M. OBLAKOVA
Agricultural Institute, Hybrid Centre of Poultry Breeding, BG- 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
OBLAKOVA, M., 2004. Study of growth potentials and slaughter analysis of BUT-9 broiler turkey poults. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 10: 137-142
Conventional technology and regime of established optimum indices at a density of 6 birds per sq.m. Ad libitum feeding with mixed feed in accordance with the age and category of the poultry. The live weight of day-old poult at hatching was determined generally by weighing an accuracy up to 10 g at ages 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks. The feed intake by periods, average daily intake, feed intake per 1 kg of live weight and vitality were determined. After completion of 16 weeks of age 3 male and 3 female poults of live weight average for the group were selected for slaughter analysis. After 12-hour period without feed a full slaughter analysis of 22 indices was made. Growth intensity is maintained high up to age 16 weeks in male and female poults, the average live weight reached being 9850 g and 7352 g, respectively. The average daily gain is highest in the period 8-12 week - 140.3 g and 122.16 g, and then decreases down to 78.71 g and stabilizes at the average values for the period - 76.3 g, however males have higher average daily gain as compared to females. The concentrate feed intake for turkey poults of the BUT-9 hybrid is 2.976 per kg, or total 25.60 êg for the period, the average daily intake being 244.99 g. Male turkey poults have a heavier clean body of 7225 g at P < 0.5 and bratferting 7541.66 g at P < 0.1. Females have higher yield of 78.24% as compared to 74.74% in males. The content of bread muscles in the grill as compared with males was 2.11% higher. On the basis of the results obtained it can be established that feed intake inceases sharply after 16 weeks, while the average daily yield decreases. This interval of 16 weeks (112 days) can be considered as optimal.