A trial was conducted to study the protein requirement of native turkey poults in the tropics. A total of 144 day old turkey poults were divided into three treatment groups with two replicates, providing protein levels of 22, 25 and 28 percent with a constant metabolisable energy level of 2750 Kcal ME/kg. Upto 2 weeks of age, birds provided with 28 percent crude protein gave better body weights but by 4th week birds provided with 25 percent crude protein began gaining over the higher protein groups and gave a signiticantly (P<0.05) higher body weight of 746.9g as compared to 706 g in birds fed with 28 percent crude protein at eight weeks of age. The feed eniciency also was the best in birds fed with 25 percent crude protein level.
Poults, protein, requirement, body weight
