"...when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another Heaven and another Earth must pass before such a one can be again."
-William Beebe

Heritage Turkeys || Chickens || Biosecurity || Other

Free Downloads

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is pleased to offer this webpage of downloadable information. This page contains much useful information designed to be used for educational purposes and to support the conservation of rare breeds of livestock and poultry. The material on this site is copyrighted by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, and may not be reproduced without proper attribution nor distributed without permission.

Heritage Turkeys

• ALBC Turkey Manual - How to Raise Heritage Turkeys on Pasture

So you want to raise Heritage Turkeys. You have heard about their great flavor, their healthy immune systems, and their perfect fit for pasture-based production. But where do you turn for good information on Heritage turkey production? Most of the currently available information on turkey husbandry has been written primarily for the industrial Broad Breasted turkey, and the books written for the Heritage – or Standard – turkeys are out of print. Though some information in the modern publications apply, the differences are critical to the health and management of Heritage turkeys. For instance, Heritage turkeys fly – so how do you keep them home? They have different nutritional needs, which if not met can stunt their growth and your financial return. The list goes on.

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has developed a modern manual for Heritage turkeys. It pulls together the best of the historic production information appropriate for Heritage turkeys and the best of modern health management. It addresses production from poult to processing, and marketing from packaging to distribution. If you want more information, the end of each chapter contains a rich resource list.

The chapters that follow may be downloaded at no charge and reproduced for educational purposes. Hard copies may be obtained from ALBC at a charge for printing at ALBC store's poultry page.

ALBC will be conducting several multiple day production clinics in 2008. To learn more about these or to be placed on the interest list, please contact ALBC.

If you have any comments, suggestions, corrections or questions please send them to: The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, PO Box 477, Pittsboro, NC 27517, or contact Jeannette Beranger at 919-542-5704 or jberanger@albc-usa.org.

Thanks to the many people who contributed to this manual, and especially to the Southern Region SARE Professional Development Program for funding this important project.

With best wishes to you as you explore pasture-rearing Heritage Turkeys! Marjorie Bender, Research & Technical Program Director, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy;

• Chapter 1. Choosing a Variety and Obtaining Poults (PDF, 493K)
• Chapter 2. Brooding and Brooder Pens (PDF, 390K)
• Chapter 3. Pasturing Turkeys (PDF, 397K)
• Chapter 4. Feeds and Feeding of Free Range Turkeys (PDF, 437K)
• Chapter 5. Common Diseases and Aliments of Turkeys and Their Management (PDF, 303K)
• Chapter 6. Facilities, Shelters, and Fencing (PDF, 632K)
• Chapter 7. Health Promotion and Biosecurity (PDF, 326K)
• Chapter 8. Protecting Heritage Turkeys from Predators (PDF, 269K)
• Chapter 9. Processing and Marketing Regulations (PDF, 266K)
• Chapter 10. Value-added Considerations, Alternative Farming Systems, and Labeling (PDF 302K)
  
• Chapter 11. Promotion, Field Days, and Tastings (PDF 220K)
  
• Chapter 12. Connecting with Consumers – Marketing Systems and Effective Approaches (PDF 212K)
  
• Chapter 13. Economics of Heritage Turkey Production on Range (PDF 262K)

• Heritage Turkey Definition

Chickens

Chicken Assessment for Improving Productivity
This outline for selecting desirable production traits in chickens was developed as part of an American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) pilot project to recover breed production characteristics of endangered poultry. These guidelines are from well-established parameters developed by “old school” poultrymen, as documented in some of the early to mid-20th century poultry texts. This once commonplace knowledge and practice has become unknown to most modern chicken farmers due to the ready availability of chicks that can be purchased from large hatcheries.

ALBC offers this information for free download in an effort to support small-scale poultry keeping. Hard copies may be obtained from ALBC at a charge for printing at ALBC store's poultry page.

• Chapter 1. Selecting for Meat Qualities and Rate of Growth (PDF, 470K)
• Chapter 2. Selecting for Egg Production (PDF, 344K)
• Chapter 3. Ongoing Selection of Breeding Stock (PDF, 291K)

Biosecurity

In an effort to provide good information for our members and owners of poultry, ALBC provides this information. Please check back periodically, as new information will be added as it becomes available. See our LINKS page for links of interest related to Biosecurity.

• Creating a Contagious Disease Biosecurity Plan

• ALBC Contagious Disease Biosecurity Plan (PDF)

• Bio-Security Essential to Saving Rare Breeds

• Health Promotion Recommendations for Poultry Conservation

• "Avian Flu and You," by Don Schrider

• "At last…..our birds are vaccinated against Avian Influenza" by Andrea Heesters, The Netherlands

Other

• Statement of Concern re: National Animal Identification System (NAIS)