Technology for assembling the parent stock of turkeys, ducks, and geese

Assembling the breeding flock of turkeys, ducks, and geese

To maintain high fertility of turkey hatching eggs during natural mating, a reserve of males equal to 50% of the main flock is created. Reserve turkey toms are introduced into the breeding process in the second half of the breeding season; they should be 2–3 months younger than the main sires. This helps compensate for the seasonal decline in the sexual activity of older males and ensures a stable level of egg fertilization until the end of the reproductive period.

The process of natural mating in turkeys is organized according to the following scheme:

1. The selected turkey toms are divided into two equal groups.
2. Males are alternately introduced to females only during morning hours for 2–3 hours a day.

The size of the breeding flock directly depends on the planned capacity of the enterprise. When working with a four-line turkey cross, the breeding flock at the multiplier farm numbers 7–9 thousand birds, including grand-parental and parental forms. To produce 500 thousand turkey poults per year, an average annual population of 7–8 thousand turkeys is required.

The collection of duck hatching eggs is adapted to seasonal or year-round rearing technology. Under seasonal extensive production, the flock is assembled once a year with young birds, and eggs are collected for six months — from February to July. Under an intensive system, the breeding flock is formed using a combined method: 70–80% young birds and 20–30% second-year birds.

To extend the productive period of ducks, a portion of the breeding flock is directed to induced molting when egg production drops to 40%. This allows for a full second laying cycle. At poultry farms with an annual capacity of 1 million broiler ducklings, the average annual population of the duck breeding flock is 10–11 thousand birds, and in some farms, it exceeds 15 thousand.

For year-round production of goose eggs, the breeding flock contains birds of the first, second, third, and fourth years of life together. On breeding farms with extensive grazing, egg collection is seasonal. However, intensive feeding, induced molting, a differentiated lighting regime, and planned replacement allow for the production of goose hatching eggs for 9–10 months of the year.

The goose breeding flock is renewed annually by 25–30% using young birds from breeding centers. In specialized farms, the size of breeding flocks ranges from 1,000 to 10,000 adult geese. Such a population ensures the profitability of production through the efficient use of the poultry.

• Reserve of turkey toms — 50% of the main flock
• Proportion of second-year ducks — 20–30% in the flock
• Egg collection period for geese under the intensive system — 9–10 months per year
• Annual renewal of the goose flock — 25–30%

Technology and biological foundations of artificial insemination

Artificial insemination allows for significantly accelerating breeding work and reducing the costs of maintaining the flock. This method makes it possible to promptly evaluate the breeding value of sires, identify the best line combinations, and obtain significantly more offspring from one male than in natural mating. As a result, expenses for feed and rearing of replacement young stock are reduced.

The use of sires for artificial insemination becomes more rational due to the increased breeding load on the males. Below are the standards for the number of females per sire for different poultry species.

In turkeys, artificial insemination completely eliminates injury to females by heavy males and prevents a decline in egg fertility at the end of the season. When working with heavy crosses of geese and ducks, this method allows overcoming the biological limitations of natural reproduction. As a result, the farm achieves higher indicators of fertility and hatchability of young stock.

Poultry physiology requires precise adherence to the insemination technology. The concentration of sperm in 1 ml of semen in different species ranges from 1 to 8 billion. The reproductive tracts of females have a high storage capacity: they can lay fertilized eggs for 12–40 days or more after the last insemination. Polyspermy is characteristic of poultry — 20 to 60 sperm cells penetrate the upper part of the oviduct before the dense protein layer is formed, although fusion occurs with only one. The use of mixed semen during the insemination of chickens increases egg fertility, viability, and the productivity of the offspring.

When selecting males for insemination, their origin, constitution, exterior, and sexual activity are evaluated. The most important criteria remain the quality of the collected semen and the actual egg fertility. The final decision is made after testing the bird's reaction to massage.

Maintenance of Sires and Semen Collection

The efficiency of artificial insemination directly depends on the conditions of keeping the males and the correct technique for semen collection. To obtain consistent volumes of high-quality semen, sires are housed separately from the female livestock, minimizing stress factors. Semen collection work must be performed by the same operators — the poultry's habituation to the personnel allows for reflexive ejaculation later on, even without massage. Each bird species requires specific stocking density norms and types of enclosures or cages:

Semen is collected by manual massage, electroejaculation, or using special stations with or without a female. For waterfowl, before collecting semen into a graduated glass collector, it is mandatory to add 0.3–0.5 ml of extender preheated to 35 °C. The service life of males varies: the best results in roosters are observed in the first year, in turkeys and drakes — in the first and second years, while ganders maintain high productivity for up to three years.

• Ejaculate of egg-type breed roosters — 0.4–0.5 ml
• Ejaculate of dual-purpose breed roosters — 0.8–1 ml
• Ejaculate of turkeys — 0.2–0.4 ml
• Ejaculate of ganders — 0.1–1.3 ml
• Ejaculate of drakes — 0.2–0.3 ml

The quality of the collected ejaculate is evaluated first visually by its white or cream color and consistency. Then, density, motility, concentration, and sperm survival are examined in detail under a microscope. Additionally, the intensity of sperm respiration, sperm resistance, and its redox properties are determined.

The most accessible method for collecting ejaculate from roosters is manual massage. This requires the efforts of two operators working according to the following procedure:

1. The first operator fixes the rooster horizontally, holding it by the legs from the front with the left hand and pressing it slightly to the body with the elbow (the bird's head is behind the operator).
2. The first operator uses their right hand to perform a light bilateral massage from the sternum along the pubic bones to the cloaca.
3. The second operator holds the semen collector in their left hand and slowly massages the bird from the base of the tail 3–5 times with their right hand.
4. The second operator presses slightly on both sides of the cloaca, stimulating the release of semen into the collector.

For turkeys, semen is collected on a special station with a hen or by the two-operator massage method. For ganders and drakes, semen is collected by the massage method in a sitting position (two operators work). When working with drakes, one operator can handle the collection if the bird is fixed on a special station table.

Technology and Regimes of Artificial Insemination

Insemination is carried out at a strictly defined time of day, when most females have finished laying eggs. This guarantees maximum egg fertility. For chickens, turkeys, and geese, the interval from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM is optimal, whereas it is more effective to inseminate ducks in the morning hours — from 2:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Birds that have temporarily stopped laying should not be inseminated, as the eversion of the oviduct is difficult in them.

Insemination is performed by two operators using veterinary, micro-, or semi-automatic syringes, or individual glass or polystyrene pipettes. The timing and dosages of semen introduction depend on the bird species and are presented in the table below. To maintain high fertility throughout the season, sires are provided with complete feed rations balanced in amino acid composition, vitamins, and microelements.

Artificial insemination on farms is carried out by permanent teams, where typically two operators collect semen from sires, and others inseminate the poultry. In the further improvement of the artificial insemination method for poultry, a vital role belongs to the use of reliable semen diluents and extending its storage life.

Rearing of young stock, housing, and feeding of breeding poultry. Proper rearing, housing, and feeding of breeding poultry in accordance with zootechnical requirements and technological process standards are indispensable conditions. Fig. 41. Artificial insemination of chickens.

for the production of high-quality hatching eggs. It is most efficient to rear breeding young stock on the floor or in cages without transfer until they are moved to the parent flock. A system of rearing replacement young stock is used that corresponds to the housing method of adult breeding poultry. Breeding farms accept the following number of day-old chicks for rearing per one layer in the parent flock: four chickens, four turkey poults, three ducklings, and 4—5 goslings.

Replacement young stock of various poultry species are reared in accordance with the technological schedules for multiple parent flock replacement. The temperature, air humidity, and air exchange regimen in the building, feeding and drinking space, and the equipment used for rearing breeding young stock of egg-type chickens up to 135 days and meat-type — up to 70 days, turkeys — up to 120, ducks — up to 55, and geese — up to 70 days are the same as those used for rearing commercial young stock (page 213).

In the targeted rearing of breeding poultry young stock, primary attention is paid to feeding and lighting regimes. Various standard buildings are used for rearing and housing breeding poultry on the floor and in cages. All poultry houses are equipped with heating systems and other equipment providing an optimal microclimate and appropriate mechanization of technological processes. In windowless poultry houses, the "Klimat" heating and ventilation equipment set is used for rearing chicks to create an optimal microclimate. For the mechanization of production processes during the rearing of breeding young stock of egg-type and meat-type chickens on the floor, the "Broiler-10M" and "Broiler-20M" equipment sets are used up to 60 days of age, and "Smena-10M" and "Smena-20M" after 61 days of age. The TsKB-20 equipment set is used for floor rearing of chicks aged 8 to 135 days.

Young stock and adult breeding poultry are housed in separate production areas, isolated from each other. In poultry houses for replacement young stock of chickens, up to 20,000 birds are housed under floor housing conditions, with up to 2,500 chickens in one section. One of the most important technological aspects in poultry rearing is the timely transfer of high-quality day-old young stock from the hatchery to the rearing facility. Young stock is transferred to the rearing facility no later than 12 hours after hatching.

When keeping young stock of egg lines of chickens on the floor in one building from 1 to 135 days of age, 10—11 day-old chicks are placed per 1 m? of floor area. It is possible to rear young stock in poultry houses up to 60 days at a stocking density of 12—14 heads, and then transfer them to acclimatizers and rear them up to 135 days, placing 8—9 heads per 1 m? of floor.

Young stock of meat lines of chickens, sexed at one day of age, is reared mainly from 1 to 150 days on deep litter. When keeping chicks of this age in one building, the stocking density is 7—8 heads per 1 m? of floor. If the young stock is kept in poultry houses for broiler production from 1 to 70 days, they are placed at a rate of 11—12 chicks per 1 m? of floor, and then transferred to acclimatizers, where 500 heads are placed in each section at a stocking density of 5—6 heads per 1 m? of floor. From 2 months of age to 150 days, the air temperature in the building is maintained at 18—20? C. To ensure better development and to avoid forcing the onset of sexual maturity in pullets, restricted feeding and a differentiated lighting regime are used. From 1 to 150 days of age, the light day is reduced from 24 to 8 hours.

Breeding turkey poults are raised from | to 120 days in the same facility on litter, 500 birds per section with a stocking density of four birds per | m? of floor space. Turkey poults can be kept for up to 20 days in cage batteries KBE-1, with 10–12 birds per cage, and from 21 to 120 days in acclimatizers on deep litter. The IMS-4.5 equipment set is used to mechanize production processes when raising turkey poults. Lighting duration is reduced from 24 hours to 8 hours by the fourth month of life. The capacity of poultry houses when keeping turkey poults on the floor is 4,500–10,000 birds.

Breeding ducklings are raised in poultry houses on the floor, with 2,500 birds per house. 200–400 ducklings are placed in each section. From the age of 56 to 150 days, ducklings are kept in acclimatizers with a stocking density of 3.5 birds per 1 m? of floor area. The air temperature in the room is 14–16° C, and the daylight duration is reduced from 15 to 6 hours from | to 150 days. Small solariums are arranged along the poultry houses at a rate of 0.2–0.3 m? per bird.

Replacement young geese are hatched in March–May and raised on the floor, 200–250 birds per section. From 70 to 180 days, goslings are kept under sheds with access to water bodies. 2,800 goslings are housed in one poultry house with a stocking density of three birds per 1 m? of floor. For replacement young stock and adult geese, solariums with bathing ditches are arranged along the poultry house; half of the solarium should have a solid concrete surface.

Depending on the level of selection and the purpose of the adult breeding poultry, they are kept in poultry houses of various designs and equipment: selection, testing, and reproduction houses. In the center of the selection poultry house, there is a service aisle, on both sides of which are sections for nest mating of the birds. The entrance to each section is from the aisle, from which eggs are collected from trap nests and the birds are tended to. The testing poultry house is divided into sections for group mating of birds and is also equipped with trap nests. The reproductive poultry house is divided into sections for group mating of birds intended for the reproduction of young stock and is equipped with simple nests.

Unlike simple nests, trap nests have a special door of various designs on each cell, which closes automatically after the hen enters freely. The bird cannot exit from the nest

‚167 Fig. 42. Selection poultry house for chickens.

backwards, and it is released by a recorder after making the necessary entries. After the hen is released, the cell door is raised to the working position so another bird can occupy it.

The dimensions (width, depth, and height) of a trap nest cell for chickens are 30x40x30 cm, for turkeys — 40x70x60 cm, for ducks — 30x50x40 cm, and for geese — 40x60x50 cm. One cell of these nests is allocated for three chickens, two turkeys, one duck, and one goose. Depending on the bird species and the design of the poultry house, trap nests are installed in one to three tiers. For chickens, three-tier and single-tier trap nests are used; the latter are placed in selection poultry houses. Two-tier trap nests are used for turkeys, while single-tier ones installed on the floor are used for ducks and geese. Simple nests without doors are placed at a rate of one cell for 6–8 chickens, 4–7 turkeys, 3–4 ducks, and 2–3 geese.

Selection and testing poultry houses are equipped with mechanized water supply, partial feed delivery to feeders, and removal of manure. In reproductive poultry houses, the main processes of adult bird maintenance and egg collection are mechanized. For this, equipment sets "Promyshlenny-9" (p. 229) are used.

Adult chickens of the parent flock are kept in poultry houses of 2,500 and 5,000 birds each, with 500 and 1,000 birds in each section on deep or replaceable litter, on slatted or wire floors. 3.5–4 chickens of egg breeds and 3–3.5 birds of meat breeds are placed per 1 m? of floor area; the average air temperature in the poultry house in winter is 12–16° C and no more than 25° C in summer. For breeding chickens, the same differentiated lighting regimes are used as for commercial laying hens.

In a number of farms, chickens are housed in cage batteries of 6,000 or 15,000 birds per facility, depending on whether individual or group poultry housing is used. The reproduction of breeding chickens in cages allows all technological processes of breeding and commercial production in specialized farms to be carried out using a single system for raising and keeping the entire poultry flock. As a result, uniformity is achieved in technology and environmental conditions, in which parent flock chickens are selected and then hybrid birds are used. Keeping the parent flock in cages allows for almost twice as much production space to be utilized, while labor productivity is increased, feed consumption is reduced, the number of dirty eggs decreases, and there is no need for litter material. With natural mating of chickens in cages or artificial insemination, biologically complete, high-quality hatching eggs are obtained.

In breeding farms, during family selection, egg-laying poultry are housed in individual cages measuring 27 x 38 x 45 cm for chickens, and 40 x 60 x 60 cm for turkeys. The best purebred poultry, evaluated based on the results of their adaptation to the given housing conditions, are used for reproduction in cages.

For the production of hatching eggs in cages during the reproduction of purebred and hybrid poultry, hens and roosters are kept together in cage batteries specifically designed for this purpose. The sex ratio for natural mating in cages can be 1:8 or 1:10. One cage houses three roosters and 24 hens or three roosters and 30 hens. Parent stock hens are kept in a two-tier KBR-2 cage battery, with or without nests, in which the distribution of feed, water supply, manure removal, and potentially egg collection are mechanized. Each cage, measuring (cm): 196 in length, 91 in depth, and 70 in height, holds 30 hens and 3 roosters. Parent stock hens can also be kept in a tiered two-level battery, where one cage houses 20 hens and two roosters. To replace culled breeders, about 15—20% of reserve roosters are placed in group cages. If one rooster is culled, a new one is not added to that cage, but in case of a decrease in egg fertility, all roosters are replaced with new ones.

If manual mating is used, hens are placed with a rooster. Roosters are kept individually in special cages. A specific group of laying hens is assigned to each of them, and each hen is placed with a rooster twice a week.

Breeding turkeys are kept on the floor in a poultry house (for 2500 birds) with solariums. Tom turkeys are housed separately from the hens in individual sections of 50 birds each in the same poultry house. Each section holds 250—500 turkey hens at a density of 1.5 birds per 1 m² of floor area. The air temperature in the room is 12—16°C, and the duration of the light

Fig. 43. Housing of parent stock hens and roosters in cages.

day is increased from 8 to 14 hours starting from 7 months of age, with the light period for tom turkeys increased three weeks earlier than for turkey hens.

The duck parent stock, numbering 2000 birds, is housed in poultry buildings on deep litter with small outdoor runs. 50—100 ducks are placed in a section at a stocking density of three birds per 1 m² of floor area. The temperature in the room is maintained at 7—14 °C, and the light day duration at 15—16 hours. Due to the fact that ducks become restless in total darkness, which can lead to a decrease in egg production, dim night lighting is used at a rate of 0.5 W per 1 m² of floor. Concrete bathing trenches are constructed along the center of the solarium throughout the entire poultry house.