Usefulness of whole wheat grain in the feeding of turkey hens

Abstract

The use of whole wheat grain in poultry nutrition has a long tradition dating back to the period of extensive rearing. It appears that the use of whole wheat grain in the intensive production of turkeys for slaughter can also bring behavioural, physiological, health-promoting, and economic benefits [1, 2]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rearing results and post-slaughter parameters of turkeys fed mixtures containing whole wheat grain. The study was conducted on 45 BIG 6 turkey hens, divided into three equal groups (I, II, III), each with five replicates. The birds were kept under standard environmental conditions from 5 to 15 weeks of age. The turkey hens were fed ad libitum with commercial complete feed mixtures, with the addition of whole wheat grain to the mixtures for group