Influence of Sex on Utilization of Feed in Turkeys

THE fact that Bourbon Red male turkeys weigh on an average approximately 50 percent more than females at seven months of age suggests that possibly the male uses less feed for each pound of weight than the females. The data available at the present time for feed used by chickens and turkeys at different age and weight periods are usually based on flocks carrying both sexes. These data do not show whether there is a difference between the male and female in the amount of feed used per pound of weight. Data collected by Roberts and Carrick (1933) on Barred Plymouth Rock chicks from four to ten weeks of age, show no difference in the feed used for each pound of weight by the different sexes. Data reported by Jull and Titus (1928) on crossbred chicks, from day-old to twenty-four weeks of age with male and females separated, show a . . .