Bronze turkey: breed overview

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many farmers are interested in the fact that the bird they breed has positive qualities. Turkeys of the bronze breed are best adapted to the environmental conditions in Russia, and also grow quickly. Read about this breed in the article.

General Features

It is believed that the homeland of turkeys is North and Central America. The Indians first began to domesticate these birds, and later they were brought to Europe.

Speaking about the species of turkeys in general, it is important to note that they belong to a family that includes such birds as pheasant, quail and guinea fowl. True, they are very different from the listed representatives in terms of 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 consume too much feed.

Classificationbreeds

These birds are common in many countries of the world, for example, in France and Russia. The bronze turkey breed 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. To do this, a bronze broad-breasted 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 a high level of vitality. From the age of nine months, they are able to lay eggs. They are quite productive: one turkey can lay about eight dozen eggs per season, which is considered a high indicator.

As for external characteristics, their body has an elongated shape. They have a deep chest, but it is not wide. The feathers of these birds have a bronze tint and a greenish sheen. The feathers of the tail and back are decorated with a stripe of a bronze tint. The weight of a turkey averages 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 share the same body and performance characteristics. All differences lie in the externalsee.

Bronze turkey gets its name from the color of its black feathers. The white stripes located on the tail are edged with dark feathers. White turkeys outwardly correspond to the name of their breed. Their weight reaches lower rates, and the body seems more compact and rounded. The beak and nails of white turkeys are pink, unlike bronze turkeys.

In terms of productivity, both breeds have high egg production - each turkey can lay 100 to 110 eggs annually. 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 in a female. The mass of the male is measured by fifteen or even eighteen kilograms. If you properly compose the diet of this breed, then a bronze turkey can reach a weight of thirty kilograms.

These birds can lay 120 eggs annually. Females have a pronounced maternal instinct, so they can incubate the eggs of other bird representatives. Don't be surprised if a farmer sees a bronzed broad-breasted turkey hatching duck, goose or chicken eggs.

This breed was bred by scientists in the United States of America, for which it received the second name - the American turkey. For this, representatives of the blackEnglish breeds have been crossbred with wild American turkeys. Now breeders use it to breed new breeds of birds.

External characteristics

The bronze turkey, whose appearance is described in this article, is a majestic and proud bird. Representatives of the breed of broad-chested birds have a slightly elongated body of an oval shape. Their strong legs are wide apart and their chests are really wide.

What sways the color, the main part of the plumage is dark, but it is mixed with copper-bronze feathers on the back and chest. The tail of the male looks like a fan, decorated with a dark stripe or, conversely, a bronze tint. The females have a less beautiful tail, but they can boast white edging and spots on the feathers located in the neck and back, while the males have none or are 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, as it grows, its needs decrease, and soon it can easily adapt to any environmental conditions (except for temperatures that go into negative values). How they take care of turkeys in the first weeks of their life depends on their development, he alth, livestock.

Chicks are very thermophilic. It is necessary to maintain a constant temperature in the place where they live, around 33 degrees, gradually reducing it to 30 (by ten days of life), and then to 22 degrees (by the month of life).

Bthe daily age of turkeys must be kept in a spacious container lined with straw, hay or sawdust. On newspapers, paper and cardboard, it will be very difficult for them to move, as it is slippery, and their legs will move apart. Little turkeys are very susceptible to drafts. It is necessary to exclude any breath of wind if a person wants to save the entire livestock.

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 they grow up, it is necessary to increase the space or seat them. It is necessary to wash their place of residence, clean it of droppings, as well as food debris.

You need to watch how the chicks behave. If some of them are lagging behind in development and simply get sick, they need to be transferred to another place, fed a little better and, of course, treated. It is important that the diet of turkeys includes products such as fat-free cottage cheese, boiled eggs, peas and beans, dairy products, and fish. Be sure to give them fresh greens.

Bronze turkeys, which are always well-reviewed, need to be fed twice a day. However, young chicks should not be restricted: they must always have access to water and food in order to develop properly and be he althy. In order to be sure that they do not get sick, you need to give them a series of preventive vaccinations before the age of two.weeks.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

Before talking about the advantages of this breed of turkeys, it is necessary to mention its disadvantage. The bronze turkey, namely the broad-chested one, was bred by breeders for industrial maintenance. Therefore, farmers who decide to breed these particular birds must ensure that representatives of this breed live in cages or sheds. In no case should they be kept in a grazing way.

The enumeration of the advantages of these bird representatives should begin with the fact that they have high egg production rates, reaching 120 eggs per year. Their durability level is very good. They easily adapt to any environmental conditions. They are calm and fast growing. In addition, there are very large turkeys and turkeys. They are also distinguished by the beauty of their plumage and are highly valued for their decorative qualities.

Their meat is dietary. Almost half of the carcass is the muscle part. Eighty percent of their total body mass is the most tender meat, and only eight percent is fat. Turkey eggs are easy to recognize: they reach large sizes, are painted in a dark cream shade with specks.

All the qualities of this breed as a whole are used in breeding new species and to improve existing breeds of turkeys.