall of the house.

Do turkeys need walking: we organize the space of our yard correctly

Walking for these birds is very important., because they not only have a positive effect on the health of birds, but also facilitate their maintenance.

Turkeys are very fond of hiking, and for quite long distances. It is worth knowing that they are able to run quite fast, often taking off into trees if they notice any danger. For this reason, this species poultry it is worth taking at least the entire yard under a place for walking.

But, in this case, there is a danger that they will leave the yard, flying over a low fence, and there they may be torn to pieces by dogs. In this case, it is better to build large enclosures with a mesh fence.

Walks are valuable not only for adults, but also for young animals. The value of walking is that they allow birds to find food on their own, making their diet more varied. It is important that the walking areas have a lot of vegetation, bushes and trees, in the shade of which the turkeys can hide from the heat.

In the presence of natural baths with sand, there will be no need to install them in poultry houses.

Diet for the correct and full growth of turkeys

Usually the most important ingredient in the diet of turkeys is compound feed, which can be given to birds almost from birth.

Also, it is very important to provide small turkey poults with boiled eggs and fermented milk products. In addition, turkeys very demanding on vitamins and trace elements which they need to grow and maintain immunity. For this reason, along with compound feed they should be given:

• Corn and wheat grains.
• Sunflower meal.
• Feed yeast.
• Bone, fish and herbal meal.
• Chalk, shells and limestone.
• Salt.

Also, we must not forget that birds such as turkeys need a lot of water. The most important thing is that it is always fresh and clean. For small turkeys, the water should also be heated a little.

It is very important that both feeders and drinkers are kept clean at all times, as they can be a source of disease.

Also, the following requirements are provided for feeders and drinkers:

• Features of feeders for poultry houses with turkeys are practically no different from those of feeders for chickens. These can be the same troughs or gutters, only it is important that they are at a height convenient for the birds. It is impossible to completely cover the feeders with food - the birds must eat all the food at a time.
• It is also important to place drinkers at the height of the growth of turkeys, that is, at the level of their necks. It is important that the birds cannot turn them over and spill the water on their own.

Options for obtaining a young generation of turkeys: the use of incubators and hens

Both of the above breeding options for these birds are equally successful, but both in the first and second cases have their drawbacks and advantages.

When using an incubator, it is possible to simultaneously hatch a large number of young animals. Moreover, hatchability is ensured by almost 100%. However, in this case, the little turkeys will not have a hen to look after them, and so that the younger generation does not die out, you will have to sweat quite a lot.

Turkeys themselves are pretty good hens and mothers, although of course their breed plays a big role in this. On average, one female is able to incubate 16 eggs, although it often happens that not all of them hatch.

Thus, it will be much less necessary to look after the younger generation. However, to get a large number of turkey poults, it is necessary to have a large number of hens. It can be concluded that incubators are best used for industrial breeding of turkeys, but 2-3 hens will be enough for yourself.

Bird care: important aspects

In general, above we have already described the most important conditions that turkeys need for good growth and live weight gain. With their full implementation, there will be practically no more difficulties in care. But still, in no case should you forget that:

• It is very important for turkeys to ensure cleanliness, both in poultry houses and in walking areas. Be sure to disinfect the area where these birds are kept if chickens or other types of birds were previously kept there.
• Consider all the microclimate conditions of the poultry house to prevent the development of diseases. Carefully monitor the condition of each individual, as there are many contagious diseases that can cause the death of an entire herd of your pets.
• It is important to feed the turkeys at the same time every day. Such a formality helps to keep the flock of birds, and increase the speed of their set of live weight. Also, at least once a week, you need to very carefully clean the feeders and drinkers.

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Among poultry grown in Russian farmsteads, turkeys have no competitors in terms of weight gain and size. Therefore, breeding, keeping turkeys and caring for them at home chooses everything more poultry enthusiasts.

The choice in favor of turkeys is easy to explain. For six months, with a well-chosen diet, compliance with the conditions of detention and due attention, a tiny chick turns into a huge bird. The weight of an adult turkey, depending on the breed, can vary from 8 to 30 kg. And although turkeys are a little smaller, they also weigh at least 6–8 kg by six months. The attractiveness of the view is added by the fact that in Russia there are several well-established breeds suitable even for breeding turkeys at home by beginner poultry farmers.

And yet, not everyone succeeds in getting a truly large healthy bird? Why do farmers and backyard owners sometimes experience high calf mortality, poor weight gain or disease?

The cause of most problems is one - it is a lack or incorrect organized care for chicks and growing birds.

Features of breeding turkeys at home for beginners

In most cases, turkeys are bred to get tender, dietary meat. If you buy young animals for spring-summer fattening, then in the fall you can enjoy turkey meat from your own farm. For personal needs, eggs are also used, which are not inferior in nutritional value to chicken ones.

The main chores for caring for turkeys at home come at the time when small turkey poults appear. In the first days and weeks of life, they require constant attention and special nutrition up to 10 times a day. Upon reaching the age of one month, turkey poults get stronger and switch to compound feed and grain mixtures. They can and should be released for walking, which allows you to save on green fodder and prevent the bird from accumulating excess fat.

At home, for breeding turkeys, it is enough for beginner poultry farmers to purchase one family, consisting of a male and 4-5 turkeys, for which one nest is being prepared.

Turkeys begin to lay eggs at about eight months, giving several dozen eggs a year. You can get the offspring of a bird using incubation. In order for the young to be of the same age, the eggs are removed from the nest and stored in an upright position at a temperature of 10-15 ° C. Wherein long-term storage negatively affects the quality of the embryos.

Details about breeding turkeys at home and the features of incubation can be found in the specialized literature and other articles on the portal. If it is decided to entrust the hatching of the offspring to the turkey, a spacious nest is built for the bird, raised above the floor level. The structure is surrounded by a side, at the bottom they make a soft loose bedding. After 26-28 days from the moment when the laying hen sits on the masonry, turkey poults appear.

At first, turkey poults are kept with additional illumination and at elevated air temperatures:

• in the first five days, the air should warm up to +33 ° C;
• next week the chicks are at +27 °C;
• from the eleventh day, the temperature in the room drops to +23 °C.

At proper care turkeys, their breeding and keeping at home will not be difficult even for poultry farmers with little practical experience. In addition to maintaining the required temperature, turkeys, until they get stronger, are protected from drafts and dampness, as well as from infectious diseases. For this you need:

• ventilate the house very carefully;
• be sure to clean the litter and remove uneaten food;
• equip the place where the chicks are kept with safe drinking bowls.

From the first day of life, turkey poults receive a balanced feed based on wet mash and vitamin green supplements. As they grow older, dry grain mixtures or specialized compound feeds are introduced into the diet.

A video about the features of breeding turkeys at home will be a great help for beginner poultry farmers, and for those who have experience in keeping other poultry, and are only looking at turkeys.

Keeping turkeys at home for beginners

The cornerstone in breeding and keeping turkeys at home is the care of the bird, the organization of its feeding and housing. Being in clean, dry poultry houses, receiving enough nutritious feed and having the opportunity to walk, turkeys grow well.

It is important to maintain comfortable temperature, good lighting and the number of heads per unit area. In cramped conditions, even with the rest of the care, turkeys look oppressed, more prone to disease, grow worse.

On average, the bird stocking density per square meter should not exceed:

• 15 heads for chicks up to 5 days of age;
• 10 heads for young animals that have reached the age of 1–2 months;
• 5 heads for turkeys up to 4 months inclusive;
• 1-2 individuals for an adult bird, depending on the breed and weight.

Creating conditions for keeping turkeys at home, novice poultry farmers need to take care of high-quality ventilation of the premises, removal of excess moisture that is inevitable when there are large livestock in the poultry house, as well as an acceptable temperature in summer and winter:

1. Humidity should be maintained within 65-70%.
2. In the warm season, the house should not be hotter than plus 18–20 ° C.
3. In winter, they make sure that the poultry house does not freeze, and the temperature in it does not fall below -5 ° C.

If the temperature regime is not respected, drafts are walking around the poultry house, the bird feels unwell, high humidity chills or, conversely, suffers from overheating. As a result, turkeys do not rush well, young animals almost do not gain weight.

When keeping and breeding turkeys at home, care includes the mandatory cleaning or replacement of the litter, making sure that it is always dry. The wet layer is changed, and if the turkeys are kept on a deep bedding, poured over a layer of slaked lime, then it is only poured. Such a coating should be changed in spring and autumn, along the way complete cleaning and disinfection of premises.

In home breeding, the bird often suffers from a lack of movement. Turkeys have joint problems, the headband accumulates not meat, but fat. You can avoid such problems if you include bird walking in the care of turkeys at home. To do this, fenced areas with feeders and drinkers are equipped on the site or beyond its borders.

Stay on outdoors in combination with eating juicy green fodder, it gives good results, expressed in the rapid development of young animals and an increase in the egg production of adult turkeys.

Breeding turkeys as a business: profitable or not?

The main purpose of breeding and keeping turkeys is to obtain tasty and healthy meat. By six months in a carcass reaching slaughter weight poultry contains up to 80% of this valuable food product, which is superior to chicken and rabbit meat in a number of indicators. Moreover, there is more truly dietary white meat in turkey than red.

In small farms that grow turkeys for personal use, the egg of this bird is also used for food. Up to 100 large eggs can be obtained from a laying hen per year, which, to taste and nutritional value are in no way inferior to chicken, but are better stored.

With proper care at home, turkeys grow and gain weight much more actively than geese, chickens and ducks, that is, in fact, they are leaders among poultry. Depending on the breed, the weight of an adult male can reach 8–30 kg, and turkeys up to 12 kg.

The most significant investment of money and labor in the turkey population is in the purchase of eggs, incubation and the first month of life of the chicks. Costs are then dropped by the incorporation of cheaper grain feed and free grazing into the diet.

Is it profitable or not to breed turkeys as a business? All large quantity farmsteads from which a characteristic cry is heard large bird, proves that turkeys in farms and household plots have a great future.

How to breed turkeys - video

In today's article, you will learn:

• Features of Indians.
• How to make nests for turkeys.
• How to keep turkeys nicely.
• What to feed them.
• How to find out who will hatch from an egg a turkey or a turkey.

In practice, it has been noted that turkeys hatch from relatively round eggs, and turkeys hatch from pointed ones. The rooms where the eggs will hatch should be warm, and the windows should be directed to the south or east. The noise level here is minimal. The premises should be ventilated twice daily and whitened with lime once a year. Nests should be thoroughly rinsed before planting turkeys, as well as the floor. In the latter, it is necessary to avoid cracks into which predatory animals could climb - ferrets, minks, otters and others. In warm weather, windows should be opened, while they should be taken away with wooden bars from dogs and cats.

Feeding turkey hens

Every morning, turkeys are fed oats soaked in water. At the time when the birds leave their nests for feeding, they should be covered tightly, folded several times, so that the eggs do not cool down. Chicks are usually incubated for four weeks, but already from the 27th day they check how many pecked eggs are in the nests. After drinking and feeding the turkeys, they leave them in the nests - the eggs should not be cooled. It happens that some chicks come out of the eggs on the 31st or 32nd day, weak turkeys need to be helped to hatch, that is, carefully break the shell.

Feeding turkeys

On the third day, when the goiter of the chicks is cleared, they are put in a sieve and the shells of the eggs from which they came out are fumigated with smoke. Then they give food prepared in this way: leaves of nettle, burdock, silverfish, bugs, porridge and thyme are washed and cut with a knife (when cutting grass, they give more juice, which is harmful to turkeys). The crushed grass is well mixed, sprinkled with wheat bran or barley flour, added to the mixture of sour milk and put the food in small piles on a thick canvas that will stretch excess moisture harmful to turkeys.

Feed for overgrown turkeys and adult birds

Monthly turkeys are given grass feed with sour milk by gradually adding whey or clean water. At the same time, the feed is mixed, as dough for bread is kneaded. When the heads of turkeys begin to turn red, they need to be given grits or horse sorrel flowers with seeds, which make up a third of the total feed. A tablespoon of crushed sulfur is added to three liters of such feed. This food is given twice a day until the turkeys grow scallops. From this point on, turkeys can be considered adults and fed in the same way as other adult turkeys. The diet includes potato stalks, yellowed cabbage and swede leaves, middle-aged lettuce, and the like. Nettles with seeds and leaves should always be added; chopped grass is sprinkled with bran or barley flour. When haying, they should be driven out to mowed meadows, and after harvesting - to a compressed field, where turkeys will find a lot of food. The winter diet usually includes raw chopped rutabagas, potatoes, carrots, turnips, and cabbage. It is harmless to feed steamed chaff, except for barley and buckwheat.

Turkeys videos