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General Turkey Research in the US
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General Turkey Research in the US

November 30, 2022

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Leading states producing turkeys (USDA 2019 data):

Minnesota-40M

North Carolina-31M

Arkansas-30M

Indiana-20M

Missouri-16.5M

Virginia-16M

Iowa-11.7M

California-8.5M

University infrastructure in turkey research:

University of Arkansas (Dr. Hargis-food safety)

            Facility with 48 pens (36 sq ft) used either both turkeys or broilers

Auburn University (no turkey related research facilities or personnel)

Iowa State University (Drs. Bobeck-immunology and Koltes-physiology)

            Facility with 32 turkey poult pens (64 sq ft) and 32 grower-finisher pens (121 sq ft)

            60 ‘small’ batteries for metabolism collection (F-House)

University of Minnesota (Dr. Noll-nutrition; Dr. Johny-food safety)

Only a small number of pens with a small number of birds per pen

Mississippi State University (Dr. Wamsley-general nutrition, feed processing)

            Small scale poult only, very limited facilities)

University of Missouri (Dr. Firman-nutrition, retired 2020)

            96 pen----may be knocked down ‘soon’?

            Some batteries for birds up to 3 weeks of age

North Carolina State University (Drs. Ferket-nutrition and Grimes-extension)

            48 pen (200 sq ft) barn, 96 pen (100 sq ft) barn, 24 pen (150 sq ft) barn, facility with 16 rooms (300 sq ft) with separate ventilation and lighting, facility with 4 (1000 sq ft) rooms with one room containing 48 pen battery for birds up to 3 weeks of age and a room with 72 batteries for birds up to 5 weeks of age

Pennsylvania State University (Dr. Boney-feed quality, extension)

            Facility with 24 pens (90 sq ft) and a facility with 16 pens (73 sq ft)

Purdue University (Dr. Erasmus-behavior)

            Facility with 24 (or 12 double) pens for birds up to market weight

ARS infrastructure in turkey research:

Nutrition-Mississippi State, MS (NP101/Purswell-RL)

      Mainly broiler nutrition/management; could do limited facility-design work in turkeys

Reproduction-Beltsville, MD (NP101 and NP103/Long-RL)

      Food safety, microbiology, reproduction

Food Safety-Ames, IA (NP108/Loving-RL)

      Food safety, microbiology

Food Safety-Fayetteville, AR (NP108/Donoghue-RL)

      Food safety, microbiology

Food Safety-College Station, TX (NP108/Ivie-RL)

      Food safety, microbiology

Industry Need

ARS National Program 101 research focusing on nutritional impacts affecting turkey production efficiency and environmental quality.

Preferred location: Ames, IA

Complements the National Program 101 research on the nutritional impacts on swine production efficiency and environmental quality research being conducted at the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Ames, IA.

Complements the National Program 103 research focusing on food safety and microbiology research being conducted at the National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA.

Complements Iowa State University research on immunology and physiology, and will be able to utilize the new Turkey Teaching and Research Facility located in Ames, IA.

Complements live turkey production located in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas; and will collaborate with other states leading in turkey production (North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, and California) on a national level.