Nicholas 700 — a heavy, high-yielding meat turkey
Nicholas 700 is a commercial meat-turkey hybrid from Aviagen Turkeys genetics (the Nicholas line). It is a heavy meat type: fast gain, high breast-meat yield and good feed conversion. Used in commercial fattening for a heavy carcass. We explain what this breed is, its growth figures, what it needs in the house and feeding, and who it suits.
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What Nicholas 700 is
Nicholas 700 is a commercial meat-turkey hybrid offered by Aviagen Turkeys under the Nicholas brand. It is not a “breed” in the classic sense but a production line selected for meat: high body weight, high breast-muscle yield and efficient feed conversion. It is a heavy-type bird, intended for intensive fattening to a large carcass. If you are new to this direction, start with the guide on turkey farming and the article turkey farming for beginners.
Where it comes from: Aviagen Turkeys and the Nicholas brand
The Nicholas genetics belong to Aviagen Turkeys — one of the two main global suppliers of turkey breeding stock, alongside the BUT line. The Nicholas brand has a long history of meat-turkey selection, and “700” is the designation of a specific commercial cross. Day-old poults come from hatcheries supplied with eggs from this genetics’ parent flocks. The producer publishes official management guides and growth tables worth checking before placement.
Use type: heavy meat turkey
Nicholas 700 is a heavy meat type — unlike lighter lines meant for a smaller carcass. Selection drives fast gain and heavy muscling, especially the breast, which is the most valuable part of the turkey carcass. That makes it a bird for commercial production, where the meat per place and a low feed cost per kilogram of gain matter. To understand how a turkey performs financially, check turkey farming profitability and the comparison turkey vs broiler — profitability.
Sexual dimorphism: toms and hens
In turkeys the weight gap between the male (tom) and the female (hen) is very large — larger than in chickens. Toms grow to a much higher final weight and are usually fattened longer, for a heavy industrial carcass. Hens reach a lower weight and are often sent to an earlier slaughter or a different market. In practice flocks are often kept split by sex, because they differ in growth rate, feed demand and the optimal slaughter age.
Running the flock with DlaFerm.pl
Fattening a heavy turkey is a long cycle with a lot of paperwork: gains, mortality, treatments and drug withdrawal, feed use. DlaFerm.pl brings this together in one place — you keep a digital Flock Card (it also works for turkey flocks) and flock records in IRZplus. The IRZplus portal can be unintuitive, so you can have DlaFerm.pl file the flock-change reports for you — automatically, if you want; or you can report them yourself. So you keep your results under control and are ready for a veterinary inspection from day one. You can create a farm account for free.
Nicholas 700 — six traits you need to know
Before you place the flock, it pays to know this genetics’ profile: where it comes from, its use type, how it grows and where its meat goes. Here are six key traits of the heavy Nicholas 700 turkey.
Origin and company
Nicholas 700 is a commercial Aviagen Turkeys hybrid offered under the Nicholas brand — one of the leading meat-turkey lines in the world. Poults come from hatcheries supplied by this genetics’ parent flocks. The producer provides official growth tables and management guides that are the reference for the whole fattening period. The overall picture of the direction is given by the guide on turkey farming.
Use type: heavy meat turkey
This is a heavy meat-type bird, selected for fast gain and high breast-muscle yield. It suits intensive fattening to a large industrial carcass rather than small-scale keeping for your own needs. The production goal is maximum meat per place at a low feed cost. How this translates into money is shown by turkey farming profitability.
Weight and growth rate
Final weight depends on sex and slaughter age. According to the producer’s public management tables, toms of the heavy Nicholas lines reach about 18–22 kg at roughly 20–21 weeks, and hens about 9–11 kg at roughly 14–16 weeks — the exact figures are given by the current Aviagen Turkeys guide. Growth is fast, so feeding and the environment must keep up with it.
Temperament and resilience
Heavy meat turkeys are calm birds but sensitive to mistakes in rearing — especially in the first days, when temperature and access to feed and water are critical. The large body weight loads the legs, so litter quality and even growth matter. The genetics is also selected for viability, but that does not replace good flock management. The basics of rearing are gathered in turkey farming for beginners.
Purpose and market
Heavy-turkey meat goes mainly to processing: breast cutting, fillets, meat for cold cuts and culinary products. A large carcass is an advantage when selling to industrial plants, where dressing yield and the share of white meat matter. This is a commercial market, not small-quantity retail. Whether this direction pays off better than a broiler is weighed in the article turkey vs broiler — profitability.
Availability of poults
Nicholas 700 poults are bought day-old from hatcheries cooperating with the Aviagen Turkeys genetics supplier. For commercial fattening availability is good, but orders are planned ahead, because hatches run in cycles. It is worth settling the source, the flock’s health status and the vaccination programme in advance, before you plan the placement and prepare the house for a specific date.
Parameters, environment and flock selection
The high potential of Nicholas 700 shows only with good feeding and environment. Here are six areas — from production norms to welfare — that decide the fattening result.
Production norms (FCR, age, weight)
According to the producer’s public management tables, heavy turkeys of this genetics reach a feed conversion (FCR) of roughly 2.4–2.8 kg of feed per kg of gain for toms slaughtered at about 20–21 weeks at around 18–22 kg; hens about 9–11 kg at around 14–16 weeks. The exact values and curves are given by the current Aviagen Turkeys guide — treat them as a target, not a guarantee. How parameters translate into results is calculated by turkey farming profitability.
Environment: temperature and density
Turkey poults need a high start temperature (about 35–37°C under brooders on day 1, gradually lowered each week). The final stocking density of a heavy turkey is usually about 50–58 kg/m² of live weight — fewer birds per m² than a broiler, because the bird is much heavier. Ventilation, dry litter and an even microclimate are also key to avoid leg and breast-blister problems.
Phase feeding
A heavy turkey is fed in phases — several diets with a decreasing protein level as it grows (starter, grower, finisher). The start needs high protein and digestible amino acids, the finish more energy. Feed is by far the largest cost of the cycle, so precise diets and limiting waste directly decide FCR and margin. The effect of feed cost on the result is visible in the analysis of turkey farming profitability.
Health and risks
The long cycle of a heavy turkey means greater exposure to diseases (including histomonosis, coccidiosis, respiratory problems) and to avian influenza, which means culling the flock. The large weight loads the legs and heart, so even growth and good litter matter. Every treatment requires records and tracking the drug withdrawal — conveniently kept in the digital Flock Card. Biosecurity here is a duty, not an option.
Welfare and management
With a heavy bird welfare is not just rules but also a result: stress, poor litter or an uneven microclimate spoil gains and carcass quality. Access to feed and water, air quality, lighting and the light programme, and sex separation all matter. A well-run flock gives even batches for slaughter. Records of placements, mortality and gains are easiest kept digitally together with flock records in IRZplus.
Who Nicholas 700 is for
This is genetics for commercial farms aimed at producing a heavy turkey carcass for processing, which can ensure intensive phase feeding, a good environment and strict biosecurity. For small-scale keeping for your own needs this type is often too demanding and costly. If you are torn between directions, start with turkey farming for beginners and compare turkey vs broiler before you invest in a long cycle.
Frequently asked questions about the Nicholas 700 turkey
What is Nicholas 700?add
It is a commercial meat-turkey hybrid from Aviagen Turkeys genetics, offered under the Nicholas brand. It belongs to the heavy meat type — selected for fast gain and high breast-muscle yield. It is used in intensive commercial fattening for a large industrial carcass, not in small-scale keeping for your own needs.
How much do a Nicholas 700 tom and hen weigh?add
Weight depends on sex and slaughter age. According to the public Aviagen Turkeys management tables, toms of the heavy Nicholas lines reach roughly about 18–22 kg at around 20–21 weeks, and hens about 9–11 kg at around 14–16 weeks. The exact values are given by the producer’s current official guide and should be treated as a target under good feeding and environment.
What FCR does Nicholas 700 have?add
The feed conversion of a heavy turkey of this genetics is, according to the producer’s tables, roughly about 2.4–2.8 kg of feed per kg of gain, depending on sex, slaughter age and rearing conditions. These are target values from the public Aviagen Turkeys management guides — the real on-farm FCR depends on feed quality, flock health and the house microclimate.
How does Nicholas 700 differ from a chicken broiler?add
A turkey grows much longer and reaches a much higher weight than a broiler chicken, gives more white meat per carcass, but needs a longer cycle, more feed and stricter biosecurity. A turkey’s cycle is counted in around fifteen to twenty weeks, a broiler’s in a few. You will find a cost and risk comparison in the article turkey vs broiler — profitability.
Is Nicholas 700 suitable for a beginner?add
This is genetics for commercial production, so for a complete beginner it can be demanding: a long cycle, intensive phase feeding and strict biosecurity. Before you decide, it is worth going through the basics of turkey rearing and calculating profitability soberly. To start at a smaller scale, lighter lines or a shorter fattening can be easier — the choice depends on the goal, budget and conditions.
Where can I buy Nicholas 700 poults?add
Day-old poults are bought from hatcheries cooperating with the Aviagen Turkeys genetics supplier. For commercial fattening availability is good, but orders are planned ahead, because hatches run in cycles. Before placement, settle the source, the parent flock’s health status and the vaccination programme, and prepare the house for a specific delivery date.
Run Nicholas 700 turkey fattening with DlaFerm.pl
Want gains, mortality, treatments and drug withdrawal under control through the whole long cycle? We will show you how DlaFerm.pl runs a turkey flock through the digital Flock Card and records in IRZplus. Create a free farm account.
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