Key Technical Points and Management Methods for Turkey Farming
The turkey, scientifically known as Meleagris gallopavo and also called the seven-faced bird, originated in the Americas and is a high-grade game fowl introduced from abroad that is herbivorous and feed-efficient for meat production.
1. Economic value of turkey farming. Turkey meat is tender, delicious and good in texture. Turkey meat has 20% more protein than other poultry, while its fat content is 21% lower, and its cholesterol content is low. Turkeys are mainly herbivorous, and their meat is fresh and tender, with no gamy or offensive odor, no drug residues, and a rich, mellow and tasty flavor. It suits both the high-end dining table and ordinary families, and is an excellent product combining nourishment and fine food.
2. Benefits of turkey farming. Turkeys have the characteristics of large body size, fast growth, high meat yield, strong reproductive capacity, easy management and high returns. Under normal conditions, at 140 days heavy-breed turkey males can reach 16 kg to 20 kg, and females can reach 9 kg to 15 kg; medium-breed turkey males can reach 13 kg to 15 kg, and females can reach 8 kg to 10 kg; light-breed turkey males can reach 10 kg to 12 kg, and females can reach 5 kg to 8 kg. Turkeys have a high meat yield. Turkeys have well-developed breast meat and leg meat, accounting for more than 40% of live weight, with a live slaughter rate of 64% and a carcass slaughter rate of more than 85%. Turkeys have strong reproductive capacity. With artificial incubation, each turkey can lay 180 eggs per year, and with natural incubation it can lay 80 to 100 eggs per year, with both the fertilization rate and the hatching rate above 90%. Turkeys generally begin laying eggs after growing to 6 to 7 months of age, and after laying 15 to 25 eggs they begin to brood, with an incubation period of 26 to 28 days. About 10 days after the chicks hatch, they begin laying eggs again, and after laying 15 to 25 eggs they incubate again, repeating this production cycle continuously. If artificial incubation is used and the hens are not allowed to brood, they can continue laying eggs.
Turkeys are easy to manage. In the Americas, turkeys were originally wild animals that fed on plant stalks, tender branches, seeds and insects, could withstand heat and cold, roost in wind and rain, dig through snow to find food, and adapt to various harsh conditions. Under artificial rearing, all crop stalks ground into powder and mixed evenly can be used as turkey feed, and turkeys can adapt to both housed feeding and grazing. In rural areas, each person can raise 300 to 500 turkeys. Young turkeys are born large and have a high survival rate. Generally, newly hatched turkeys can weigh 110 g to 130 g, with a survival rate above 95%.
Turkeys have a high input-output ratio. Turkeys are herbivorous animals and require very little concentrated feed. Under normal rearing, aside from green grass, each turkey requires only 20 yuan per year in water and electricity costs to achieve the effect of scientific rearing, and can bring in 80 yuan to 100 yuan, giving an input-output ratio of 1:4 to 5. It has the advantages of low input, high output and high returns.
3. Market analysis of turkeys. Turkeys are very popular abroad and have long been raised on a large factory scale. Although China has not introduced them for long, because turkeys grow fast, are large, have tender and delicious meat, are nutritionally rich, and are herbivorous and feed-efficient, they have been included in the "National Spark" development project for becoming prosperous, and their development prospects are very optimistic.
4. Farming precautions. 1) Pay attention to the quality of the stock. Be sure to buy from professional turkey breeding farms, because their breed purity, disease prevention and farming technology are correspondingly complete (you can check whether they have a "Breeding Livestock and Poultry Production and Operation License"). 2) Pay attention to breed selection. The choice of turkey breed is directly related to the success or failure of the turkey farming business. At present, the turkey breeds introduced and raised in China are mainly the American heavy Nicholas turkey (16 kg); the Canadian medium Hybrid turkey (14 kg). These two kinds of turkeys are large and clumsy, making natural mating difficult, so artificial insemination is mostly used, and they are suitable for factory farming or rearing by research institutions. The light Betty turkey, however, can mate naturally and hatch in all four seasons, and its fertilization rate, hatching rate and survival rate are all above 90%, so beginners should first raise light-breed turkeys. 3) Pay attention to the age in months when selecting breeding stock. Those introducing stock should preferably buy chicks and young turkeys, and should not buy old turkeys that are about to be culled or have already been culled; hens can only be used for two years.