Age weight and morphometrical parameters of the bronze turkeys (Meleagris meleagris gallopavo) intestines

D. Dimitrov, G. Penchev, D. Yovchev

Abstract: The aim of the study was to determine the age related development of the bronze turkey small and large intestines, in order to present standard actual values of the intestinal metric parameters. Ruler, graph paper and automatic weighter investigated the small and large intestines 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 studied. During the investigation period the absolute weight of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caeca and rectum in bronze turkeys increased respectively by 75, 104, 135, 147, 68 times. The relative weight of the small intestinal structures reached peak values at the 7th day of age, contrary to the same morphometrical dimension of the rectum and caeca, whose highest values were observed at 14th and 28th day of age respectively. The relative length of the small intestines was highest at the 7th day of age and this of the large intestines-at the 1st day of age. The obtained results gave a motivation to make the conclusion that the development of the bronze turkey’s intestines was more intensive than the body weight of the birds through the early growing period. The small intestines weight and length were higher than the same of the large intestines from hatching to the sexual maturity.

Keywords: bronze turkey; intestines; morphometrical parameters

Date published: 2019-02-27