If the breeders of the birds want to engage in the breeding of meat-related birds for the sale of meat, then Big 6 turkeys should be preferred. This is a breed that is famous for its large body weight, attractive external data, and accessibility in content. Such birds can bring a good profit.
Characteristics of birds
The cross of Big 6 turkeys was bred by crossing two species of birds - Booth 8 and Big 5. The bird is a meat type of productivity. Big 6 is a young cross-country, which relatively recently appeared on the Russian market, but at the same time has already managed to prove itself due to its excellent weight, precocity 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 fluffy plumage and a white shade. 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 luster.
The fluff of turkeys is highly valued because it has softness and lightness - it is used in industry. Birds have a flat and wide back, large wings and pronounced pectoral muscles. Big turkeys have large, strong and sinewy legs. The peculiarity of this variety is the presence of coral in the birds, skin red folds on the head and neck. On the top of the beak is a skin appendage hanging vertically downward - when the bird is excited, the appendage can increase to 12-15 centimeters.
Turkeys attract attention with a lively temperament - they are quite strong, can stand up for themselves. As for the community with other birds, constant conflicts are not excluded. Keep broilers apart and families.
What should be the house?
In industrial conditions it is necessary to keep birds in specially equipped houses that are large in size and do not include windows. It is imperative to arrange bedding, make lighting and create the optimal microclimate. Often turkeys are kept in cells.
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.
At home farms in the summer, it is important to let the birds go for a walk and drive them into the shed only at night. For turkeys, they build a capital house: erect brick walls (you can use other durable material), fill the floors with concrete. If there are windows in the house, they are opened, but before that they must be closed with bars - this is a guarantee that the bird will not fly away.
For turkeys, cold and damp are undesirable, therefore it is necessary to insulate the room so that in winter there is no need to pay huge amounts for heating the house. Big 6 is a bird that shows high productive results, but only if kept in a dry and warm room.
A manhole is made on the south side of the house so that the height from the floor is no more than 15 cm. To fill the floor in the barn with bedding made of hay, sawdust or straw. Due to the fact that the breed is not friendly, it is recommended to break the room into compartments with a large herd content.
Turkeys need bathtubs in which sand and ash are poured - it will be convenient for them to clean feathers from pests. Do not do without drinking bowls and feeders. Do not forget about the high enclosures, covered with a net, which will not allow the bird to leave the house. Since turkeys fly well, it is best for them to trim their wings.
Temperature conditions
The main requirement for growing birds is microclimate control. The first 4 weeks you need to keep the chicks in specially made litter compartments. Within 7 days, it is important to keep the temperature in the house 32-35 degrees, in the next 7 days to slightly reduce the heat level - 29-32 degrees, and the third decade should start from a temperature of 27-29 degrees.
Daylight hours should be 12 hours, and in winter, artificial lighting is required. Humans and drafts are forbidden to birds.
How to feed birds based on age?
Feeding small turkeys is fairly straightforward. But this must be done correctly, because further development depends on it:
- The first three days in the diet of the chicks include boiled eggs and cereal. Poultry need a lot of water. Feed exclusively with fresh food, withstanding three-hour breaks between meals. Grated carrots and finely chopped greens are added to the feed. It is not recommended to overfeed the birds, but the volume of servings should be such that the chicks can get enough. On the fourth day, the turkeys are fed with a mash in milk, adding grass.
- On day 7, birds are given vitamin D in the diet, then they need to be introduced on day 57. On day 15, Nystatin is added to the feed - a drug that prevents aspergillosis. For preventive purposes, it is advisable to drink chicks from 6 to 11 days with antibiotics.
- The first two months of life, the chicks should be provided with a complete diet, including dairy products. It is better if you feed them yogurt, cottage cheese, skim milk or buttermilk.
- Be sure to enter green feed in the menu. It is advisable to mix chopped greens of plantain, alfalfa, clover and dandelion into the feed. To prevent intestinal diseases, it is allowed to occasionally add green onions.
With increasing age, the number of feedings decreases. When the birds turn 16 weeks old, they are fed 4 times a day. To feed the chicks, it is recommended to make special feeders from plywood, but not from metal, because this can harm a small bird.
What food to choose?
It is undesirable to overfeed turkeys, as Big 6 birds are prone to overweight. In the morning and daytime, birds are fed with wet mash, which should consist of cereals. And the evening meal should include dry grain. To saturate the body with calcium and phosphorus, they introduce blood, fish and meat and bone meal into the diet of birds. Fiber contained in straw and hay will help improve the digestion of the body. In the summer, birds feed grass.
Vitamins A, E, B, N are found in large quantities in green feeds, sprouted grain and animal feeds. The diet of turkeys must be balanced, containing all the elements and vitamins, because when they are deficient, young growth is threatened with growth retardation, and adults can become victims decrease in egg production.
Diseases
Big 6 turkeys can be subject to various diseases:
- Histomoniasis. This is a disease that causes the liver of young individuals to suffer. Often the cause of the ailment becomes untimely cleaning in the house and poor disinfection. The disease manifests itself in turkeys with frothy yellow-green diarrhea. Chicks refuse to feed, become weak and thin, stop cleaning feathers. Piperazine and Phenothiazine can be used to treat the disease.
- Respiratory mycoplasmosis. When a bird gets sick, her eyes swell, her growth slows down, coughing and wheezing appear. Mortality in such cases is minimal. To combat the disease, it is recommended to use various drugs that the veterinarian will prescribe.
- Aspergillotoxicosis. Disease to which birds are exposed due to poor quality feed intake. Also, the cause of the development of the disease can be litter. Aspergillotoxicosis is manifested by drowsiness, frequent breathing, inactivity, poor appetite, diarrhea, stunted growth. This leads to sudden death in convulsions. When the first symptoms appear, you need to change the feed and litter, disinfect the house. Sour-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, paralysis of the limbs. It is impossible to cure the disease, but it can be prevented by timely vaccination.
Advantages and disadvantages of Big 6 turkeys
The breed has more positive qualities than negative ones. Breeding requires consideration of both sides of the coin.
What are the advantages of a bird:
- This is a large bird, which can reach up to 25 kg of live weight.
- If we compare this breed with other birds, then Big 6 has a high egg production.
- The birds were early. Young growth quickly gaining weight, while not a lot of money is spent on fattening.
- They have high-quality plumage, used in industry and for the production of various products.
The disadvantages of the breed:
- turkeys have poor contact with each other and with other birds, because they are kept in separate rooms and families;
- low resistance of the breed to dampness and cold, so you will have to warm and heat the house in winter, which will be costly.
Big 6 turkeys are poultry, which can be used to raise excellent profits. If you properly approach the feeding of animals, do not forget about cleaning in the house and timely prevent disease, you can get a lot of kilo diet meat with incredible taste during the season.