Effect of varying levels of dietary protein on growth and relationship of egg weight with egg quality parameters in Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Abstract

A total of 120, day-old turkey (Maleagris gallopavo) chicks were arranged into four groups. Four diets having varying levels of crude protein (CP) viz. 16% CP, 18% CP, 20% CP and 22% CP were prepared and were designated as control (T0), treatment 1 (T1), treatment 2 (T2) and treatment 3 (T3) diets, respectively. Group 1 birds were fed with T0 diets, group 2 with T1 diets, group 3 with T2 and group 4 birds were fed with T3 diets. Significantly higher weight gain 2950.86±1952.58g, body length 30.064±11cm, beak length 3.53cm, body girth 43.41±16.30cm, thigh length 18.18±6.47cm, sternum-length 11.98±4.70cm, wing-length 47.10±16.17cm, wingspan 101.36±34.32cm, shank-length and tarsus-length 13.78±4.47cm were recorded in M. gallopavo fed with T3 diets. Feed conversion ratios (FCR) for T0, T1, T2 and T3 diets were 2.296, 2.236, 2.099 and 1.934, respectively. Internal and external quality parameters of egg were also analyzed.

Variations in carcass yield and meat sensory quality attributes between turkeys (meleagris gallopavo) reared in free-range and confinement rearing systems

“…Many factors affect growth performance of birds, including age, diet, sex, genotype, environment, exercise, pasture intake and density (Gordon and Charles, 2002). A better understanding of these factors will help to improve the production performance and variations in the parts size and dressed carcasses (Fanatico et al, 2005).…”