Name: Neil Stephen M.
Dizon
Kale Makaveli Dumaguing
Tj Kenryll Palaoag
Turkey Production
Types of Turkey
Commercial type Turkey
Heritage Turkey
Commercial Type Turkey
Broad Breasted White
Broad Breasted White Turkeys are the fastest growing and most feed efficient turkeys. They can grow to
tremendous size, however keeping them for longer than 18 weeks will decrease their feed efficiency.
Broad Breasted Bronze
Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys is one of the largest and heaviest turkey. They are also ideal to raise for
meat production.
Heritage Turkey
They are kept for appearance rather than for meat production.
They are good flyers.
Midget/Small White Turkey
The Midget White was developed at the University of Massachusetts in the late 1960s as a smaller
complement to the Broad-Breasted White. Midget White turkeys are relatively friendly and well suited
for small farms.
Standard Bronze
The Standard Bronze was developed in Colonial America by crossbreeding wild turkeys with
domesticated birds brought from Europe.
Bourbon Red Turkey
Named after Bourbon County, Kentucky, where the variety was developed in the late 1800s. They are
good natured, making them suitable for small flock production.
Narragansett Turkey
Developed from a cross between the Eastern wild turkey and the domestic turkeys brought to America.
They are excellent choice for small flock production because they have calm dispositions and are good
foragers. Also, they mature early, are good egg producers, and have good maternal instincts.
Royal Palm Turkey
They are kept primarily as an ornamental variety. Royal Palms have the least filled out breast of the
turkey varieties. In some areas they are seen as means of biological insect control.
Slate Turkey
Named for the ashy blue color of its feathers. The Slate is gaining popularity in small flocks because of its
survivability and flavor, but they are hard to breed consistently.
Black Turkey
Developed in Europe from the first turkeys brought there from North America by explorers. Blacks were
crossed with the wild turkey to produce the Bronze, Narragansett, and Slate varieties.
HOUSING AND EQUIPMENTS
- Poults need a dependable source of artificial heat during the first few weeks of life.
- First week - 95 °F (under the brooder)
o 72° F (away from the brooder) after the first week, lower the temp 5°F per week.
- heat should be stopped at 4 weeks of age in warm weather conditions, and 6-8 weeks in cool weather.
BROODER GUARD
o corrugated cardboard, 12 inches high , placed in a circle about 3 feet from the hover.
PROPER VENTILATION
o until 6 weeks of age poults WITHOUT forced air ventilation need at least 1.5 square feet per poult.
FLOORING & FLOOR SPACE REQUIREMENT
FIRST WEEK : 1/8 inch of sand or inch of pine shavings, then add Inch of straw or sharing per week.
DURING HATCHING & BROODING: do not use slick surfaces like NEWSPAPER, because it may cause leg problems.
if poults are grown in confinement without fan ventilation : 10 square feet per bird
if the building is well insulated : 5 square feet per tom and 3 Square feet per hen.
Commercially raised turkeys: 3.8 feet per bird. - if placed in a YARD: 30 square feet of yard per turkey
BIOSECURITY
Be sure to protect the poults from predators such as cats, dogs both during and after the brooding period. A 4-
foot fence confines the turkeys off the heavy variety.
Provide turkeys with a shelter to the protect them from Sun & rain : 100-180 square feet of roof per 100 turkeys,
7-8 feet off the ground.
LIGHT REQUIREMENT
provide 16 hours of natural or artificial light per day.
FEEDING MANAGEMENT
Poults should have access to feed and water as soon as they arrive. Dipping their beaks in water helps them to
learn how to drink.
In the first two days, place some feeds in cartons or on the lid of the poult box.
WATER
Provide clean and fresh water.
Provide 1 gallon drinking fountain for every fifty poults.
Allow 1 linear inch water through space per turkey after 8 weeks of age.
Water may be piped to the pen controlled with a float valve, commercial waterers can also be used.
It is necessary to clean waterers daily. Use brush to clean the waterers thoroughly.
Note: birds might not drink enough water if it’s dirty, thus limiting their feed intake and growth. Dirty water also
contributes to spread of diseases. also, if water intake is negatively affected during hot weather, mortality may result.
FEED
For turkeys up to 13 lbs. (8 weeks), provide at least 1.5 inches of feeder space per bird.
For turkeys 13-35 lbs. (9-19 weeks), provide at least 2 inches of feeder space.
It takes about 92 lbs. (41.7 kg) of feed to raise an average large white tom turkey to an age of 18 weeks.
It’s a good idea to keep track of your turkey’s growth rates to compare them to the commercial performance
objectives. Every week or at regular intervals, weigh each bird. If you have a large flock, weigh a few
representative birds.
Because turkeys are fast-growing, it is very important to buy correctly formulated turkey feeds. Increase in
growth rate can be achieved by keeping a high-protein feed (turkey starter) for longer than suggested by the
feed manufacturer.
It requires higher protein content at early stages as turkey poults are severely protein depleted, as protein is
used as an energy source during the hatching process.
During egg production, turkey breeder females should be fed a turkey hen breeder ration. Oyster shell grit or
limestone grit may be useful for free-ranging hens during egg production.
Free-ranging turkeys may benefit from access to turkey grit.
Grit is added in their diet to aid with digestion and as added calcium source for egg production which helps the
hens produce strong eggshells.
