Turkey

The Large White or the Broad Breasted White is the most commercially popular turkey breed now-a-days. The turkey is marketed as broiler at approximately 16 weeks of age when hens usually reach a live weight of about 8 kg and toms weigh approximately 12 kg. Smaller, fryer roasters can be produced by slaughtering at an earlier age as per the demand of the local market.

Salient Research Activities

The turkey research unit has been established with the following objectives:

Immediate objectives

• To establish a viable turkey flock.


• Maintenance and propagation of turkey.


• Brooding of day old poults under cage and litter brooding systems.


• Requirements for protein and energy for growing poults upto 8th week of age both under cage and litter brooding systems.


• Protein and energy requirements for growing poults upto 16 weeks.


• Protein and energy requirements for turkey upto 30-35 weeks of age.


• Protein and energy requirement for breeder hen and toms.


• Carcass yield at various age.


• Disease pattern and general health cover.

• Maintenance and propagation of viable turkey flock for production of day old poults.


• Housing systems for growing poults, toms and hens.


• To bring down the slaughter age suitable for the Indian market.


• Turkey rearing under rural scenario for low cost turkey production.


• Artificial insemination.


• Study of biochemical parameters as affected by age, housing and nutrition.

• Requirements of protein and energy for growing poults upto 8th week of age under cage rearing system have been workedout.


• Carcass yield under different dietary protein level evaluated.


• Different floor density for growing poults upto 8th week of age under cage rearing system have been workedout.


• Carcass yield of 8th week old poults reared under different floor density determined.

• To promote the turkey farming on commercial basis as an alternate to broiler farming.


• Development of turkey flock suitable for Indian Condition/backyard.


• To bring down the slaughter age.


• Low rearing systems for growing poults.


• Lease cost diets for turkeys.


• Preparation of turkey diets from non-conventional feed ingredients.