Northern Caucasus Turkey

a breed of turkeys developed in kolkhozes and sovkhozes in Stavropol’ Krai between 1946 and 1956 by crossing local turkeys with Broad-Breasted Bronze turkeys. The plumage is black with a bronze tint. The adult male weighs 12–14 kg, and the adult female 6–7 kg. The annual egg yield is 80–100 eggs, with a maximum yield of more than 170 eggs. Bronze females were crossed with English Broad-Breasted males, and offspring with white plumage were subsequenty selected in order to produce lines of white Northern Caucasus turkeys (noted for very early meat maturation). The young obtained by crossing lines of white Northern Caucasus turkeys weigh 4.5–5 kg at the age of 120 days. Northern Caucasus turkeys are raised in many areas of the USSR.