Turkey breed is grade maker. Turkeys Grade Maker: characteristics and maintenance of the breed

Grade Maker is a meat cross of turkeys bred by Canadian breeders. Representatives of this species quickly gain weight, their meat has a high taste, and is often used for preparing holiday dishes. The cross is most suitable for breeding in small private farms, for which it was originally developed. In this material we will look at what kind of breed this is, what the appearance and character of such turkeys are, what their productivity is, how best to keep grade maker birds depending on their age, and also how to protect them from diseases.

Productive indicators

Grade maker - medium-heavy cross. Its growth rate is quite fast.

Productivity characteristics look like this:

• the live weight of males reaches 18–20 kg by 4.5 months, females weigh half as much (at 4 months their live weight is approximately 9–11 kg, however, these weight indicators are enough to recoup the cost of rearing);
• the optimal slaughter age for poultry is 4–4.5 months, sometimes farmers slaughter poultry at 10–12 weeks (by this time its weight reaches 4–5 kg, and the meat of young birds is even more tender and juicy);
• oviposition begins at the age of 8–9 months;
• turkeys lay from 80 to 100 eggs during the reproductive period, egg hatchability is 87%;
• the weight of one egg is 80–85 g, their color is gray or beige of varying intensities with brown splashes over the entire surface.

Productivity

The presented breed is used primarily for meat production. This is facilitated by the rapid rate of weight gain in both females and males, the good quality of the meat obtained, and the large weight of the cut carcass. Individuals of this species can be sent for slaughter at an early age - on average, this is done at the 4th month of a bird’s life, less often at the age of 12 weeks. During this period, poultry meat is most tender, and the individual itself usually reaches a weight of 4.5 kilograms, which is quite acceptable for sale. Read how to carve a turkey here.

Meat output and weight gain

By 4 months, the weight of a turkey reaches 20 kilograms. The female weighs almost half as much - she grows up to 11 kilograms. By the middle of the third month of life, turkeys reach the minimum weight that is profitable for poultry slaughter - 4.5 kilograms. Weight gain occurs easily and quickly and requires the breeder to only follow basic recommendations for feeding individuals without the use of specialized feed mixtures. The benefit of turkey meat is that it is dietary: 58% of body weight is meat and only 8% is fat.

It should be remembered that this cross is prone to obesity, which deteriorates the quality of the meat. To prevent birds from gaining excess fat, you need to carefully monitor their diet and provide them with mandatory long walks.

Egg production (egg mass, laying period)

The presented cross has low egg production. Turkeys begin producing eggs at the age of 9 months. During the reproductive period they produce only 100 eggs. The eggs themselves of this breed are large - up to 80 grams in weight (the largest samples reach a weight of 85 grams), have a gray or beige color with brown splashes throughout the entire area of ​​the shell.

The hatchability of this species is considered high - up to 87%. The eggs are used primarily for breeding turkeys. They can be left for the females to hatch, but it is better to immediately place them in an incubator, where all the necessary conditions for hatching chicks are available.

Conditions of detention

To successfully breed this cross, it is necessary to comply with the conditions for comfortable development of the bird.

How to equip a poultry house

Turkeys should sleep on perches . Since representatives of the species in question are heavy birds, you need to take care of their strength. The beam must have sufficient thickness. The height of the perches should be 80 cm, and the width between them should be at least 60 cm.

For a group of three birds, 4–5 square meters should be allocated. m of turkey poultry area.

For better egg production, the female needs to properly equip her place for laying . In a secluded corner, install a nest from a basket or wooden box. Place straw or hay in it. The average height of the nest should be 15 cm, width and height - 60 cm. A nest of this size is suitable for 4-6 hens.

Always maintain the optimal temperature for these birds: for adult birds it is +22–23 °C.

In addition, the turkey house should not be damp or dirty. These two factors provide a favorable environment for pathogenic bacteria. Housing for turkeys should be dry, without a leaky roof or wet bedding.

To prevent heat from escaping, you need to ensure that there are no drafts in the poultry house. However, opening windows or vents is necessary to bring in fresh air.

There are no special requirements for raising young animals. The main thing is to guarantee constant temperature readings in the first two weeks (not lower than +35 ° C). It is also necessary to ensure that the turkey poults receive sufficient sunlight. It promotes rapid growth and the formation of a good immune system in birds.

Its deficiency on cool spring days can be compensated for by conventional incandescent lamps. For birds older than 7–10 days, heating will no longer be needed. However, there should always be enough light in the turkey poultry house. To do this, you can make several small holes in its walls to allow sunlight to penetrate.

Description

Turkey Vulture Skull

This large bird has a wingspan of 160–183 cm (63–72 in), a length of 62–81 cm (24–32 in), and a weight of 0.8 to 2.41 kg (1.8 to 5.3 lb) . Birds at the northern limit of the species' range are on average larger in size than the Neotropical vulture. The 124 birds from Florida weighed on average 2 kg (4.4 lb), while the 65 and 130 birds from Venezuela weighed on average 1.22 and 1.45 kg (2.7 and 3.2 lb), respectively. It exhibits minimal sexual dimorphism; The sexes are identical in plumage and color, and similar in size. The body feathers are mostly brown-black, but the flight feathers on the wings below appear silvery-gray, contrasting with the darker wing pads. The adult's head is small in relation to the body, red in color, with few or no feathers. It also has a relatively short, ivory, hooked beak. The iris of the eyes is gray-brown; the legs and feet are pink, although usually colored white. The eye has one partial row of eyelashes on the upper eyelid and two rows on the lower eyelid.

Turkey vulture ( C. a. septentrionalis

) in flight (Canada)

The two front toes are long, with small webs at the base. The marks are large, 9.5 to 14 cm (3.7 and 5.5 in) long and 8.2 to 10.2 cm (3.2 and 4.0 in) wide, both measurements including claw marks . The toes are arranged in a classic pattern. The feet are flat, relatively weak and poorly adapted for grasping; The claws are also not designed for grasping as they are relatively blunt. In flight the tail is long and thin. The black vulture has a relatively short tail and shorter wings, which makes it appear quite smaller in flight than the turkey vulture, although the body masses of the two species are approximately the same. The nostrils are not separated by a septum, but rather are perforated; visible from the side through the beak. Molting occurs at the end of winter - beginning of spring. This is a gradual molt that continues until early autumn. The immature bird has a gray head with a black beak tip; the coloring changes to adult coloration as the bird matures. Life expectancy in captivity is little known. As of 2022, there are two birds over 45 years of age in captivity: the Gabbert Raptor Center on the University of Minnesota campus has a turkey vulture named Nero with a confirmed hatching year of 1974, and another male bird named Lord Richard lives at Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, CA. Lord Richard hatched in 1974 and arrived at the museum later that year. The oldest striped bird caught was 16 years old.

Leucistic (sometimes incorrectly called "albino") turkey vultures are occasionally found.

The turkey vulture, like most other vultures, has very little vocalization ability. Because it does not have a syrinx, it can only hiss and grunt. It usually hisses when it feels threatened or is fighting with other vultures over a carcass. Grunting is commonly heard from hungry juveniles and adults during courtship.

Wing trimming

If you plan to keep some of the turkeys for the future, at the age of 3-4 months it is necessary to trim the flight feathers on the wings. The procedure will prevent the bird from flying through the mesh and will not give it the opportunity to escape.

It is advisable to trim only one wing - the bird will lose the balance required for flight. Pruning is carried out by two people - one holds the turkey, the other uses scissors or pruning shears.

After molting, the feathers grow back and will need to be trimmed again. For birds from 6 months of age, feathers are not trimmed, but tied on the back.

Decorative birds

It is not necessary to raise turkeys solely for meat or for a profitable business in order to sell it. There are some breeds that are famous for their external characteristics. For example, slate blue turkeys .

This breed is not as well known as many others. This can be explained by the fact that there is practically no point in raising slate turkeys. The maximum weight of adult individuals is 5 kg, and the weight of females is even less, so there is no profitability in feeding them. The only feature of this breed is its blue plumage, which attracts attention and makes the bird beautiful. Birds can be used as decorative animals.

The breeder needs to independently decide on the choice of breed. You need to base your choice on your goals. If poultry breeding is to become a profitable business, it is better to choose meat-oriented turkeys. That is, animals that gain a lot of weight in a short time.

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Feeding ration

Let's look at how to properly organize feeding of adult and young representatives of the Grade Maker cross.

What to feed adults

Adults of the breed in question love to eat. They need to be fed at least three times a day. During the mating season, the number of meals increases to 4–5 daily. The basis of the menu is dry and sprouted grains. In the warm season, fresh greens must certainly be present in the diet.

Give the turkeys wet mash in the morning and for lunch, and offer dry grain for dinner.

What to feed turkey poults

During the first month of life, chicks should eat 7–8 times a day. Give your kids a mixture of crushed boiled chicken eggs and raw wheat cereal. From the seventh day you can include cake, fish meal, and cottage cheese in your diet. From the twentieth day of life, in addition to wheat, you can give turkey poults other dry grains (corn, millet). After 4 weeks, while continuing to feed similar mixtures, gradually introduce fresh herbs (clover, alfalfa or cabbage leaves) into the diet. The greens must first be finely chopped. You can also give special combined feeds for chicks.

Vitamin supplements

In winter, birds need additional organic (vitamin) supplements. Introduce natural vitamin supplements consisting of beets, carrots and cabbage. You can dry the tops of these plants in advance, even in the summer, and already in the winter offer these additives to turkeys in steamed form.

What documents are needed to open a farm?

The list of mandatory documentation for the line of business in question depends on the chosen organizational and legal form, but, as a rule, it includes:

• standard papers of LLC/IP or peasant farm;
• lease agreements (for land, buildings, etc.);
• staff contracts;
• permission from SES, fire inspection and local authorities;
• agreements with counterparties;
• product certificates;
• veterinary services papers.

Try to communicate with representatives of the SES and veterinarians as often as possible so that you always have the most recent papers confirming the high quality of your products.

Pros and cons of cross

Turkeys grade maker are noted for many advantages :

• rapid development and increased rate of weight gain (without the use of intensive growing techniques);
• excellent taste, healthfulness and ease of digestibility of meat and eggs;
• beautiful presentation of carcasses;
• good immune system and high resistance to disease;
• undemanding feeding;
• excellent stress resistance;
• When raising poultry, the costs pay off quite quickly.

Video

Video about the features of feeding young turkey poults Grade Maker.

Turkey Grade Maker is a medium-sized cross of white broad-breasted turkey bred in Canada. Excellent for growing at home. In Europe this turkey is called "holiday". Not many farmers are breeding this cross in Russia yet, however, Grad Maker is gradually beginning to gain popularity. This is not surprising, because these turkeys have a lot of positive qualities.

Turkey Hybrid Grade Maker

Hybrid turkey Hybrid Grade Maker was bred by professional veterinarians in Canada. It is not very common in our country, as it is heat-loving. But, despite this, poultry meat of this breed is sold in many stores in Russia. The cross is a medium-heavy breed and is popular due to its fast growth and good immune system. It is less demanding in maintenance and resistant to disease. And the main criterion by which experienced farmers choose the Hybrid Grade Maker cross is high meat precocity. By 10-12 weeks the turkey is ready to cover all expenses, has a good presentation, weighs about 5 kilograms. It is at this moment that poultry slaughter is most profitable. The carcass, by this time, has the most presentable appearance in its uncut form.

Main characteristics of the Hybrid Grade Maker cross.

The turkey of this breed has white, fluffy plumage and a wide, powerful chest. Males gain about 18-20 kilograms of mass by 140 days of life. Females weigh approximately 10 kilograms at 126 days. Despite their disease resistance, birds are sensitive to cold and dampness. Turkeys are very confrontational birds and often fight among themselves.

If you maintain this hybrid correctly, it will bring considerable profit. To do this, you need to take into account all the features of the Hybrid Grade Maker breed and know the rules for creating the most favorable conditions for the turkey. Without this, it is impossible to guarantee the quality of the bird and its 100% health.

Breeding Hybrid Grade Maker is possible only in warm and dry climates. In a large, airy room without windows, there may be a mat or a metal cage on the floor. Lighting should be adjustable. In the poultry house, on the south side, it is necessary to install a ladder for them to independently exit the room, 10-15 centimeters high. It is important that there is a spacious courtyard near the cages, because these birds really love freedom and space.

Professionals advise clipping the cross's wings or installing a high pen, as this poultry has not lost its abilities and easily flies through a low cage. Considering their difficult temperament, 30-35 Hybrid Grade Maker females should be kept in one room along with 3-4 males. A female over 5 years old and a male over 4 years old cannot get along in a common herd.

To remove eggs, a wooden perch is installed in the poultry house at a height of 90-100 cm. The width of the bars is 73 cm, located at a distance of 40 centimeters from each other. Ideal nests for laying hens should be 60 cm wide, 60 cm deep and 15 cm high. Up to 5 hens can be accommodated in one nest.

To keep birds' plumage free of parasites, you need to give them baths in ash. To do this, a wooden box measuring 125x80x25 cm is filled with ash and fine sand in a 1:1 ratio and the contents are replenished from time to time.

Meat Hybrid Grade Maker.

Turkey meat is famous for its beneficial qualities; it is very tender meat with minimal fat content. Turkey meat is beautiful in any version, it can be prepared in different ways. The breast is stuffed with vegetables, mushrooms, nuts and so on.

Juicy meat is marinated with lemon juice, baked, fried, and added to salads. Turkey thigh and breast skewers are excellent. To cover up the smell of roast turkey, simply stuff it with fresh vegetables or nutmeg.

Turkey meat contains vitamins A and E, is rich in minerals, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium and has a high protein content. Consumption of turkey meat is harmless for children and the elderly; it contains low cholesterol and is easily digestible in the human body. The beneficial properties of white meat increase plasma levels in the blood and help normalize the metabolic process. In addition, this type of meat is recommended for the prevention of a number of diseases.

Nesting

The dimensions of a good nest for Grade Maker hens should meet the following parameters: height 14–16 cm, width 55–65 cm, depth 60 cm. Such “apartments” can accommodate from 4 to 6 turkeys, providing them with an excellent place to lay eggs.

The proven method of taking “dry baths”, the contents of which are ash and sand in equal quantities, will help you avoid all kinds of parasites. This mixture should be placed in a small box, the ideal dimensions of which are 130x85x30 centimeters. As you use it, you should not forget to replenish the supplies in the box, which will serve as a good guarantee of the health of Hybrid Grade Maker turkeys.

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Hybrid grade mayker

Turkeys of the Hybrid grade maker breed (read “hybrid grade maker”) were obtained during long-term experiments on crossing selected breeds. Initially, the goal was to obtain breeds with high live weight and excellent taste characteristics.

Turkeys Grade Maker on a private backyard

Description of the breed and its advantages

It is a hybrid (cross) medium-heavy species. Among European, American and Canadian farmers, it is commonly called “holiday”, since these are the birds that most often end up on the table during Thanksgiving and other celebrations. This is a medium-heavy cross with good meat.

The cross was bred in Canada. The color of the plumage is snow-white, the cover is fluffy. Turkeys are characterized by a wide, powerful chest. The growth rate is quite high - so, by 4 months, individuals reach:

The breed has long been grown on Western farmsteads. In Russia, these turkeys are not yet very widespread, but they have every chance of becoming so, since they have several important advantages:

• turkeys gain weight quickly;
• due to such growth rates, investments pay off quickly;
• the meat has good taste and is optimal for dietary nutrition, since the fat content is minimal;
• they are quite resilient to environmental conditions due to their strong immune system, and their breeding in Russia has real prospects;
• carcasses have an attractive presentation.

Breeding the hybrid grade maker breed can be carried out even in the Siberian climate, if you take into account several important points, which are described below.

Breeding can be carried out even in the Siberian climate

Conditions of detention

The basic requirements that must be taken into account when breeding turkeys of this breed are the following:

Maintaining a constant high temperature - birds really do not like the cold, so they will not tolerate it if the temperature in the poultry house drops below 18-20 o C. The optimal value for adults is room temperature (22-23 o C).

The temperature in the poultry house should be comfortable for the birds

It is important to ensure that there is no dampness in the poultry house.

There should be 7-8 turkeys per 1 male

Minimum perch height – 50 cm

Turkeys love sunlight very much.

A container of sand helps turkeys get rid of skin parasites

Note! Only those turkeys that have a healthy, normal appearance can be vaccinated. At the same time, you should not give water to drink for the first hours after vaccination.

Since birds gain weight well, they need to be provided with conditions for daily walks to prevent possible obesity. For this purpose, a special pen is created, which can be accessed directly from the turkey poultry.

By taking daily walks, birds will be able to maintain good immunity.

Prices for fencing for birds made of chain-link mesh

Representatives of the hybrid grade maker love to eat, so the minimum number of feedings is three times a day. During the mating period, the number of doses increases to 4-5 daily. The basis of the diet is dry and sprouted grains. During the warm season, fresh herbs are a must. And in winter, you can provide additional vitamin supplements of natural origin - beets, cabbage and carrots. You can dry the tops of these and other cultivated plants in advance in the summer, and then give them steamed in winter.

Minimum number of feedings – three times a day

Note! It is better to give birds wet mixtures in the morning and lunchtime, and dry grain for dinner, since during active hours the digestion of wet mixtures is best.

As for pruning, it is done upon reaching 16-17 weeks of age.

Turkey wing trimming diagram

In general, the Grade Maker is kept in the same conditions as other breeds. The fundamental difference is that birds are particularly demanding of a dry, warm microclimate.

Video - Wing clipping

Breed characteristics

Grade Maker is a medium-heavy breed of turkey. Representatives of this cross gain weight well, are less prone to illness, and have average productivity. They grow well in various climatic conditions; if the temperature in the poultry house is maintained at a stable temperature, they can be bred even in Siberia. The birds are unpretentious to food and inexpensive to breed; the cost of their maintenance pays off in the first year.

A significant disadvantage of turkeys is their quarrelsome nature: males often fight for the attention of females and can cause serious injuries to each other. For this reason, the proportions of females and males in the house should be strictly observed.

Appearance

This cross has a massive body covered with fluffy snow-white plumage. The chest of representatives of this species is wide and smooth. The beak is yellowish, long, curved. Males have red stripes on it. The head is small, pinkish or reddish in color. The earrings are long red. In some individuals, the face near the eyes has a blue color.

The main reason for culling individuals of this species is the discrepancy between the thickness or shade of feathers and the specific characteristics. Birds with darker plumage are not used for further breeding on the farm and are usually immediately sent to slaughter.

Character

Representatives of the grade maker cross have a quarrelsome character. Males of this breed regularly fight among themselves. This way they attract the attention of females. During a fight, they can cause damage even to their owner, so they must be handled with extreme caution.

You should also take into account the sex ratio in the poultry house: there should be at least 7 females per male.

It should be remembered that during fights such birds can cause serious injuries to each other. For this reason, it is important to keep order in the house and separate the males from each other.

Advantages and disadvantages

The grade maker breed has many advantages. Among them it is necessary to note the following:

• high rate of weight gain;
• attractive appearance of the carcass;
• low costs of maintaining individuals;
• birds' unpretentiousness to food;
• increased resistance of individuals to diseases and stress.

The main advantage of the presented breed is the excellent taste characteristics of not only meat, but also eggs. Because of them, the cross is in high demand both among large buyers and small clients cooperating with poultry farms.

The only drawback of this type of poultry is its sensitivity to temperature changes. Because of this factor, turkeys may begin to get sick, lose weight, and reduce egg production. They should be kept only in comfortable temperature conditions.

Origin

Grade Maker is a hybrid obtained by the Canadian company Hendrix Genetics. To obtain it, breeders successively crossed wild birds with domestic turkey species. Thanks to this selection, it was possible to obtain a hybrid of a white broad-breasted turkey, which gains weight well and is resistant to various diseases. It was developed specifically for use in small private farms. Find out which turkey breed is the largest by following this link.

Due to its large mass yield, this bird is often used in the USA, Canada, and Europe for preparing holiday dishes. Due to this, this cross began to be called the “holiday turkey.”