Turkeys "Big 6" - distinctive characteristics of the breed

If bird breeders want to breed meat birds for the sale of meat, then they should give preference to Big 6 turkeys. This is a breed that is famous for its large body weight, attractive appearance, and easy maintenance. Such birds can bring good profit.

Characteristics of birds

The Big 6 turkey cross was bred by crossing two varieties of birds - But 8 and Big 5. The bird belongs to the meat type of productivity. Big 6 is a young cross that has appeared on the Russian market relatively recently, but has already managed to establish itself due to its excellent weight, early maturity and vitality.

Turkeys are very large and massive. They are farm birds that have a stocky body and a small head. They are easy to distinguish from other species due to their fluffy plumage and white tint. A small black spot stands out on the chest - this is the main distinguishing feature of Big 6. Females are not as fluffy as males. The plumage of turkeys is dense and dense, with a characteristic shine.

Turkey down is highly valued because it is soft and light and is used in industry. Birds are distinguished by a flat and wide back, large wings and pronounced pectoral muscles. Big turkeys have large, strong and sinewy legs. The peculiarity of this species is that the birds have corals and red skin folds on the head and neck. On the upper part of the beak there is a skin appendage that hangs vertically down - when the bird is excited, the appendage can increase to 12-15 centimeters.

Turkeys attract attention with their lively temperament - they are quite strong and can stand up for themselves. As for the commonwealth with other birds, constant conflicts are not excluded. Broilers are kept separately and in families.

Productivity

Heavy crosses have high productivity, and the hybrid is no exception in this regard. During turkey slaughter, the meat yield is about 85%. A third of this volume falls on the bird's breast. An adult bird gains its body weight in 150 days; after this time, its flesh is filled with vitamins and macroelements. Turkey meat products have no allergic components, they are low in fat, but have high juiciness.

In terms of eggs, the female's productivity is approximately 80 eggs per year. With intensive nutrition, egg production can increase to 150 eggs. The average weight of one egg is 80 grams, they are characterized by the correct shape, density and smoothness of the shell. The taste of this product is excellent; they can be consumed both raw and after heat treatment. The survival rate of chicks reaches at least 85%.

What should a poultry house be like?

In industrial conditions, it is necessary to keep birds in specially equipped poultry houses, which are large in size and do not have windows. Be sure to organize bedding, make lighting and create an optimal microclimate. Turkeys are often kept in cages.

Cross Big 6 is bred not only in industrial enterprises, but also in private farms. It is necessary to adhere to the same requirements that are observed when keeping other breeds of birds.

On home farms in the summer, it is important to let the birds out for a walk and only put them in the barn at night. A permanent poultry house is built for turkeys: brick walls are erected (you can use other durable material), the floors are filled with concrete. If there are windows in the poultry house, they are opened, but before that they must be covered with bars - this is a guarantee that the bird will not fly away.

Cold and dampness are undesirable for turkeys, so it is necessary to insulate the room so that in winter you do not have to pay huge sums for heating the poultry house. Big 6 is a bird that shows high productive results, but only if kept in a dry and warm room.

A hole is made on the south side of the poultry house so that the height from the floor is no more than 15 cm. Cover the floor in the barn with a bedding of hay, sawdust or straw. Due to the fact that the breed is not known for its friendliness, it is recommended to divide the premises into sections when keeping a large herd.

Turkeys need baths in which sand and ash are poured - it will be convenient for them to clean their feathers from pests. You can’t do without drinking bowls and feeders. Don’t forget about high enclosures covered with mesh, which will not allow the birds to leave the house. Since turkeys fly well, it is best to clip their wings.

What determines the weight of a turkey?

First of all, the body weight of a bird depends on the conditions of detention and nutritional balance. The frequency of feeding also affects.

Secondly, the main influence on body weight is the variety of bird. Breeders are working in this direction: improving the appearance and overall fatness of the turkey carcass. Let's look at the most famous breeds of birds that have taken root with our farmers:

1. The Beltsville variety is the smallest known breed, weighing about five to six kilograms. It is rarely used for breeding for slaughter, more often for personal household needs.
2. Bronze standard. This breed is widespread in private farms, although it is of average size in terms of overall weight. An adult male weighs from seven to ten kilograms. Females are slightly more modest in size - the maximum reaches six kilograms. Birds of the bronze breed are excellent brood hens. They hatch not only their eggs, but also other birds: chickens, geese.
3. Uzbek fawn. The historical place of residence and distribution of turkeys is Central Asia. In Russia, birds of this breed do not take root well. Egg production rates and body weight gain are significantly reduced. The reason for this is the low temperature and harsh climate. Turkeys of the Uzbek fawn breed are medium in size. The body weight of females is about six kilograms, the weight of adult male turkeys is ten to eleven kg.
4. Black Tikhoretskaya is a unique species of birds bred by farms in the Krasnodar region. It is grown specifically for slaughtering. The meat of the breed is tender and has a specific taste. After five months of age, black Tikhoretsk turkeys stop growing, having reached their maximum body weight. The carcasses of adult males reach nine to ten kilograms.
5. White broad-chested. Broad-breasted turkey breeds are bred specifically for slaughter. They are distinguished by their good adaptability to living conditions. The white breed was bred relatively recently; its crossing involved the bronze and Dutch broad-chested breeds. There are three subspecies of the breed depending on the maximum weight gained. Heavy white broad-breasted - the body weight of males reaches 25 kg, females weigh up to ten kg. Average - males weigh up to 17 kg, females up to seven kg. And the smallest variety of the white broad-chested breed reaches a weight of five kg for females, up to nine kg for males

1. Moscow white breed. It is a product of breeding work on the Dutch and Beltsville breeds of turkeys. It is noteworthy that a turkey of this breed gains weight throughout the whole year of its life. The Moscow White breed is used as a meat breed and for selling eggs. Males weigh about fifteen kilograms after reaching sexual maturity. The weight of females is slightly more modest - up to eight kg.
2. Broiler breeds of turkeys are one of the largest and are intended for slaughter. They grow quickly, gaining maximum weight by three months. Broiler turkeys are characterized by rapid growth and large weight. List of the largest breeds: broad-chested Canadian, white broad-chested, North Caucasian breed. The cross breeds Big 6 and Big 9 also show high productivity indicators. The average weight of adult males can vary from twenty to thirty kilograms. Broad-breasted turkeys are considered to be the heaviest. Females reach a weight of nine to ten kilograms. Under comfortable living conditions and plentiful caloric nutrition, body weight reaches fifteen kilograms.

Turkey weight gain table

Temperature conditions

The main requirement when raising poultry is microclimate control. For the first 4 weeks, the chicks need to be kept in specially made compartments on the litter. For 7 days, it is important to maintain a temperature in the poultry house of 32-35 degrees, in the next 7 days, slightly reduce the heat level - 29-32 degrees, and the third decade should begin with a temperature of 27-29 degrees.

Daylight hours should be 12 hours, and in winter it is necessary to use artificial lighting. Birds are prohibited from high humidity and drafts.

Breeding Features

What you need to know:

1. Females begin laying eggs at 9 months. This process lasts at least 24, sometimes up to 32 weeks.
2. Turkeys of the medium and light subtype demonstrate the best fertilization rates - from 80 to 90%. Hatching of chicks is about 75%.
3. It is advisable to artificially inseminate the severe subtype. Oversized males find this role difficult. Considering that turkeys are 2 times smaller than turkeys, it’s not easy for them either. To prevent injury, a veterinarian must be present during this process.
4. Females are good brood hens. Chicks raised by their mother, compared to artificially bred ones, grow healthier and stronger. But hatching in an incubator has high survival rates.
5. With a well-formulated diet, the safety of young animals is 100%.

The period of puberty and physical maturation begins at the age of 9 months

For up to 3 weeks, babies are kept in a brooder, maintaining round-the-clock lighting and a temperature of +33°C. The temperature is gradually reduced, and the illumination is brought to natural. Upon reaching 35 days, the chicks are kept at +17.

Despite their weakness, the chicks are quite independent from the first days of life.

Step-by-step instructions for artificial incubation

Before starting this important event, you need to disinfect the incubator. A weak solution of potassium permanganate heated to +39°C is suitable.

Step 1. Inspect the eggs

Careful sorting is carried out before storage. Only the best are selected. Specimens with roughness, growths and other defects on the shell are subject to rejection. They should be of medium size and regular in shape.

Inspection of eggs

Step 2. Transillumination with an ovoscope

An important step is to inspect the contents using an ovoscope. During the procedure, the condition of the yolk is determined. The optimal position is central. When changing the position of the egg, it should not move much to the side.

Selection using an ovoscope

Prices for an ovoscope for diagnosing eggs

Ovoscope

Step 3. Laying the eggs

If the incubator is equipped with an automatic turning mode, the laying is done vertically. Otherwise, the eggs are placed with the blunt end up and turned over every day up to 12 times.

Laying eggs in the incubator

Step 4. Care during warming up

During the first 2 weeks, the optimal humidity is 75% and the temperature is +38°C. After 7 days of incubation, a second check is done with an ovoscope. If unfertilized specimens or dead embryos are found, the eggs are discarded. The temperature in the 3rd week is +37.5°C, humidity - 50%. After 25 days in the incubator, the temperature is reduced by 0.5°C, and air humidity is increased by 20%. The eggs are no longer a concern. The chicks hatch in approximately 27 days.

It is important to maintain the correct temperature in the incubator

Egg incubators

What to feed birds based on age?

Feeding baby turkeys is fairly easy. But this must be done correctly, because further development depends on it:

1. For the first three days, the chicks' diet includes boiled eggs and cereal porridge. Turkey poults need a lot of water. Feed exclusively fresh food, maintaining three-hour breaks between meals. Grated carrots and finely chopped greens are added to the food. It is not recommended to overfeed birds, but portion sizes should be such that the chicks can get enough. On the fourth day, turkey poults are fed mash with milk, adding grass.
2. On the 7th day, vitamin D is introduced into the birds' diet, then it should be introduced on the 57th day. On day 15, Nystatin, a drug that prevents aspergillosis, is added to the feed. For preventive purposes, it is advisable to give the chicks antibiotics from 6 to 11 days.
3. For the first two months of life, chicks should be provided with a nutritious diet, including dairy products. It is better if you feed them yogurt, cottage cheese, skim milk or buttermilk.
4. Be sure to include green food in the menu. It is advisable to mix chopped plantain, alfalfa, clover and dandelion into the food. To prevent intestinal diseases, it is allowed to occasionally add green onions.

As age increases, the number of feedings decreases. When the birds are 16 weeks old, they are fed 4 times a day. To feed chicks, it is recommended to make special feeders from plywood, but not from metal, because this can harm the small bird.

Feeding the young

Little turkey poults need good nutrition. On the first day and further, starter feed is used. On the 5th day, the baby is switched to complete feed, where cottage cheese and fresh grass are added.

The diet must consist of the following components:

• meat and bone and fish meal;
• dandelion greens;
• garlic greens;
• green onions;
• nettle;
• feed chalk.

The green mass is distributed in the morning and during the daytime, this helps to prevent a strong desire to drink in young animals. Fermented milk products are distributed on their own, and not as an integral part of the mash.

On the 90th day, it is recommended to distribute root vegetables; these can be either beets or potatoes. Vegetables must be chopped and served with grains. Pumpkin and zucchini cause digestive disorders in young animals, so they should not be fed. To provide vitamin B, yeast feed is given.

BIG6

Which food to choose?

It is not advisable to overfeed turkeys, since Big 6 birds are prone to excess weight. In the morning and daytime, birds are fed wet mash, which should consist of grains. And the evening meal should include dry grain. To saturate the body with calcium and phosphorus, blood, fish and meat and bone meal are introduced into the birds’ diet. The fiber contained in straw and hay will help improve digestion. In summer, birds are fed grass.

Green feeds, sprouted grains and feeds of animal origin contain large quantities of vitamins A, E, B, H. The diet of turkeys must be balanced, containing all elements and vitamins, since if they are deficient, young animals are at risk of slowing growth, and adults can become victims reduction in egg production.

How to prepare feed yourself

Purchasing a factory-made product is unprofitable for a small farmer, so it is better to make it yourself. It should include the following elements:

1. Proteins help birds increase weight and height; large amounts of them are found in cereals, beans, and legumes.
2. Fat helps maintain the desired body temperature.
3. Carbohydrates are found in green grass and starch.
4. Fiber is a must, its percentage should be 7-8 of the total mass of the feed.
5. Minerals help tissue development and are found in meat and bone meal.

However, for proper preparation, it is necessary to observe the proportions of all ingredients, otherwise the result will be the opposite. Here are several ways to prepare food, the proportion of products is indicated for one specimen per day:

• grain – 250 g;
• wheat bran – 60 g;
• corn, millet – 80 g;
• carrots, pumpkin, beets – 80 g;
• boiled potatoes – 100 g;
• waste from meat and fish – 150 g;
• meat and bone meal – 10 g;
• salt – 2 g;
• shell – 10 g.

Other composition:

• millet – 70.5%;
• sunflower meal – 20.3%;
• crushed dry grass – 6%;
• feed yeast – 5%;
• fishmeal – 4%;
• limestone – 4%;
• chalk – 3%;
• table salt – 0.5%.

You must add chalk carefully; if you make a mistake with the grams, it will form a ball and damage the bird’s stomach. Replacing wheat with barley increases the likelihood of obesity.

Diseases

Big 6 turkeys can be susceptible to various diseases:

• Histomonosis. This is a disease that affects the liver of young animals. Often the cause of the disease is untimely cleaning of the poultry house and poor disinfection. The disease manifests itself in turkeys as foamy yellow-green diarrhea. The chicks refuse food, become weak and thin, and stop preening their feathers. The disease can be treated with Piperazine and Phenothiazine.
• Respiratory mycoplasmosis. When a bird gets sick, its eyes become swollen, growth slows, and it coughs and wheezes. Mortality in such cases is minimal. To combat the disease, it is recommended to use various medications prescribed by the veterinarian.
• Aspergillotoxicosis. A disease to which birds are exposed due to the consumption of poor quality feed. Litter can also cause the development of the disease. Aspergillotoxicosis manifests itself as drowsiness, rapid breathing, inactivity, poor appetite, diarrhea, and stunted growth. This leads to sudden death in convulsions. When the first symptoms appear, you need to change the feed and bedding, and disinfect the poultry house. Fermented milk products are introduced into the diet.
• Newcastle disease. Young individuals often suffer from this disease, which is why most birds die. The disease is manifested by the accumulation of mucous secretions in the goiter, gray-yellow diarrhea, and paralysis of the limbs. It is impossible to cure the disease, but it can be prevented by timely vaccination.

Diseases of turkey poults

Big 6 has a strong immune system, but is susceptible to some dangerous diseases. The most common problem is coccidiosis. This disease is caused by protozoan bacteria and is transmitted from bird to bird through direct contact.
To prevent coccidiosis, the livestock is given metronidazole every month. Newcastle disease is the most dangerous disease for turkeys. This viral disease cannot be cured and is quickly developing into a real epidemic. For prevention, on the first day of life, chicks are given a specialized vaccination, followed by a course of vitamin C. This article will tell you about vitamins for turkey poults.

Advantages and disadvantages of Big 6 turkeys

The breed has many more positive qualities than negative ones. Raising birds requires considering both sides of the coin.

What advantages does the bird have:

• This is a large bird that can reach up to 25 kg of live weight.
• If we compare this breed with other birds, Big 6 has a high egg production.
• Birds are precocious. Young animals quickly gain weight, while not spending a lot of money on fattening.
• They have high-quality plumage and are used in industry and for the production of various products.

Disadvantages of the breed:

• turkeys have poor contact with each other and with other birds, so they are kept in separate rooms and in families;
• the breed has low resistance to dampness and cold, so you will have to insulate and heat the poultry house in winter, which will be expensive.

Big 6 turkeys are meat birds that can be bred for excellent profit. If you approach feeding animals correctly, do not forget about cleaning the poultry house and carry out disease prevention in a timely manner, during the season you can get many kilos of dietary meat with incredible taste.

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Egg production

An ideal turkey family consists of 1 male and 6-8 females. Turkeys are valued not for their weight, but for their excellent egg production. On average, one mature female can lay about 105-110 eggs per season.

They begin to lay eggs at the age of 7-9 months. Big 6 turkeys are excellent hens that hatch their clutch very conscientiously.

It is possible to increase the egg production of females by artificially lengthening the daylight hours. This is done using fluorescent lamps. Also, for turkeys, if possible, special half-trap nests should be equipped, from which the hen can get out, but other turkeys will not be able to get in.

Turkey eggs - benefits and harms

The product obtained from turkey has its own characteristic properties , which can be both beneficial and harmful.

The beneficial properties of turkey eggs include the fact that the product is rich in vitamins and minerals:

• vitamins E and A are good for beauty and health;
• phosphorus and potassium are necessary for the strengthening and health of teeth, hair, and bone tissue;
• sodium normalizes water balance in the body;
• B vitamins relieve fatigue and normalize sleep;
• potassium strengthens blood vessels and heart muscle;
• Iodine is necessary for enhancing mental activity and good functioning of the thyroid gland.

Turkey eggs are second only to quail eggs in terms of nutritional value. The balanced set of vitamins and minerals included in the turkey product normalizes the body's metabolism and strengthens the immune system. Raw eggs are good for the stomach. It envelops and protects the mucous membrane from increased acidity. Even the nervous system will begin to work well if you eat turkey eggs. When used, there is minimal possibility of allergies, so turkey testicles are practically safe for people prone to allergies and small children.