by Dr. Karl Nestor

   Turkeys are grown primarily for meat for human consumption. Improvement in turkey growth can be made by several methods including by selective breeding, improved nutrition, improved management, and avoidance of diseases. Great strides have been made in all aspects of turkey production resulting in today’s rapidly growing turkey. The largest portion of the improvement in turkey growth has resulted from gains made by commercial turkey breeders through selective breeding for improved growth rate and mating of the birds in such a manner to allow the maximum expression of their genetic potential.
   At the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, we are able to show the large gains made by commercial turkey breeders. We have experimental turkey lines that were developed in 1957 and in 1966 which have been maintained in a manner such that they have not changed genetically from generation to generation. These experimental lines were developed from commercial lines which were representative of commercial turkeys at the time that the lines were started. We also have lines of turkeys representative of the most rapidly growing turkey lines at the present time. In the picture above to the left, we have a picture of turkey carcasses from the 1957 type turkey, the 1966 turkey and a large commercial line. These birds are all the same age, were fed the same feed, and were reared in the same environment. There was a substantial gain in body weight from 1957 to 1966 but the gains from 1966 to the present time were even more remarkable. It is apparent from this picture that the gains in body weight occurred throughout the body but the largest gain was in the breast. Selection for high breast meat yield is due to consumer’s preference for white meat, thus making breast meat the most valuable meat of the bird.  The picture to the right above gives a better view of the genetic gains in amount of breast meat on the turkey. This picture shows whole breasts taken from the 1957 turkey, the 1966 turkey, and the modern turkey. These birds were all the same age, were given the same feed, and grown together. In addition to the increased amount of meat on the breast, other changes to the breast have been made over time. In 1957, the keel (or breast) bone comes to a point and is obvious between the breast muscles on the two sides of the body. In 1966, the protrusion of the breast bone is less obvious. The breast bone is not obvious in the modern turkey. The changes in shape of the breast and in the breast bone were made genetically to avoid a problem. When the breast bone protrudes beyond the breast muscles, this portion comes in contact with the ground when the bird sits down. With a heavy bird, sometimes the skin over the protruding breast bone gets damaged and infected resulting in breast buttons and breast blisters, this lowers the value of the bird because this area has to be removed during processing, and if the condition is severe enough, the bird can not be used for meat.