Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #200820
Title: The relationship between growth of commercial toms and linear skeletal development

Author
item LILBURN, M - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
item Mitchell, Alva
item ANDERSON, J - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2006
Publication Date: 7/16/2006
Citation: Lilburn, M.S., Mitchell, A.D., Anderson, J. 2006. The relationship between growth of commercial toms and linear skeletal development [abstract]. Poultry Science 85 (Suppl.1):31.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An experiment was conducted to study the relationship between the growth of commercial toms (Nicholas) and linear skeletal development. All toms were fed a commercial turkey starter diet for the entire experiment. At two week intervals, 10 toms were randomly selected and weighed. The right half of the Pectoralis major (PMAJ) breast muscle was removed and weighed and the tibia and femur were removed for further measurements. All tissue was removed from each bone by boiling and the length was recorded. The width of the bone was determined at the point calculated to be 50% of its respective length. Body weight increased from 405 g at 2 wk to almost 8 kg by 10 wk of age, a 20-fold increase, and there was a consistent 2 to 3 kg increase in BW every two wk between 10 and 22 week (24.1 kg), representing a three fold increase in BW between these ages. The percentage PMAJ (one side only) almost doubled between 2 wk (3.8%) and 10 wk (7%) but thereafter the increases in relative breast muscle size, while incremental with age, were small and the terminal muscle percentage at 22 wk was 9.04 %. In both the tibia and femur, there was a 5-fold increase in bone length between hatch and 10 wk (tibia, 3.53 to 18.15 cm; femur, 2.48 to 12.74 cm) with only a 20 - 30% further increase in length through 22 wk (tibia, 24.3 cm; femur, 15.6 cm). From 18 to 22 wk, there were minimal changes in tibia or femur length but BW increased 6 kg. The age associated changes in tibia and femur width were even more dramatic. From hatch to 10 wk, the width of the tibia and femur increased 8 fold (tibia, 1.97 to 16.51 mm; femur, 1.95 to 16.86 mm) with a only a 20 to 25% further increase through 22 wk (tibia, 20.84 mm; femur, 20.41 mm). From 14 to 22 wk, there was only a 2 mm increase in tibia and femur width but BW increased 10 kg during the time period. In conclusion, the greatest absolute and relative changes in long bone development occur within the first 10 weeks of age. The skeleton is subject to tremendous physical stress from increased BW from 10 to 22 wk (16 kg) and this emphasizes the importance of early skeletal development with respect to minimizing leg weakness at later ages.