The biggest turkey. What breeds of turkeys can be bred at home? The best hens

The largest bull in the world exceeds the weight of 1500 kg. This is a truly huge animal that lived in the last century. Its weight record has still not been broken, although there are many breeds of cattle, and farmers today use the best feed and advanced technology to raise beef bulls.

The largest bull in the world exceeds the weight of 1500 kg

There are several main types of cow breeds: dairy, dairy and beef. Representatives of the meat breed are distinguished by their large body weight, as they are specially fattened. In addition, they do not milk and calves are not removed from the udder too early. They remain next to their mother throughout the year, so these calves are already larger than representatives of other breeds at an early age.

Then the grown calves are transferred to a mixture of mixed feed, hay and vegetables, and later grain is introduced into the diet. This diet helps to achieve rapid weight gain.

There are several main types of cow breeds: dairy, meat and dairy and beef

High-quality food also improves the taste of meat. The largest meat breeds include:

1. Italian. Representatives of this particular breed are the largest and have the greatest body weight. Moreover, Italian cows are bred exclusively for meat. Farmers feed and raise cows and bulls so that they only gain muscle mass. The amount of fat is a small proportion. Therefore, meat of this type is highly valued for its excellent taste. Animals of the Italian breed are only white or light cream in color, for which they are nicknamed “porcelain”. The average weight of bulls exceeds 1000 kg, and the height at the withers can reach 2 m. For comparison, the largest turkey in the world weighs 30 kg, a pig weighs about 700, and the weight of large horses reaches 1000 kg. But if the same turkeys are easy to feed, and turkey poults hatch in large numbers, then raising a muscular bull requires a lot of effort. The Italian breed dates back several thousand years of its existence.
2. Kalmytskaya. This meat breed was bred by the inhabitants of Central Asia about 400 years ago. Kalmyk cows and bulls are the best achievement of domestic farmers and breeders. - these are not pieces of beef pumped up with soy solution. Kalmyk bulls quickly build muscle mass naturally. Their distinctive feature is their ease of care. Having grown up in a difficult steppe climate, they easily adapt to any change of environment. Cows usually weigh 500-700 kg, bulls - 800-1100 kg. The color of the animals is brown, red or brown. As a result of long breeding work with the participation of Kalmyk bulls and cows, a new highly productive breed was bred in the Volgograd region in 2007 - the Russian polled. The characteristics of its representatives are similar to the Kalmyks, only the animals are black.
3. Hereford. It is the most common meat breed, bred in England several centuries ago. Successful breeding work by English farmers turned Herefords into highly productive animals, although they were once used only as labor in the fields. Today it is considered the most delicious, “marbled” with veins. More than half of the animal's powerful physique comes from muscles. Like Kalmyk cattle, Herefords are used to breed improved beef breeds.
4. Charolais. French breed of cattle, bred in the 18th century. The weight of a Charolais bull is 1000-1500 kg. Calves at birth already weigh about 60 kg. A representative of this breed is a strong and resilient bull. It does not require special maintenance conditions and easily adapts to unfavorable climatic conditions. A distinctive feature of Charolais bulls is the late accumulation of subcutaneous fat, so from one male you can get more than 500 kg of tender and healthy meat.
5. Holstein. These are red-and-white or black-and-white cows. They were originally bred in Holland, but American breeders managed to achieve high productivity from cows. Adult bulls reach a weight of 1200 kg, and cows - 800 kg.

Gallery: the largest bulls in the world (25 photos)

Record-breaking animals

The record bulls belong to the Italian breed. Their muscles are huge, as if pumped on top of each other. They also have no equal in strength. It is interesting that the temperament of strongmen is not at all violent. Huge Italians are distinguished by their flexible nature and friendly attitude towards people and animals.

The largest bull in the world was born in Switzerland in the middle of the 20th century. His name was Donneto. Its maximum weight was 1740 kg, and at the withers it reached 190 cm. Today, on an English farm lives Chili, a bull who, with a weight of 1300 kg, was included in the Guinness Book of Records. He was born in 1999. This is the largest bull to date. Chili gains about 100 kg per year, so his final weight is still unknown.

Another English bull named Field Marshal is currently the record holder for weight. He has not reached an impressive size in height, but his weight exceeds 1700 kg. It is unknown how much the bull weighs now, since his muscle mass is constantly increasing.

The record-breaking bulls belong to the Italian breed

The English bull Trigger has the greatest growth. He is not a heavyweight champion, but he has no equal in size. The animal's height is 196 cm, and the length from the tip of the tail to the nose is 4.3 m. Trigger has a rebellious disposition, so they even cut off his horns so that he would not injure anyone.

On a Ukrainian farm there lives a bull named Repp. This is a huge inseminating bull. It gives birth to 50,000 calves per year. Repp only requires seed material, since the cow is fertilized artificially. Repp himself weighs 1,500 kg, although initially it was not planned to raise him as a large representative of the meat breed, but the bull gained 2 kg per day and quickly reached an impressive size.

The biggest bull (video)

Turkeys are one of the most productive birds to raise at home (with the exception of ostriches). Therefore, many farmers have recently increasingly given preference to breeding them. Poultry farmers are not afraid even of the fact that the largest breeds of turkeys require a lot of attention and are quite demanding to care for. The reason for this is the delicious dietary turkey meat and the large meat yield from the carcass. What breeds of turkeys are preferable for meat breeding?

CANADIAN BROAD-BREATHED TURKEY

Canadian Broad-breasted Turkeys gain weight very quickly. At the age of six weeks, with proper nutrition, they already reach a weight of 5 kg, and by three months they acquire a marketable weight of 10 kg. Then their growth almost completely slows down, and further cultivation becomes unprofitable. During this period, Canadian turkeys are quite ready for slaughter.

The Canadian broad-breasted turkey has strong legs, which is not surprising, because they have to withstand a lot of weight. In the head and neck area there are skin formations characteristic of these birds, the so-called corals. The plumage of turkeys of this breed is white or black, with a light bronze tint. The body build is very compact, with a wide chest.

But this breed has one huge disadvantage. Canadian turkeys are very susceptible to various diseases and do not adapt well to unfavorable climatic conditions. You can adapt to these features, i.e. raise poultry in the warm season and slaughter it before the onset of cold weather, and also build a good poultry house for them and maintain a temperature in it of about +25 ° C.

WHITE WIDE CHEST

White broad-breasted turkeys are the ancestors of many modern breeds. There are three varieties of the breed:

Lightweight, the weight of an adult turkey is 9 kg, a turkey is 5 kg.

Average, live weight of a turkey is about 15-17 kg, turkeys reach a weight of 7 kg.

The heaviest, largest representatives of the breed, the turkey reaches a weight of 23-26 kg, the turkey, in turn, 10-11 kg, young animals at six months reach a weight of 11-15 kg!

Young animals gain weight well up to six months, then growth slows down and their further maintenance is unjustified. Therefore, at this age, birds are usually slaughtered.

MOSCOW BRONZE ROCKS

As the name implies, the breed appeared thanks to the work of Russian breeders. The Moscow Bronze Turkey was obtained by crossing the Broad-breasted Bronze with local turkeys. The result is a wonderful meat breed, the males of which reach a weight of 12 kg, and the females - 7 kg, with good egg production - 90 eggs per year. Young turkeys begin to lay eggs at the age of 8-9 months, but if you follow the light regime, the result can be achieved at an earlier age. In addition, Moscow bronze turkeys are highly resistant to various diseases and are unpretentious to housing and feeding conditions. They adapt very quickly to different climatic conditions. Also, these turkeys are perfectly kept in pasture conditions.

BREED HYBRID CONVERTER

This breed was created by crossing white Dutch and bronze broad-breasted turkeys. Today this breed is the heaviest among all turkeys in the world. Due to its tendency to gain a lot of weight, the Hybrid Converter turkey has earned the nickname “Indoostrich” from farmers. And all because turkeys gain body weight up to 25 kg, and females - up to 13 kg. However, in addition to the large meat yield, the Hybrid has considerable features that are worth paying attention to: excellent resistance to diseases, good adaptation to unfavorable climatic conditions, well-developed parental instinct in females, and rapid weight gain of the bird. These are perhaps the most striking features of the Hybrid Converter breed, which is now popular not only in its homeland, but also in our country.

Hybrid turkeys are birds with white plumage and a broad chest. On the powerful beak of males there is a bright red growth - an earring. Males of the Hybrid breed have rich, lush tail plumage; When a turkey fluffs up, it looks like a big fluff ball. The down of this breed is highly valued due to its softness and lightness.

NORTH CAUCASIAN BRONZE BREED OF TURKEYS

Turkeys of the North Caucasian breed have an elongated massive body, a wide chest and widely spaced legs with well-developed hips. Turkeys' feathers fit tightly to their body. The color is dark with a bronze tint.

The North Caucasian bronze breed of turkeys has two varieties: heavy and light. By the age of four months, young animals of the heavy line reach a weight of 4-5 kg. At six months, turkeys weigh on average 8 kg, and turkeys weigh up to 18 kg. Oviposition begins at eight to nine months; on average, 70 eggs are produced per year. The survival rate of chicks is good, since the birds are unpretentious and tolerate any living conditions.

The disadvantages of this breed are considered to be the low marketability of the carcass - due to the black color of the feathers, the skin of the birds also has a dark tint, which spoils the presentation.

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Turkey breeds are very numerous and varied. These birds were first brought to Europe by merchants from Spain, where they came from America. They became very popular. Turkeys are suitable for temperate climates, but the temperature should not be too low or high. Dampness won't suit them either.

Turkeys are suitable for temperate climates, but the temperature should not be too low or high.

Popular meat breeds

There are very numerous meat breeds of turkeys. One of the most popular is the white broad-chested breed. It is conventionally divided into light, medium and heavy cross-country. The last group are larger individuals. Already at 4 months their weight reaches 7-7.5 kg. Adult birds can reach an average weight of 25 kg. This is the largest turkey. As for the middle category, at 3 months their weight is 5 kg, and among representatives of light cross-country breeds the weight reaches 4 kg.

The hybrid Broad Breasted White breed was created to produce maximum meat while containing less fat and more protein. Males of a large cross of a broad-chested breed from the heavy category can gain 23 kg of weight, and females - 11 kg. As for the average cross of hybrids, males weigh 14 kg, and females only 8 kg. Hybrid males from a light cross gain 10 kg, and females only 6 kg. The hybrid is distinguished by early maturity and excellent quality of meat, so this breed is well suited for breeding at home.

Turkey meat breeds are very numerous

BYuT-8 and BYuT-9 are another meat breed that belongs to the heavy cross. The largest males reach a weight of up to 26 kg, and females - 11 kg. Their peculiarity is the presence of strong paws and light-colored plumage.

Turkeys of the Big 6 breed also belong to meat. They are a heavy cross breed. The breed was created in England in 2008. This hybrid is very popular due to its rapid growth and development. Bik's feathers are completely white, but tufts of darker shades may appear. The legs are very strong and sinewy. The wings are large, the chest is voluminous and large, and the head, on the contrary, is very small. Males have more luxuriant plumage.

If there is a bright red color on the head and neck of the bird, this indicates that the bird is healthy. Big-6 turkeys already weigh 5 kg at 3 months. They stop gaining weight around day 100, so they are usually slaughtered at this time. These broilers weigh 25 kg, and the meat yield is approximately 80%, of which 30% is allocated to the sternum area. Females weigh 12 kg.

There are significantly fewer breeds of turkeys than any other poultry. There are only 31. Half of them are bred in Europe. Raising turkeys for meat has become a very profitable business. Because on average a male weighs about 20 kg, and a female a little less than 10–13 kg. And this is at relatively low maintenance and feeding costs. In addition, turkeys still lay eggs and have good maternal qualities. Despite the fact that for another month they will lead the chicks with them, sheltering them from the cold. Turkeys have plumage of different colors and are characterized by good productive performance. Therefore, when choosing a breed or cross for backyard breeding, you need to familiarize yourself with the main characteristics in advance and select the one you need. Typically, farmers choose those breeds that can quickly gain a lot of weight in a short period of time. We will tell you in this article which crosses are the largest and which are the most egg-laying or hardy.

Largest turkey: Canadian

Everyone knows that turkeys are the largest poultry. But among them there are record holders for weight. This is, for example, a Canadian turkey. It belongs to the broiler type and is the result of the work of Canadian breeders. This poultry has a unique and characteristic exterior:

Fattening this cross is profitable until the age of 90 days, then the bird goes to slaughter.

Characteristics: how much does it weigh

Main productivity indicators of Canadian turkeys:

The best breeds for meat

Each breed of turkey has its own methods of keeping, breeding and preparing a diet. Birds are usually divided into three groups:

Lungs. Turkeys of this group have a relatively small weight. Males - 10–12 kg, females about 5 kg. The advantages of these birds are:

• Good egg production;
• Endurance;
• Disease resistance.

Pedigree representatives of birds - Tikhoretsk black, white Dutch, Norfolk black, small Beltsville.

Average. The weight of adult males is 15–16 kg. Females - about 7 kg. Birds of this group are meat-type breeds. Representatives: North Caucasian black, Moscow white, fawn, etc.

Heavy. This group includes large and very large meat breed turkeys. The weight of an adult turkey can reach 30 kg. The weight of the turkey is more than 12 kg. Representatives of broiler breeds are white broad-breasted, Canadian broad-breasted broiler, BIG 6 cross and some others.

Heavy meat cross BIG 6

Hybrid Converter

In order for a bird to develop as quickly as possible, it is necessary to create comfortable living conditions for it, select high-quality food and balance the diet.

What kind of unpretentious ones are there?

Compared to chickens, turkeys are quite fastidious birds, but there are still breeds that are less demanding on climatic conditions and feed. Perhaps a novice poultry farmer who has decided to have turkeys should practice on chickens, because breeding and keeping them are a little similar. But if you still decide to start breeding turkeys, you need to know which breeds are less capricious so that the business you have started will be crowned with success.

Black Tikhoretskaya

Belongs to the lung group. The breed got its name because the color of the birds' plumage is black. Turkeys of this species also have the following common characteristics:

The weight of an adult turkey can reach 10 kg, females up to 5. In some cases, these figures can be slightly higher. The male is much larger in size, almost twice as large. The Tikhoretsk breed has the following positive qualities:

• Resistance to stressful situations;
• Calm disposition, trusting. They can be safely released into open areas for walking, since the birds are adapted to pasture conditions;
• Turkeys have a well-developed maternal instinct.

The amount of meat from the total body weight of this breed is about 60 percent. Poultry can be slaughtered from 17 weeks of life. By then she gains weight up to 3 kg. However, experienced farmers recommend waiting a little so that the young animals have time to gain more weight.

The Tikhoretsk turkey can lay more than 80 eggs per season, so this breed can be bred not only for the purpose of producing meat.

Kubanskaya

The birthplace of this breed is the Krasnodar region. To breed Kuban turkeys, breeders needed to do serious work. And the result was not long in coming. The Kuban breed of turkeys is unpretentious in keeping and adapts well to almost any climatic conditions. The bird is quite active, so for its breeding it is advisable to designate an area for walking. Turkeys of this breed have good immunity, which resists many diseases. With proper maintenance, the mortality rate of young animals is low. With a properly balanced diet and comfortable housing conditions for the bird, a turkey is capable of laying more than 100 eggs per year.

The survival rate of chicks to adulthood is ninety percent, which is a relatively high figure. You can find out how to care for turkey poults.

Kuban turkeys tolerate low temperatures well, so they can be grown in different climatic zones. When feeding, they do not require any special diet, so maintenance costs will not be high.

French, weight 12-13 kg

Turkeys of this breed have beautiful feathers and relatively small sizes. By the 4th month of life, the bird reaches its maximum weight and can be slaughtered for meat. The survival rate of turkey poults is about 75–90 percent to adulthood. This fairly high viability rate is due to the bird’s good immunity. The weight of adult individuals reaches 12-13 kg. The French breed of turkeys is unpretentious to food and does not require the inclusion of expensive feed additives in the diet.

Birds of the French breed are active and mobile, therefore, when planning a poultry house, it is advisable to allocate an area for them to walk in open space.

The best hens

The egg production rates of turkeys are not as high as those of some breeds of laying hens, but the eggs are large and tasty. In addition, the majority of turkeys have a well-developed maternal instinct, they incubate eggs and are able to breed healthy offspring. Such positive characteristics of some breeds are good because an incubator is not needed to hatch and breed young animals. This is a significant saving of money that would have to be spent on the device itself, and electricity bills will be lower. For raising turkeys in small quantities on private farmsteads, purchasing an incubator is not practical.

White Moscow (Russia)

White Moscow turkeys were bred in Russia. The main tasks that the breeders set for themselves before breeding this breed were to obtain meat specimens and increase egg production rates. The White Moscow belongs to the middle group of turkey breeds. The weight of an adult male can reach up to 16 kg, females – up to 8 kg. By 5–6 months of age, the bird gains weight of about 4 kg.

General signs:

• The feathers are white with a black spot in the chest area. Males, unlike females, are larger in size and have longer plumage on the neck;
• The body is medium in size, long lower limbs, the pink beak is slightly curved.

Turkeys of this species are very hardy and unpretentious to climatic conditions, so they are often bred by both farms and poultry farmers in private backyards.

Bronze large broad-chested

The basis for obtaining the bronze broad-breasted was wild turkeys and the English black breed. Main exterior characteristics of the bird:

In a year, a turkey can lay 100-120 eggs, eighty percent of which are fertilized. Females have a well-developed maternal instinct, and they often incubate their offspring themselves.

The Bronze Broadbreast is not well suited for grazing in open spaces. Therefore, industrial conditions are more suitable for its breeding.

He will tell you how to build a turkey poultry house.

Breed Station wagon

Cross station wagon is a breed of turkeys that is characterized by high rates of weight gain. The weight of an adult male reaches 17 kg, and sometimes a little more. Females are somewhat smaller and have a body weight of up to 10 kg. The station wagon cross is suitable for breeding in private backyards and is widespread not only in Russia, but also in other countries.

Turkeys in the eighth week of life gain weight up to seven kilograms. General characteristics of a station wagon cross:

• White color of feathers;
• Strong body, powerful wings and long legs;
• Good survival rate of chicks (reaches 99 percent), and excellent vitality of growing individuals;
• Strong immune system;
• Females lay 60–70 eggs per year;
• The fertilization rate of eggs is 80–90 percent, which is quite a high figure.

Chiton turkey

This breed was developed in the Netherlands. The bird's feathers are predominantly white. The weight of an adult male can reach 18–20 kg. The weight of females is approximately 12–15 kg. The bird gains its maximum weight by 30 weeks of life. Over the course of a year, a turkey can lay 90–110 eggs. Adult males, in good housing conditions and with proper feeding, can reach a weight of 20 kg or even more. Females are slightly smaller, but still not very far behind turkeys. The weight of an adult turkey is up to 16 kg. Chiton has good egg production. During the season, a turkey can lay 100 eggs.

Breeding this breed does not require much effort, the use of special diets and expensive feed when feeding.

Video

Video about BIG-6 heavy cross turkeys.

conclusions

When breeding any poultry, you want to get a good result, because a lot of energy and money are invested in buying and raising it. Many poultry farmers have switched to raising turkeys. Because they are able to gain a lot of mass in a very short time. In addition, turkeys have good egg production and are also good and caring mothers. There are a little more than 30 breeds and crosses, so there is plenty to choose from:

1. Meat giant crosses. Representatives of broiler breeds are Canadian broad-breasted broilers, BIG 6 crosses and some others.
2. Undemanding in terms of feeding and maintenance. Tikhoretsk black, Kuban, French and other breeds.
3. Good hens. White Moscow, bronze broad-chested, chiton and others.
4. In any case, by choosing the option you need, by the end of the breeding season you can get a lot of dietary meat and eggs for reproducing replacement young stock.

Read on for the pros and cons of raising turkeys as a business.

The first domesticated turkeys appeared in Europe in the 16th century. They were brought by sailors returning from a trip to South America. This large and beautiful bird with tender meat was to the taste of Europeans, and they began to actively engage in its breeding and selection. Turkeys came to Russia a little later, but also did not go unnoticed by domestic breeders.

Centuries of selection have not been in vain. New species of these birds have appeared that are suitable for home breeding. Today there are about 30 breeds of turkeys around the world. Of course, this is not much in comparison with the same chickens, but it is quite enough for breeders to divide all breeds into classes.

There are 2 types of classification of domestic turkey breeds. The first type of classification is based on the purpose of the bird. According to this division, turkeys are:

• Meat. These include crosses and broilers.
• Meat and eggs. Such birds produce slightly less meat than broilers, but turkeys lay up to 100 eggs per year. They are most often bred at home.
• Egg. There are very few such turkeys and in our country they are bred only by enthusiasts. This is explained by the fact that some heavy crosses can produce almost the same number of eggs as a pure egg breed.

The second type of classification is based on the weight of turkeys. According to weight, all birds are divided into the following groups:

1. Lungs. Turkeys gain up to 9 kg of weight, turkeys only 5 kg.
2. Average. The weight of a male can reach 16 kg, and that of a female up to 7 kg.
3. Heavy. Turkeys weigh under 30 kg, and turkeys can reach a weight of 12 kg.

There is no point in describing all 30 existing turkey breeds. We will only touch on those breeds that are actively grown in Russia and will take the classification by weight as a basis.

Gallery: turkey breeds (25 photos)

Light breeds

These birds are most often raised at home in small backyards in rural areas.

Black Tikhoretskaya

These turkeys were bred by zootechnologists from the Tikhoretsk poultry farm in the 50s of the 20th century. The main feature of these birds is that their black plumage has a bronze-green tint. Despite the fact that the body of turkeys of this breed is small, it is very fleshy. Raising black Tikhoretsk turkeys in cages is impossible, since the birds are very active. Therefore, they are mainly kept in small pastures where the turkeys feed themselves. As a result, breeders' feed costs are reduced by half.

During cold weather, the poultry house needs to be heated. It is advisable that the air temperature in the room does not fall below 15 ° C.

To get more eggs, farmers use a little trick: artificially increase the length of daylight hours for BIG 6 turkeys.

Inside the poultry house, the birds are kept in individual houses, which are similar in design to traps. Their doors are designed in such a way that no other turkey can enter.

Caring for BIG 6 turkeys must be very careful. Feeders and drinkers should be cleaned twice a day. Birds should only have fresh water.

For the health of turkey poults and adults, the house should be regularly ventilated. In summer this can be done using vents. In winter, a ventilation system must be used for these purposes.

Raising young animals

The main condition for success is maintaining a certain temperature in the poultry house. A turkey poult will not be able to gain weight in time if he gets a cold.

When raising turkey poults, the following recommendations should be followed:

1. All chicks should be kept in boxes of 4 each. The boxes must be heated from below. Electric heating pads are used for this.
2. Rags should be used as bedding for turkey poults in the first 5 days of life. Starting from day 6, they are replaced with wood shavings.
3. In the first week of life, the air temperature in the room where turkey poults are nursed should be kept at 32 - 35 ° C. Then it is gradually reduced. By week 14 it should be 16°C.

Broiler turkey BIG-6 will grow quickly only if suitable conditions are created for it. Starting from the 15th week, the chicks should live in fenced-off enclosures. No more than 18 turkey poults can be kept in one enclosure at a time. Otherwise, the living conditions for young animals are the same as for adults.

As for the diet, turkey poults receive nutritious food already on the 5th day. This is cottage cheese, fresh herbs,... Week-old turkey poults must be given vitamin D 3 in the form of an aqueous solution. The chicks are fed with it for 3 days. After a month and a half, the procedure is repeated. Upon reaching the age of 3 months, beets and potatoes are introduced into the diet of turkey poults. From time to time you need to feed the young animals yeast.