Many farmers are interested in the fact that the bird they raise has positive qualities. Bronze turkeys are best suited to environmental conditions in Russia, and also grow rapidly. Read about this breed in the article.
General characteristics
It is believed that the homeland of turkeys is North and Central America. The Indians first began to domesticate these birds, and subsequently they were introduced to Europe.
Speaking about the type of turkeys in general, it is important to note that they belong to the family, which includes such birds as pheasant, quail and guinea fowl. True, they are very different from the listed representatives according to external data.
Among all types of farm birds, the turkey is the largest. Representatives of broad-chested breeds are especially distinguished - their weight can reach twenty kilograms. It is known that among these birds there are record holders: some individuals reached not only thirty, but also forty kilograms. However, growing such large turkeys is unprofitable: they use too much feed.
Breed classification
These birds are common in many countries of the world, for example, in France and in Russia. The breed bronze turkey is popular among farmers. There are several varieties of it, each of which has its own advantages. Among them:
- North Caucasian Bronze Turkey.
- Bronze broad-breasted turkey.
- Moscow bronze turkey.
North Caucasian Bronze Turkey. Description
This breed was bred in 1956. For this, a bronze broad-chested turkey was crossed with a turkey that lived in the Stavropol Territory. It was here that breeders did their work.
These birds are perfectly adapted to environmental conditions, they also have high level viability. Starting at the age of nine months, they are able to lay eggs. They are quite productive: for a season one turkey can lay about eight dozen eggs, which is considered a high rate.
As for the external characteristics, their body has an elongated shape. They have a deep breast, but it is not wide. The feathers of these birds have a bronze hue and a greenish sheen. Feathers of the tail and back are decorated with a strip of bronze tide. The average weight of a turkey is fourteen kilograms, while the weight of a female reaches only seven.
Moscow bronze turkey
Representatives of this breed are similar to Moscow white turkeys. They have the same body characteristics and productivity. All differences lie in appearance.
The bronze turkey got its name for the color with which the black feathers are cast. White stripes located on the tail are bordered by dark feathers. White turkeys externally match the name of their breed. Their weight reaches lower indicators, and the body seems more compact and rounded. The beak and nails of white turkeys are pink, unlike bronze turkeys.
As for productivity, both breeds have high egg productivity - each turkey can lay from 100 to 110 eggs per year. Their meat has excellent taste, for which these breeds have gained great popularity among poultry farmers.
Bronze broad-breasted turkeys. Breed description
These birds are considered the largest representatives of their species. On average, their weight is about nine to eleven kilograms per female. The weight of the male is measured by fifteen, or even eighteen kilograms. If you properly compile the diet of this breed, then a bronze turkey can reach a weight of thirty kilograms.
These birds can carry 120 eggs per year. Females have a pronounced maternal instinct, so they can hatch the eggs of other representatives of birds. Do not be surprised if the farmer sees that a bronze broad-breasted turkey hatches eggs of duck, goose or chicken.
This breed was bred by scientists in the United States of America, for which it received a second name - American turkey. For this, representatives of the black English breed were crossed with a wild American turkey. Now breeders use it to breed new breeds of birds.
External characteristics
The bronze turkey, the appearance of which is given in this article, is a magnificent and proud bird. Representatives of the breed of wide-chested birds have a slightly elongated body of an oval shape. Their strong legs are widely spaced, and the chest is indeed wide.
As for the color, the main part of the plumage is dark, but it is mixed with feathers of a copper-bronze hue on the back and chest. The tail of the male is like a fan, decorated with a dark stripe or, conversely, with a tint of bronze. In females, the tail is not so beautiful, but they can boast of white fringes and spots on feathers located in the neck and back, while in males they are absent or painted black.
Care and maintenance
The bronze turkey, the photo of which is presented in this article, is very whimsical at a young age. However, with growth, his needs decrease, and soon he can calmly adapt to any environmental conditions (except for the temperature, which goes to negative values). Their development, health, livestock depends on how they will care for poultry in the first weeks of their life.
Chicks are very thermophilic. It is necessary to maintain a constant temperature in the place where they live in the region of 33 degrees, gradually reducing it to 30 (by ten days of life), and then to 22 degrees (by the month of life).
At the age of one day, turkey poultry must be kept in a spacious container covered with straw, hay or sawdust. It will be very difficult for them to move on newspapers, paper and cardboard, since it is slippery and their legs will part. Small turkey poults are very susceptible to drafts. It is necessary to exclude any wind blows if a person wants to preserve the entire population.
It is important to keep the chicks in spacious containers and rooms: for the proper development of their legs, they must move a lot. In addition, stronger turkeys can trample weak relatives. The ideal density is forty or fifty chicks per square meter. When he grows up, it is necessary to increase the space or plant them. It is necessary to wash their place of residence, clean it of litter, as well as food debris.
It is necessary to monitor how the chicks behave. If some of them are lagging behind in development and just get sick, they need to be put off to another place, to feed them a little better and, of course, to heal. It is important that turkey foods include foods such as fat-free cottage cheese, boiled eggs, peas and beans, dairy products, and fish. Be sure to give them fresh herbs.
Bronze turkeys, reviews of which are always good, need two meals a day. However, young chicks cannot be limited: they must always have access to water and food in order to develop and be healthy. In order to be sure that they do not get sick, you need to give them a series of preventive vaccinations at the age of up to two weeks.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
Before telling about the advantages of this breed of turkeys, it is necessary to mention its disadvantage. A bronze turkey, namely broad-chested, was bred by breeders for industrial maintenance. Therefore, farmers who decide to breed these very birds should make sure that representatives of this breed live in cages or sheds. In no case should they be kept in grazing.
The enumeration of the benefits of these representatives of avian should begin with the fact that they have high rates of egg production, reaching 120 eggs per year. The level of their viability is very good. They easily adapt to any environmental conditions. They are calm, growing fast. In addition, they are very large turkeys and turkeys. They are also distinguished by the beauty of plumage and are highly valued for their decorative properties.
Their meat is dietary. Almost half of the carcass is the muscle part. Eighty percent of their total body mass is tender meat, and only eight are fat. Turkey eggs are easy to recognize: they reach a large size, painted in a dark cream shade with dots.
All the qualities of this breed are generally used in the breeding of new species and for the improvement of existing turkey breeds.