turkeys first bred in the USA by the selection and mating of Bronze turkeys by liveweight and breast breadth. They were introduced into the USSR in 1946. The turkeys are large, with a round torso and extensively developed chest muscles. The plumage is black with bronze tints. The liveweight of adult toms is 16-19 kg; of yearlings, 14-15 kg; and the weight of hens is, correspondingly, 9 kg and 8 kg. Their egg yield is about 90 eggs a year. Hatchability is more than 70 percent. Broad-Breasted Bronze turkeys were used to develop the Northern Caucasus breed of turkeys. Broad-Breasted Bronze turkeys are distributed in Europe and America. In the USSR, they are raised in the Kotliarevskii Breeding Farm of the Kabarda-Balkar ASSR.
Z. A. ZHIDKIKH