Better breeding and more efficient feed have helped turkey producers increase their productivity, despite rising feed costs.
Henry Classen, a professor from the University of Saskatchewan’s animal and poultry science department, credits genetic selection and better turkey nutrition for the production improvements.
“The sophistication of genetic selection has improved and as a consequence feed efficiency has changed very markedly (in the last 50 years),” he said.
Today, only turkeys with the best growth rates are used for commercial production.
He said turkey feed hasn’t changed much in 50 years. The difference is that the industry better understands how poultry digest different types of feed, he added.
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Classen said researchers discovered that fibre in barley causes digestive upset in poultry, which makes it difficult for the birds to absorb nutrients.
Enzymes developed from microorganisms are now used as feed additives to break down barley fibre, he said, which makes it a more effective feed,.
Classen said turkey producers also know more about the correct feed proportions needed to achieve good poultry growth. As a result, they are able to reduce operating costs.
Kevin Pulvermacher, a turkey producer from Bruno, Sask., whose family has been in the business for about 50 years, said today’s turkeys are one-third heavier than those produced in the 1970 because of genetic selection and feed conversion.
He said feed efficiency savings have been offset by higher heating costs to house turkeys indoors year round to meet the market demand for turkey meat.
Poults have also increased in price to $2.40 per bird from $1.20, which has affected the cost of production.
He said these factors, when combined with building costs, have maintained turkey production costs at 1970s levels.
There are 59 turkey production sites in Manitoba, 50 in Alberta and 14 in Saskatchewan.
Eight of Manitoba’s farms produce eggs for poult hatcheries. The others are involved in commercial meat production.
