The turkey heart is a fascinating organ that works tirelessly to circulate blood and oxygen throughout the bird’s body. Although small in size, the heart is a critical component that keeps turkeys alive and thriving. Let’s take a closer look at the anatomy, size, and function of the turkey heart.
Average Size of a Turkey Heart
On average, a healthy adult turkey heart is about the size of a walnut or golf ball, around 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. The exact size can vary based on the overall size and age of the bird. For example, the heart of a mature tom turkey may be at the larger end of the range, while a younger hen’s heart is often smaller. But generally, the turkey heart maintains an efficient, compact size whether from a 16-pound Thanksgiving bird or a hefty 30-pound competition turkey.
Where is the Turkey Heart Located?
Strategically positioned within the thoracic cavity, the heart is centrally placed between the two lungs and surrounded by protective membranes. Having the lungs flanking the heart assists in re-oxygenating the blood supply as it circulates through the lungs. The enclosing membranes also safeguard the heart from potential trauma or damage. This anatomy allows for smooth, continuous blood flow.
External Texture and Color
When handling a raw turkey heart you’ll notice the firm yet flexible texture of the muscular exterior. The tissue feels smooth and dense to the touch. In color, a healthy heart typically appears a deep crimson red, thanks to the high iron and hemoglobin levels in the pumping myocardial tissues. Any pale patches or odd textures may indicate disease or abnormalities.
Interior Structure and Function
Just like the human heart, the turkey heart contains four chambers and four valves to direct blood flow. The top chambers, the left and right atria, receive blood from the veins. The stronger lower chambers, the left and right ventricles, pump blood out to the arteries. The mitral, tricuspid, pulmonic and aortic valves swing open and closed to propel blood in its oxygenated pathway around the cardiovascular system. Though tiny compared to a human heart, these valves and chambers are engineering marvels.
Vessels Transporting Blood
A network of blood vessels carries blood to and from the four-chambered heart. Major arterial vessels include the aorta, pulmonary artery, brachiocephalic arteries, and coronary arteries. The superior and inferior vena cava return de-oxygenated blood from the body, along with the pulmonary, coronary and hepatic portal veins. This complex circulatory routing delivers nutrients while removing waste.
Development and Changes Over Life
A turkey poult hatches with an underdeveloped heart that grows quickly to support the chick’s rapid growth. Within just 8 weeks, commercial turkeys increase over 15 times in weight, requiring corresponding heart growth. As the turkey matures contractions strengthen and cardiac output rises to supply the tissues and organs. By adulthood the resting turkey heart beats around 275 times per minute. With age, efficiency declines as walls thicken and valves calcify.
Caring For the Turkey Heart
While we tend to focus on the delicious breast meat, the living turkey needs an extremely functional heart to reach maturity. By providing a balanced diet, controlling parasites, and promoting cardiovascular exercise, producers can nurture healthy heart development.
Animals, Materials and Methods
This study involving turkey handling and treatments was carried out in accordance with German animal welfare law. The protocol was approved by State Office of Health and Social Affairs Berlin (LaGeSo Reg. Nr. 0218/07).
Forty wild turkeys (Wild Canadian Turkeys), 20 males and 20 females, were sourced from a wildlife park in Ostrittrum, Germany. Also sourced were forty meat turkeys from a highly selected line (British United Turkeys BUT Big 6), 20 males and 20 females, from a commercial grow-out farm (Gut Jäglitz GMBH). Agrar KG, Roddahn, Germany) were selected as day-old-chicks. This study was approved by the responsible Animal Care Committee (Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales Berlin, Germany).
Wild-type and meat-type birds were housed separately in two groups under the same husbandry conditions (10 birds/6. 5 m2), in the Institute of Poultry Diseases, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin. All birds were fed a commercial pellet diet (Ströh Hobbersdorf, Pansdorf, Germany) using a three stage feeding system. From weeks 1 to 6, this was made up of starter feed (type 015), then growers feed (type 016), and finally finishers feed I (type 017) from weeks 13 onwards. All birds were allowed ad libitum access to food and water. The study ended on week 16.
Salah Al Masri1Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, GermanyFind articles by
Received 2016 Oct 14; Accepted 2017 Jan 11; Collection date 2017. © 2017 Al Masri et al
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
This research looked at the heart structures of two types of turkeys: a British United turkeys BUT Big 6 meat-type line that grows quickly and a Canadian Wild turkey wild-type line. At 8 and 16 weeks of age, 10 birds of each genotype and sex were sampled. The meat-type turkey gained weight faster than the wild-type turkey, both in terms of body mass and heart mass. But the relative heart mass went down a little with age in both lines of turkeys. The drop was statistically significant only in the male turkeys. Furthermore meat-type turkeys had a significantly (p < 0. 01) less heart mass and left ventricle thickness compared to wild turkeys of the same age The wild-type turkeys’ heart muscle cells didn’t change much in size from 8 weeks to 16 weeks (cross-sectional area and diameter). In contrast, the size of cardiomyocytes increased significantly (p < 0. 001) with age in the meat-type turkeys. The number of capillaries in the left ventricular wall increased significantly (p < 0. 001) in wild turkeys from 2351 per mm2 at 8 weeks old to 2843 per mm2 at 16 weeks old But there were no big changes in the meat-type turkeys. Their capillary numbers were 2989 per mm2 at 8 weeks old and 2915 per mm2 at 16 weeks old. Correspondingly the area occupied by capillaries in the myocardium increased in wild-type turkeys from 8. 59% at the age of 8 weeks to 9. 15% at 16 weeks, whereas in meat-type turkeys this area decreased from 10. 4% at 8 weeks to 9. 95% at 16 weeks. Our findings show that the meat-type turkeys’ heart capillaries were not as dense or well-structured as those in the wild-type turkeys, and their body mass and heart mass did not develop at the same rate.
Breeders, nutritionists, and growers are under pressure to make birds grow faster, use feed more efficiently, and get bigger breast muscles because people around the world want more chicken. Turkeys are sold in about half the time and at about twice the body weight they were 50 years ago [1]. These changes are due mainly to the high heritability of body weight and body meat composition [2]. These kinds of changes have made it harder for modern birds that are growing to deal with stressors, like heat stress in their environment [3]. Some people think this has led to the failure of several organs and body systems because of the higher metabolic demands needed for very fast body mass gains [4, 5].
Turkeys have developed many undesirable traits, such as circulatory disorders like ascites, aortic rupture, spontaneous cardiomyopathy (round heart), and cardiomyopathy causing sudden death, all of which are accompanied by a decrease in muscle production and/or a high death rate. These traits are likely caused by the stress that comes from growing so quickly [6–9]. One mystery in recent years is the occurrence of perirenal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in flocks of male turkeys that are heavy and growing quickly. Often, there is no clear cause. Here, mortality is most common between 8 and 16 weeks, which is when metabolic stress is highest and muscle growth is fastest [5]. In turkeys with noninfectious cardiovascular disorders, Julian [10] says that the cardiomyocytes can only respond very limitedly to changes in blood pressure and volume as well as a lack of oxygen. They can only get bigger to meet the extra demand.
According to Schmidt et al. [11] a study compared modern broiler turkey lines to heritage turkey lines and found that modern broilers have a lower physiological capacity to accommodate increasing skeletal muscle volume. This may be because they have a lower relative heart mass. They found that the hearts of heritage line birds (UIUC) grew at a rate of 7 mg/g of bird, while the hearts of modern broiler birds (Ross) grew at a rate of 5 mg/g of bird. Heritage and modern broiler birds of the same weight were compared, and the UIUC hearts were bigger than the Ross lineage hearts.
The heart growth after birth in domestic birds has mostly been looked at from the points of view of healthy development [11] and disease [7, 12]. In the same way, the shape of turkeys’ vascular systems has mostly been looked at from the point of view of gross pathology [5, 13].
Not much is known about how age, gender, and genetics affect how the heart grows and the structure of the capillaries in a turkey’s heart. A study compared the heart structures of a highly selected meat-type turkey line and a wild-type turkey line during critical growth periods. The goal was to find out if there are any links between genetic selection for fast growth and heart diseases in turkeys. To find out how the hearts of Canadian wild turkeys and a highly genetically selected meat-type domestic turkey line look and work under a microscope, we looked at the hearts of both groups during their fast growth period between 8 and 16 weeks old.
Turkey Heart Anatomy, for kids
FAQ
How big is a turkey’s heart?
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Parameters
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Age (weeks)
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Wild-type turkey
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Male (n = 10)
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Body mass (kg)
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16
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3.35
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Heart mass (g)
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8
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7.14
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16
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19.74
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Are turkey hearts good for dogs?
How do you fill a Turkey Heart with a filling?
Stuffing the turkey heart with a delicious filling can elevate its taste and make for an impressive dish. Consider using ingredients like breadcrumbs, herbs, cooked vegetables, or even a combination of nuts and dried fruits. Just make sure the stuffing is fully cooked before placing it inside the heart.
How do you cook a Turkey Heart on a grill?
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grill the hearts for 4-6 minutes per side until they are nicely charred and cooked through. Sautéing: Heat a tablespoon of oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey hearts and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until they are golden brown and cooked to your desired level of doneness.
What can you do with cooked turkey Hearts?
You can chop cooked turkey hearts and add them to salads, pasta dishes, or stir-fries for an extra protein boost. They can also be diced and used in soups, stews, or casseroles. Get creative and experiment with different recipes to make the most out of the turkey hearts in your kitchen.
How do you store Turkey Heart & giblets?
Chop the heart into s mall pieces witha sharp knife, and season it with salt and pepper. Store the turkey heart and giblets in the refrigerator before cooking, and use within one to two days. Defrost the turkey heart and giblets in the refrigerator, cold water or a microwave oven. Find your way to better health.
How do you clean a Turkey Heart?
Follow these simple steps: Give the turkey hearts a quick rinse under cold water to remove any surface impurities. Pat them dry with a paper towel to ensure a better sear and to prevent excess moisture. Trim any excess fat or connective tissue from the hearts.