Despite the fact that turkeys came to the European continent as poultry quite late, they quickly broke records of popularity among farmers. And they are still considered the most profitable in terms of maintenance and subsequent profits. And the reasons for this are the endurance and high mass of birds. And among them there are real giants - largest meat breed of turkey was bred in the bird's homeland - America.
The largest breeds of turkeys
Turkeys were first domesticated by the Aztecs several thousand years ago.Since then, breeders have worked hard on the ancestor of modern turkeys.
Today there are several real heavyweights of this species on the poultry market:
Canadian turkey
Based on the name, it is clear that these birds were bred on the American continent. And this happened relatively recently. The breed belongs to the broiler type. The Canadian is easily recognizable, thanks to its characteristic external differences, from its counterparts. Its plumage is black or white, as if powdered with a light brown color. There is a bronze tint. The legs are long, strong and powerful. The chin (crop) is pronounced, in the form of a fleshy appendage of bright red color. These birds are completely unpretentious in food, and at 4 weeks they already weigh 5 kg. Canadians are fattened for three months. By this moment they have already reached slaughter weight (males - 25-29 kg, females - 14-17 kg). The breed is also distinguished by its high egg production and high hatching rate.
Big-6, or heavy meat cross
A very famous and widespread breed in Russia and abroad. It was bred in Great Britain by crossing Big-5 males and But-8 females. The new Bigs turned out to be stronger and larger than their counterparts; they have strong immunity already at the chick stage. This significantly improved the bird's survival rates. The color of the plumage is exclusively white, the head and neck are bluish-gray, and the crop growth is red-pink. The weight of adult males is up to 35 kg, females – up to 11 kg. Birds reach slaughter weight at 4-5 months.
Haybrid converter
This breed is pure American, but has long taken root in the farmsteads of Russian and European farmers. The plumage of the birds is white-cream, not smooth, but slightly wrinkled, “terry”. The skin around the eyes is an even shade of blue.Birds are distinguished by large muscle mass and a wide chest; their meat is somewhat more expensive than other breeds, since it is considered to be of higher quality and healthier. This species is hardy and has good health, suitable for cultivation in cold and warm regions. On mixed feed, turkeys are ready for slaughter at 16-17 weeks. The weight of an adult turkey reaches 25 kg, a turkey - 12 kg.
How much does the largest turkey weigh?
There is a documented Guinness World Record for the largest turkey. The champion in 1998 was a male named Tyson. Its weight at the time of weighing was 39 kg and 90 g. The bird belonged to the Lycroft Turkey poultry farm and was raised in Cambridge, UK.
Tyson is a member of the white broad-breasted turkey. This is one of the oldest (bred in 1960) heavyweight breeds, which was subsequently used to breed modern meat crosses. A characteristic feature of this species is the needle-like patch of black feather on the chest. Meanwhile, the rest of the bird's plumage is completely white. Farmer Cook's record still remains officially unbroken, although more than 20 years have passed. Tyson is still considered the largest and heaviest turkey in the world.
