PRODUCTIVITY, MORPHO-BIOCHEMICAL, HATCHABLE QUALITIES OF PUREBRED AND HYBRID TURKEY EGGS

Abstract

The results of studies on the assessment of productive and biological characteristics of turkeys of the North Caucasian Bronze, North Caucasian Silver, Broad Breasted
White breeds and hybrids obtained on the basis of their crossing, were presented. Hybrids had
a high intensity of egg laying: group 602 – 44,55 %, group 607 – 44,72 %, and the egg-laying
rate for the initial and average laying bird was 62,37 of eggs, for 607 hybrid group – 62,60
eggs in comparison to pure breeds with the same 100 % livability of adult turkeys. The live
weight of turkeys at 30 weeks of age was greater than the initial female parents, in the 602
group it was 6,30 kg, in the 607 group it was 6,95 kg. The mass of hatching eggs was also
greater than in the female parents, during the egg-laying period, in 602 hybrid group it was
equal to 85,12 g, in 607 hybrid group – 88,86 g. The yield of hatching eggs in the 602 population was at the level of 86,7 %, in 607 – 87,6 %. The hatching of certified young flock was at
the level of 68,4 and 69,5 %, respectively. The conducted biochemical studies of turkey eggs
indicated that the vitamin B2 content in the protein of eggs of group 602 was higher than the
standard index by 0,37 mcg/g, protein saturation in B2 exceeded the female parent by 0.41
mcg/g, the male parent by 0,37 mcg/g. The content of vitamin B2 in the protein of group 607
was higher than the male parent by 0,08 mcg/g, female parent – less by 0,04 mcg/g, but in
general, all five groups were within the norm, as was the content of vitamin B2 in the yolk of
eggs. In terms of hatchable qualities, hybrids 602 and 607 exceeded the average values in
comparison to parents by 0,84 % and 3,85 %, in terms of hatching of certified young flock by
0,30 % and 4,00 %, respectively.