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Arlington Turkey Research Center |
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This research station includes two buildings used to house turkeys, in addition to a barn (used for storage) and residence. The surrounding land is used to range growing turkeys during the warmer months of the year. The turkeys maintained at this facility are involved in research pertaining to reproductive physiology and nutrition. The breeder hens are maintained in a partially underground, earth-bermed structure called the "the Bunker". This is divided into ten floor pens (one 8' x 16', one 10' x 16' and eight 14' 16') which house 11, 20, and 40 females respectively. Trap nests are provided for egg collection. All matings are accomplished using artificial insemination. Lighting is provided with fluorescent lights. Feeding is accomplished with a trough and chain system, and water is provided from Plasson waterers. Trough feeders are currently being used in several of the pens to hand-feed silage to some experimental groups. The males are housed in the "Tom Barn', a building which also serves as a brooding facility for poults. Movable dividers constructed of wood and wire are used to form ten floor pens either 16 1/2' x 15' (4 pens, 13 toms each) or 16 1/2' x 10' (6 pens, 7 toms each). Feed is augered into hanging feeders, and water is provided in Johnson cups. After the breeding season, this building is completely cleaned out and prepared from brooding Ten brooders provide capacity for rearing up to 3000 poults in this area. Poults are hand fed up to three weeks of age, and subsequently the mechanical feeding system is used. The young turkeys are moved out to range after the brooding period. Mature birds are moved off range into the breeding facilities in the fall. |
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A separate area of the Tom Barn is used for nutritional research projects. Thirty floor pens 5 1 /2' x 7 1/2', each house eleven birds from hatch to 20 weeks of age. During the period when the poults require supplemental heat, it is provided with gas brooders. Because each pen is on a separate diet, all the feeding in these nutrition pens is done by hand. Watering in these pens is also with Johnson cups. The third barn on the farm is used primarily for equipment and vehicle storage, although occasionally part of it is used as supplemental housing for adult turkeys. Each of the other two animal buildings has service rooms attached. The residence of this research station is occupied by one of the farm employees and his family.
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File last updated: Nov.1, 2002 |
