Progesterone Versus Treatment by High Intensity Sound as Methods of Controlling Broodiness in Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys

THE problem of broodiness in turkeys continues to be one of the more perplexing and least understood in the production of turkey hatching eggs. Excessive broodiness results in loss of production, pre-empting of nest space by “broodies” and increased losses through broken and soiled eggs. A better understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved might make possible the therapeutic treatment of the condition until turkey breeders eliminate the problem. Riddle, Bates and Lahr (1935) reported that prolactin induced broodiness in the laying fowl. Gonadotrophin and thyrotrophin were ineffective. Burrows and Byerly (1936) reported that broody hens’ pituitaries contained more prolactin than did the pituitaries from non-broody hens or cocks. Broodiness has been induced in cocks by the injection of prolactin (Nalbandov, 1945). Saeki and Tanabe (1955) reported the prolactin potency of the pituitary rose immediately after the hen showed nesting behavior. It was reported that in doves broodiness was induced by …