Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
MSc, Animal Science Research Department, East Azerbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resource Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tabriz, Iran.
2
Assistant Professor, Animal Science Research Institute
3
Assistant Professor of Microbial biotechnology, Biotechnology Department, East Azerbaijan Research and Education Center Agricultural Natural Resource, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, AREEO, Tabriz-IRAN.
4
1- MSc, Animal Science Research Department, East Azerbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resource Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tabriz, Iran.
5
Ph.D Student in Poultry Nutrition, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.
Abstract
This study demonstrated that the responses of native Azerbaijan turkeys to dietary metabolizable energy and crude protein levels varied according to growth stage and the trait evaluated. At 17–20 weeks of age, increasing dietary energy significantly reduced energy utilization efficiency, whereas increasing dietary crude protein significantly decreased feed intake. Most other performance and carcass traits were unaffected, although dietary energy significantly influenced wing yield. At 21–24 weeks of age, dietary energy significantly affected energy utilization efficiency and feed cost per kilogram of weight gain, while dietary crude protein significantly influenced protein utilization efficiency and breast yield. No significant energy × protein interactions were observed for the evaluated traits at either growth stage. Based on these findings, dietary levels of 3.050 kcal metabolizable energy/kg and 17% crude protein for turkeys aged 17–20 weeks, and 3.130 kcal metabolizable energy/kg and 12.7% crude protein for turkeys aged 21–24 weeks, are proposed as stage-specific recommendations under the conditions of this study. Further research evaluating growth performance, feed costs, carcass composition, and essential amino acid adequacy is needed to validate the economic benefits of these dietary recommendations and establish the precise nutritional requirements of native Azerbaijan turkeys.
Keywords
Subjects