|
Poultry Books | Smallholding
Books | Livestock Books
Starting with Turkeys,
Mating Turkeys
- by
Katie Thear
Just £7.95 with
FREE UK DELIVERY
This is based on the chapter Breeding Turkeys from Starting With
Turkeys by Katie Thear the definitive guide for keeping turkeys.
It describes the traditional breeds and how to cater for the free-range
and organic Christmas markets with full colour photographs. Introducing the Sexes
Introduce the sexes about a month before laying begins. This is
the time to change the diet over to breeders’ pellets, if
they are not already on it. It will ensure that there are no deficiency
diseases to be passed on to the progeny.
Provide them with a good quality ration and fresh water with access
to insoluble poultry grit at all times. Once breeding begins, rotate
stags each week, returning the removed one to a pen by himself.
Careful checking of egg fertility should soon show whether a stag
is worth using or not. Bear in mind that fertility and hatchability
are not the same thing. Fertility is indicated by whether an egg
is fertile when candled over a bright light. Hatchability is whether
it eventually hatches. Both are expressed as percentages, with the
higher ones being indicative of good breeding stock.
A breeding flock does not have to be kept inside. They can be
out in a protected yard or on pasture during the day and are much
better for being so. Place their feed in an area to which wild birds
do not have access. Covered feeders with an enclosed unit from where
the turkeys can trigger a small amount of feed at a time are suitable.
Water containers need to be raised above the ground on a plinth,
to keep contamination to a minimum.
Mating Turkeys
Depending on the scale of the enterprise, either a system of flock
mating or of pen mating will be used.
Flock mating
With a big breeding flock, flock mating can be practised. This
is where a large area of ground is available so that several stags
can be run with the females. It should be emphasised that it is
only a practical proposition on a field scale, where the space is
sufficient to allow the stags to form their own breeding sets, without
the risk of fighting. On a smaller scale, pen mating is more appropriate
and more accurate records can be kept.
Pen mating
An indoor or barn pen used for mating should have plenty of light
and ventilation or be near to the open air as the turkeys need these
conditions. Fertility is also directly affected by the amount of
light.
The pens need to be at least 1.2m high. If the birds are particularly
flighty, or have not had one wing clipped, it may be necessary to
increase the height to 1.8m. If two pens are adjacent, the first
90cm should be of solid material to prevent stags from each pen
trying to fight. It is a good idea to have two pens and alternate
the birds each month to provide an opportunity to clean one out
and give that area a rest. The floor of the breeding pen should
be wood shavings or clean chopped straw.
Perches or straw bales should be no higher than 45cm from the
ground. Nest boxes can be placed along the shadiest side of the
pen. A nest box should be at least 45cm x 45cm x 60cm high. As well
as individual nest boxes, you could provide larger communal nest
boxes because turkeys will accept them and they may be better able
to spread themselves out. Nests should be accessible for egg collecting
without needing to enter the pen. It is also a good idea to place
drinkers and feeders where they can be removed for cleaning and
refilling without having to enter the pen.
Hen protection
Stags mounting turkey hens can cause damage with their claws,
tearing the skin of the hen and causing nasty wounds, although this
is more likely to occur with the heavier breeds. For protection,
the hen can be fitted with a canvas mating saddle. This fits over
her back and sides without restricting her wings. The stag should
also have his claws clipped and spurs filed. The protective process
continues throughout the egg laying period, with each successful
mating fertilising 10 to 12 eggs.
Artificial insemination
As referred to earlier, large commercial breeds may not be able
to mate normally, so artificial insemination will be needed, although
it is not advised for the small scale breeder of traditional breeds.
Semen can be collected from the stag two to three times a week and
transferred to the hens within half an hour as it degrades quickly.
One insemination will remain effective for two weeks. It is emphasised
that the technique should only be attempted by those who have undertaken
a practical course in the procedure.
Starting With Turkeys
© 2005 Katie Thear |
