Turkeys, Ducks, Geese for MEAT production Flashcards
Biological characteristics of turkeys (difference from broilers)
- turkey is not a “big chick” !
- slaughter age: 15-20th week because high growth rate is much longer comparing to broilers (5-6 weeks)
- expressed sexual dimorphism!! BW of males is double of female (comparing to 8-10% difference in broilers)
- ## sensitive for environmental conditions (housing, nutrition)
Hatching weight, slaughter weight and age of turkeys
- hatching weight: 60 g (vs 40 g of broilers)
- slaughter age for females: 15 weeks, 11 kg BW
- slaughter age for males (toms): 20 weeks, 22 kg BW
Turkeys. Difference between heavy and medium breeds. Breast weight. Feed efficiency
- heavy breeds: both males and females for fattening
- medium breeds: males only
- breast weight: 35%
- feed efficiency: 2,5/kg (1,6 in broilers) — but even though number is higher its very good because this food efficiency is valid for much longer than in broilers
- multiple stage diets (4-5 stages)
Multiple stage diet in turkeys
- Starter 1: 0-4 weeks
- Starter 2: 5-8 weeks
- Grower 1: 9-12 weeks/ 9-11
- Grower 2: 13-16 weeks/12-15
- Fattener: 17-20 weeks
- protein: will decrease with time (starting with 28%, comparing to 23% in broilers)
- energy: increases by age, starting with G1: energy supplementations are needed. Difference from broilers: fat content doesn’t increase with age!!
- AAs supplementation: also to sustain amount of breast meat !
- C. P: higher demand
- vitamin D and biotin should be taken in consideration
Physical form of diets in turkeys
- seedeaters
- pellets ad lib
- aim is to let them grows as fast as possible
- day old turkey chick have bad eye site -> coloured starter diet (not to confuse with litter)
- housing is similar to broilers
- artificial light of low intensity not to provoke aggression (much more prone to aggression)
- end of beaks can be cut with laser in first days of life to reduce harm from fighting
Data of ducks (weight, slaughter age)
- water birds, hybrids (pekin ducks)
- hatching weight: 50-55g
- slaughter age: 6-7 weeks (45-49 days) (comparing to 5-6 weeks in broilers)
- slaughter weight: 3-3,2 kg (60x times more than at hatching)
- poorly expressed sexual dimorphism (very small weight difference)
Special features of ducks (determination of slaughter age)
- by day 49 (end of week 7) 80% of growth capacity is lost
- feed efficiency: 2,7kg/kg (much worse than 1,5 in broilers)
Why is feed efficiency so much worse in ducks comparing to broiler chicken ?
- beak: not adapted for seed-like forms of food. They are made for filtering water —> poor feed intake + lots of wasted feeds (technological loss)
- dont have crop )but oesophagus is very flexible) —> frequent feeding !
- vividness: very active birds, move a lot —> high maintenance
- have diet with lower nutrient and energy densities
- tap water intake: 3-5 l/kg (comparing to 2-2,5 l/kg): also play with water a lot :D —> decrease of quality of litter
For us is important: select optimum physical form of the feed, careful water supply. Technology !
Special aspects of physiology of the ducks (protein, fat inbuilding)
- in ducks fat inbuilding is also increasing with age but fat is stored subcutaneously (<-> abdominal fat in broilers)
-why is it different: naturally fat is needed to protect ducks from cold water ! - also fat inbuilding is peak till weeks 4-5 and then it won’t be significant —> till the slaughter age fat inbuilding is not continuously increase in like in broilers
- considered fatty birds
- multiple stage diet
Features of multiple stage diet in ducks
- Starter: 0-2 weeks
- Grower: 3-6 weeks
- Finisher: 7 weeks
For ducks all parameters are gonna be lower than in broilers. Diet is more “diluted” in nutrient density
- protein: decrease with age, starting with 21% (vs 23 in broilers)
- energy
Features of multiple stage diet in ducks
- Starter: 0-2 weeks
- Grower: 3-6 weeks
- Finisher: 7 weeks
For ducks tendencies will be the same but all parameters will be lower than in broilers. Diet is more “diluted” in nutrient density
- protein: decrease with age, starting with 21% (vs 23 in broilers)
- energy: increased with age, staring with 12 MJ/kg (vs 12,6 in br)
- Ca and P supplementation needed: decreasing % tendency
Why is diet of ducks less energy and nutrient dense comparing to broilers’ diet if their growing rate almost same as broilers and how is it possible that ducks are satisfied with their diets?
- daily feed intake capacity of ducks is higher!: related to 1 unit of BW they eat more comparing to 1 BW unit of chicks =>
- with higher amount of feed they can consume more nurreint
- that’s why grower capacity is approx same as in broilers
Physical form of feed for ducks. Housing
- pelleted feeds are more efficient (can be better picked up)
- feeding method ad libitum
- housing method: not as intensive as for broilers —> semi intensive method with 2 phases: first intensive fore rearing (when they need high room tº; till day 18th), then extensive post rearing when they are outside —> cheaper
- housing may be extensive but feeding is intensive!!!
- or intensive method in 1 phase: like broiler technology
Geese
- beak: adapted for grazing (pellets!)
- no crop —> eat frequently
- body length: GIT = 1 : 7-8 (more than in other poultry, adaptation for grazing)
- extremely high feed intake capacity of green forages —> up to 20% of BW (> dairy cows)
- if they eat forages —> less concentrated must be fed —> cheaper feeding
- high water consumption 3-4 l/kg, drinking techno;ogy to avoid water waste!
How can geese be grazers if their caeca are underdeveloped
Gizzard!
- geese can utilise well only fresh young green forages
- high pressure in the gizzard of geese —> water will be pushed out of forages together with water-soluble nutrients
- they don’t digest fibre !
- they can tolerate relatively high amount of fibre (10-12%) (comparing to 2-3% in chicken)
Roasting geese data
- hatching weight: 85-90 g
- slaughter age: 8 weeks, before 1st moulting
- moulting: change of feathers because it’ll be difficult to remove the feathers
- slaughter weight: 4-4,5 kg
- feed efficiency: 2,3 - 2,5 kg/kg (better than in ducks but worse than in broilers)
Data for young meat geese
- BW at 15 weeks: 4,5 kg
- BW at 21 weeks: 5 kg
