Turkey Production Stages

Canadian turkey farmers take great pride in ensuring the humane treatment and care of their turkeys, while providing safe, high quality food to consumers.

Turkeys are raised year round in Manitoba with the average farm producing 7,000 turkeys, 3 times a year. In total, Manitoba’s turkey farmers raise approximately 1.6 million birds a year, which represents approximately 11 million kilograms of fresh turkey.

A turkey hatching egg farm raises breeding birds to produce eggs that are collected, cleaned, sanitized and shipped to the hatchery. The hatchery is then responsible for hatching the eggs into viable poults, which are then shipped to commercial turkey farms, where they are raised into adult turkeys.

In Canada, turkey farmers provide care and attention to their birds, and most turkeys are raised in specially designed, environmentally-controlled barns that provide protection from predators, disease and bad weather. Though some may be grown in semi-controlled housing or outdoors. Each environment is monitored, as per the Turkey Farmers of Canada (TFC) Flock Care Program, with regard to temperature and climate, light, space and access to feed and water. Turkeys run freely on floors that are covered with dry bedding, such as straw or wood shavings. Once the turkeys reach an appropriate weight, they are transported to the processor.

At The Breeder Farm

Multiplier breeder turkeys are raised to lay the eggs that provide poults for the commercial turkey industry. The multiplier breeder poults come from primary breeding stock and are shipped to the breeder farms at a few hours of age. A breeder producer must place their order for breeding stock with the hatchery over 18 months in advance. This requires careful planning so that sufficient eggs are produced and sufficient poults are hatched at the right time to supply commercial turkey farms and maintain a continuous supply of turkey for the consumer.

At 15 weeks of age, candidates for the tom breeding flock are selected. The selection process is based on weight and physical characteristics. Toms not selected for breeding are sold into the commercial market. Hens lay eggs for a 28 to 30 week production period. On average, one turkey will lay approximately 105 - 115 eggs during that this time frame. From those eggs, approximately 75% will be successfully hatched into poults.

Hens are fertilized by artificial insemination 3 times within the first 14 days to aid fertility, and then once a week throughout the laying season. The artificial insemination is performed by a specially trained team of personnel.

Manitoba breeder farms use mechanical nesting systems to gently lift the hens off their nests periodically throughout the day. Eggs are collected once every hour from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to increase optimum hatchability and eliminate the chance of eggs being broken in the nests. Some birds may lay eggs on the floor and these are gathered manually and are kept and shipped separately to the hatchery. Collected eggs are then put through a 3 stage sanitizing process to help maintain poult quality.

Eggs are picked up by the hatchery 3 times a week in Manitoba in humidity and temperature controlled vans.

Once the egg production cycle is completed, the mature hens and toms are shipped to a processor.

At The Hatchery

Fertilized eggs from the breeder farm arrive at the hatchery in humidity and temperature controlled vans. Eggs are incubated for 25 days and then moved into a hatcher for 3 days. In total, it takes 28 days for a turkey egg to hatch into a poult.

A turkey egg weighs approximately 70 g to 75 g (2.5 to 2.65 oz) and is slightly larger than a “jumbo” chicken egg. A turkey egg is creamy-beige in color, with brownish speckles.

At The Commercial Turkey Farm

Prior to receiving the poults, the farmer must prepare the housing facilities by cleaning and disinfecting the brooding area, including water and feed lines, and ensuring the heating equipment is operating at the optimum level necessary to maintain an environmental temperature suitable for poults. Poults run freely within the barn.

Day-old poults weigh approximately 60 grams and are transported to the commercial turkey farm within 24 hours of being removed from the hatchers. Immediately upon their arrival from the hatchery, the poults are placed in climate-controlled barns where they are kept warm and given special care. As the birds down is replaced with feathers, the temperature is gradually lowered. This first stage of their life, from the time they are placed to approximately 6 weeks of age, is called brooding.

The next stage of production, known as the growing cycle, runs until the birds grow to between 10 and 18 weeks of age, when they will reach their desired market weight. Turkey hens (females) are typically grown for the whole bird market, while toms (males) are more likely to be grown for the further processed market, although some are also sold as whole birds to the food service industry.

Classification, Age and Weight

The majority of turkeys in Manitoba are grown in large barns, allowing the birds to freely move about. On most barns, a portion of the side walls may be removed or lifted up to allow fresh air into the barn. Some barns may be enclosed by fences so that the turkeys may roam outdoors when the sides are lifted in the summer. A few turkey farms in Manitoba still raise birds outdoors on the range during the summer, weather permitting.

Regardless of the type of housing, all turkeys are allowed to move freely throughout the barn and eat and drink at will. They are not kept in cages. The producer’s job is to ensure the birds receive sufficient feed and water, as well as the right temperature, light and ventilation throughout their growing cycle. They are fed a healthy diet of corn, soymeal and wheat and always have access to fresh, clean water.

Every effort is made on the farm to ensure the safe care and handling of turkeys. It is in the farmer’s interest to have safe and healthy birds. The farm income is based on selling top quality birds. Prices paid to the farmer are based on the grade and weight of the bird. Turkey farmers across Canada are in the process of implementing the TFC On-Farm Food Safety Program (OFFSP). OFFSP outlines extensive biosecurity measures, including restricting access of people and animals to barns, disinfecting equipment and taking proper barn management and hygiene precautions; all aimed at keeping birds healthy and safe.

At The Processing Plant

When the birds reach the desired weight, they are loaded manually or by mechanical means (escalator) and transported to a processing plant in specifically equipped trucks. These trucks are specially designed to transport birds. In warm weather, they are covered by screening to keep them cool and in cold weather the trucks are tarped to maintain warmth for the birds.

Each bird is inspected to ensure good internal health by a government approved veterinarian or inspector. There is no difference in the eating quality of a Grade A turkey and a utility turkey. The only difference is in appearance, where a utility turkey may have a tear in the skin or may be missing parts.

All turkeys processed in a federally inspected plant bear a “Canada Approved” or “Canada” health inspection label.

Canadian health standards are generally higher than those of other countries. Specific regulations concerning barn requirements, feed and cleanliness are unique to Canada. Canadian turkey producers follow the Turkey Farmers of Canada’s On-Farm Food Safety Program (OFFSP) and Flock Care Program (FCP), which has been approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.