Development of a model to predict the impact of nutrition, genetics and heat stress on performance, meat yield and meat quality in turkeys

Lead Applicant: Jennifer Ellis

Research Priority: Animal Health & Welfare

Program Type: Tier 1

Funding Cycle: 2023/2024

Research Centre: NA

Research Summary: Nutrition modelling is essential to modern feed formulation and diet optimization in livestock production systems. Mechanistic models of nutrient digestion, absorption, metabolism, and growth are implemented in industry as ‘decision support systems’, and in academia to summarize our cumulative biological knowledge and identify knowledge gaps. The turkey industry, however, has received little support in this regard, often only addressed via an extension of technologies developed for broilers, though these birds are taxed with a rapid growth rate which can be heavily influenced by nutritional inputs and environmental conditions (e.g., heat stress) that may differ from broilers. Therefore, the objective of this project is to develop a turkey-specific growth and metabolism model to support the Canadian turkey sector. The model will predict the effect of nutritional interventions and environmental conditions (e.g., heat stress) on turkey growth, carcass composition and meat yield/quality.