ON ADVISABILITY OF TURKEY BREEDING FOR MEAT PRODUCTION

IN CIS REGIONS

Industrial production of turkey meat is practically non-existent on the territory of the CIS. 
There is no doubt that turkey meat is in great demand both in the retail market and at meat processing enterprises.
The deficit of turkey meat (and other poultry meat) is presently bridged by imported products, which on the one hand, is less and less popular with the population for its doubtful quality, and on the other hand, undermines economic foundations of local enterprises, that can finally lead to the necessity of introducing state regulation on the import of meat products. 
Production of poultry meat should be raised to the status of "import substituting production" and receive state priority in the nearest future.
Thanks to its climatic, geographical and feed possibilities, the considered regions, in our opinion, are capable of providing its population with poultry meat in full and also export this product to other CIS countries. 
Due to the collapse of the planned system for supplying the population with food staffs, poultry breeding  ceased to exist as a branch of agriculture, in spite of the fact that for all its drawbacks it used  to be its most profitable part. 
There are presently all the conditions for restoration of industrial poultry breeding in the region: the production base (main funds) are practically intact, there are suitable buildings, infrastructure and qualified personnel – poultry breeders, who according to our experience, are ready to receive new technologies. 
In our opinion, no less than 50-60% of the necessary investments remains "dead stock" and requires immediate activation.
Taking into consideration the fact that ~ 60% of the final product cost is determined by the feed component, and the grain price in the region is much lower than in Israel, production prime cost will be rather low.
Advantages of turkey breeding:

• average daily weight increase is 120 g  for a male turkey and 80 g for a female
• no heating of houses is needed after the first month
• better resistance to diseases (compared to other poultry), therefore, simpler and cheaper veterinary service
• dead and live weight ratio is 80%

No animal has such characteristics.
Turkey meat has unique possibilities in sales: it can be sold as whole carcasses, in parts, including delicacies, as prefabricated products, it is suitable for sausage and pastrami production, for canning, smoking and so on and so forth.
Turkey meat is a dietetic product as compared with broilers, for example (cholesterol content is almost twice lower at higher calorie content).
We recommend growing the best world crosses. 6 farms have been established and presently work with our guidance in Uzbekistan, a farm for producing 3,000 tons of meat was established in Russia, another farm of 12,000 tons is being built in Russia.
In our calculations for restoration poultry growing enterprises we take into consideration the following basic data:

• Intensive in-house growing  on the floor (without taking out)
• Automatic climate control system (ventilation, heating
• Application of heat and energy saving technologies
• Establishment of optimal conditions to develop the genetic potential of the poultry.

As a result of mutual correct activities in turkey growing with strict observation of all our instructions the enterprises will obtain the following results:

• female turkey weight - 8-9 kg at the age of 100 days
• male turkey weight - 18 kg at the age of 140 days
• safety  -  93%
• hatching -75%
• feed consumption per 1 kg of live weight  - up to  2. 55 kg
• final product output per 1 kg of live weight - 81%
• obtaining 140 kg of meat in live weight annually per 1 м2 of premises.
• poultry turnover in growing – 3-3.5 cycles per annum.
• load per fledgling feeding trough - 80 pieces, for grown birds - 50 pieces.
• load per fledgling drinking trough - 90 pieces, for grown birds - 60 pieces.
• density per 1 м2 for fledglings - 12 pieces, for grown birds - 5 pieces.

All the equipment is very simple and reliable, capable of serving for 15-25 years practically without breakage. 
As a rule, the project enjoys our full accompaniment (technology transfer of intensive poultry growing, veterinary, feed and marketing accompaniment). Our technical supervisor is practically always at site.  
In addition to that, if necessary, we also participate in upgrading feed mills and feed recipe preparation, slaughtering houses, incubators, laboratories, and meat processing and refrigerating facilities, conduct training of local specialists.