The recent lower reproductive performance caused by heavier turkey breeder replacement candidates has re-energized the need for body weight restriction. The need to restrict weight early in the life of the turkey breeder replacement hen up to lightingis economically important and urgent, but the approach and the optimum method of weight restriction are not clear. Controlling the growth rate of broiler breeders during the growing and laying phases is an essential management tool for a successful reproductive performance. Thus, it is tempting to simply try copying the broiler breeders feed restriction models. However, it is important to keep in mind we do not know, for example, if the turkey breeder replacement candidate requires a different body composition at lighting compared to broiler breeders. The broiler industry invested a lot of resources and time to optimise the feed restriction models while the turkey industry directed limited resources, if any recently, towards this issue.
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