MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DALMATIAN TURKEY
– PRELIMINARY RESULTS –
Anamaria Ekert Kabalin1, Sven Menčik1, Mario Ostović2, Igor Štoković1, Ana Grgas3, Šandor Horvath4, Tomislav Balenović1, Velimir Sušić1, Ivo Karadjole1, Željko Pavičić2
1Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2Department of Animal Hygiene, Environment and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia
3Croatian Agricultural Extension Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
4Individual research, Zagreb, Croatia
akabalin@vef.hr
Dalmatian turkey is a local, archaic form which has been traditionally reared on the area of Dalmatian hinterland. This local form has quite specific phenotypic characteristics and it is very suitable for extensive production system in small flocks where turkeys are kept and fed outdoor the most part of the year. Since everyday increase in turkey’s hybrids in this area decrease the number of the Dalmatian turkey, we find necessary to determine their average population size and morphological characteristics. That will present the first steps towards its’ full phenotypic and genotypic identification as a possible autochthonous breed. From this reason we collected data from 26 breeders with 3 to 20 breeding animals in flocks. Also we performed morphological measurements (determination of feather colour, body mass and average body and head measures) on 10 flocks (2 females and 1 male in each flock). Average body mass of turkey hens was 4.3 ± 0.7 kg, and of turkey cocks was 7.2 ± 1.2 kg. The plumage colours were predominantly black, bronze, grey or white-palm, rarely mottled black.
Keywords: Dalmatian turkey; autochthonous form; phenotypic characteristics; body measures
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