Taxonomy

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Aves

Order : Galliformes

Family : Meleagrididae

Genus : Meleagris

Species : Meleagris gallopavo(Modern)

Meleagris ocellata(Historical)

Origin of Domesticated Turkeys

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• The Modern domesticated turkey descends from the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) .
• The turkey was first found by Cortez (Early American Colonists) in Mexico. Later, introduced to Spain in 1498(15thcentury) and then to England.
• In the mid late of 19^th century, they were reared in free range.
• Intensive farming of turkeys started from late 1940s.

• Broad Breasted White
• Bronze
• White Holland
• Bourbon Red
• Blue Slate Black (Spanish Black, Norfolk Black)
• Narraganset
• Chocolate Turkey
• Beltsville Small White
• Midget White Turkey

Varieties of turkeys

• Turkey meat is lower in fat and cholesterol
• It is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, essential fatty acids, essential aminoacids especially in tryptophan & Vitamins like niacin, VitaminB6 & B12

Turkey Meat

• Domestic turkeys are first found in the tropical countries. Hence there is no need for layer of subcutaneous fat for insulation.
• Body fat of turkeys is the lowest of all avian commercial species.
• Lower body fat content along with initial slower growth rate in combination with faster growth at later stage; together with wide development of breast make the turkey as an efficient and high meat producer for the long term growing period.
• Seven-week-old turkey, normally have the 1/3 of the body fat of chicken and 1/7 of the duck.

Fat content

PACKAGE OF PRACTICES IN TURKEY FARMING

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• In turkeys, 0-8 weeks period is called brooding period.

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• As a thumb rule, the turkey poults need double hover space as compared to chicken.

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• Brooding day old poults can be done using infrared bulbs or gas brooder and traditional brooding systems.:

Brooding Management

• 8^th week body weight (g) (mean± SE) Males - 1180±15.28 Females - 940± 10.73
• Feed Efficiency (0 to 8 weeks ) - 2.75
• Livability (%) - 63

Brooder performance

• 24^th week body weight (g) (mean ± SE) Males - 5800 ± 124.23 Females - 4000 ± 94.73
• Feed Efficiency (0 to 8 weeks ) - 4.25
• Livability (%) - 90

Grower performance

• 28 to 48 weeks ⮩ HDEP - 50% ⮩ HHEP - 42%
• Feed Efficiency Per Kg egg mass - 4.73
• Livability (%) - 92

Layer performance

(0 to 8 weeks)

• Stocking Density (0-4 weeks) - 0.5 sqft/bird� (5-8 weeks) - 1.0 sqft/bird
• Waterer space - 1.25 cm/bird
• Feeder space - 2.50 cm/bird
• Heat requirement - 2 watts/poult
• Feed intake/day (0-4 weeks) - 15-32g/day � (5-8 weeks) - 40-90g/day
• Vaccination - Mesogenic ND vaccine at 8 weeks
• Coccidiostat - Diclazuril

Nutrient Standards

Prevention of poult mortality

• Adequate heat supplementation to avoid cold shock
• Keeping the feed in contrast plastic feed trays
• Drug toxicity – Monensin, Salinomycin, Tiamulin,
• Good cross ventilation
• Proper brooding
• Adequate calcium and phosphorus level (Ca:P – 1.6:0.9)
• Frequent feeding – 4 times a day

• The thermoregulatory system of the poults is not well developed
• They have little preserved energy for with holding cold.
• It is essential to give good warmth for the poults during the 2 weeks of age.
• It is to be stressed that poult requires 2 watts as against the chick where the requirement is 1 watt.
• The starting temperature should be 100 ^oF and it should be lowered 4 oF per week to reach 80 oF at 6th week of age.
• Steady (optimum) temperature of about 75 oF is to be maintained.
• Optimum temperature requirement varies according to the strains and behavior of turkeys can be used as a reliable indicator of thermal comforts.

Heat Requirement

Starve out

• Poults are reluctant to take feed during the initial days. It results in the starve out condition in poults.

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Methods to prevent Starve out are

• Feed as early as hatch out

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• Feed should be spread on old newspaper above the litter for the first two days.

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• Feed is placed in colored plates & marbles in waterers under the bright light to induce feed intake.

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• Feed frequently that is the feed should be kept minimum of four times a day

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• Ration should be met out Lysine, Methionine, Calcium and Phosphorus.

Cold shock

• First four weeks is a critical period for body temperature regulation.
• On other side, increase in environmental temperature or lowering of the environmental temperature may result in mortality.
• Higher environmental temperature may result in dehydration and subsequent mortality.
• Lower environmental temperature leads to cold shock
• Initially it is recommended to have 200 watts bulb followed by 100 watts bulb (for 100 poults).

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Drug Toxicity

• Chicken and turkey are identical physiologically, it is different pharmacologically.
• In turkey, two effective chicken ionophore anti-coccidials of salinomycin and narasin caused mortality.
• Similarly mortality incidences have been recorded in tiamulin an antimycoplasmal product in turkeys.
• In combination of monensin with narasin or salinomycin, the former enhanced the toxicity of the latter.
• Furazolidone, bacterisol, chloroamphenical and doxicyclin induced certain degree of toxicity to turkey.

Cross ventilation

• Turkey is in general highly susceptible to the respiratory diseases during early days of brooding.
• Cross ventilation is very important for turkeys.
• Litter accumulation need not be entertained at any account.
• Head level ventilation needs to be attended.
• Breeder flock health is also very important.

(9 to 24 weeks)

• Stocking Density (9-16 weeks) - 1.75 sqft/bird� (17-24 weeks) - 3.50 sqft/bird
• Waterer space - 2.5cm/bird
• Feeder space - 5 -7.5 cm/bird
• Light requirement - No light
• Feed intake/day (9-16 weeks)- 100 to 135g/day � (17-24 weeks)- 140 to 180g/day
• Vaccination - Mesogenic at 16^th week
• Delicing - Malathion 0.4% spray

3

• Stocking Density (Hen turkey) - 3 sqft/bird� (Tom turkey)- 5 sqft/bird
• Waterer space - 5 cm/bird
• Feeder space - 10 cm/bird
• Feed intake/day (Hen turkey) - 130 - 160 g/day � (Tom turkey) - 250 - 300 g/day
• Light requirement - 16 hrs/day � both tom and hen turkeys
• Sex Ratio - 1:4

3

(Above 24 weeks)

Nutrient Standards

Selection of Breeders

• Birds selected should be free from diseases & defects such as crooked sternum, beak, spinal column, crooked legs and dropped feathers.

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Sex Ratio: 1:4/5

3

Artificial Insemination

• Age for collection of semen -32-36 weeks
• Semen volume-0.15 -0.30ml
• Semen should be collected at alternate days or once in three days.
• Hen turkeys are inseminated once in three weeks
• Insemination should be done at evening hours.

Reproductive Traits

• Age for egg production: 24 –28 Weeks
• Period of egg laying (Maximum production): 28 weeks from the date of egg production
• Weight of egg: 75-85 grams
• Incubation Period: 28 days
• Average number of eggs produced / hen: 100 –120
• Average number poults produced /hen: 60-80
• Total hatchability percentage: 65
• Fertility percentage: 70

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Egg Storage: Temperature: 57-59oF

Relative Humidity: 70-80%

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Setter: Temperature: 99.5-100 oF

Relative Humidity: 60-65%

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Hatcher: Temperature: 98.5-99.5 oF

Relative Humidity: 70-75%

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Candling Days: 7th day and 24th day

Bacterial Diseases

• Salmonellosis: Salmonella Arizona
• Colibacillosis: E.coli
• Infectious Coryza: Haemophilus paragallinarium
• Turkey rhinotracheitis: :Bordatella avium
• Fowl cholera: Pasteurella multocida
• Mycoplasma infections:

Chronic Respiratory disease, Infectious sinusitis: Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Mycotic Diseases:

• Aspergillosis (Brooder Pneumonia): Aspergillus fumigatus
• Mycotoxicosis: Aflatoxin B1,

Ochratoxin A,

T2 toxin,

Citrinin,

Zearalenone,

Cyclopiazonic acid

Viral Diseases

• Fowl pox: Avian pox virus
• New Castle Disease: Avian Paramyxo virus
• Avian Influenza: orthomyxovirus (Avian influenza Virus)
• Turkey Poult Enteritis (Stunting syndrome): Corona virus

Protozoan Diseases

• Coccidiosis: Eimeria spp
• Histomoniasis(Black Head): Histomonas meleagridis

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Miscellaneous

• Sudden death syndrome in turkeys.
• Pendulous crop (baggy, sour): Weakening of the crop and supporting tissues

Dr. Azmat Alam Khan

Associate Professor