EVALUATION OF THE AGE WEIGHT AND SOME MORPHOMETRICAL PARAMETERS OF THE GLANDULAR STOMACH AND GIZZARD BRONZE TURKEY (MELEAGRIS MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO)

D. Yovchev, D. Dimitrov, G. Penchev

Abstract: The aim of the study was evaluation of the age related development of the bronze turkey glandular stomach and gizzard. The obtained data gave information about the standard actual values of the metric parameters in the investigated organs. Ruler, graph paper and automatic scale studied the glandular stomachs and gizzards of sixty healthy clinically bronze turkeys (thirty males and thirty females) metrically. The birds were distributed in ten age related groups at the 1st, 7th, 14th, 28th, 35th, 49th, 56th, 90th, 120th and 240th days of age. Each group consisted of six turkeys. The absolute and relative weight and length were determined. During the period the absolute weight of the bronze turkeys’ glandular stomachs and gizzards increased respectively by 43 and 70 times. The relative weight of both organs was with highest values at the 7th day of age. Their relative length reached peak values at the 1st day. The obtained results gave a motivation to make the conclusion that the development of the bronze turkey gizzards’ weight and length were higher than the same of the glandular stomachs from hatching to the sexual maturity. Both structures development was more intensive than the body weight of the birds through the early growing period.

Keywords: birds; digestive system; length; morphometry; weight

Date published: 2019-01-28