EVALUATION OF TRANSMITTER ATTACHMENT TECHNIQUES ON GROWTH OF WILD TURKEY POULTS

We compared the effects on growth of backpack-mounted and surgically i mplanted radiotransmitters used as marking techniques in studies of wi ld turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) poult survival. We applied repeated-me asures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bayesian analysis to evaluate the null hypothesis that marking technique did not affect growth. Grow th in body mass was similar among treatment groups. We did, however, f ind differences in wing-growth rates among treatment groups. The contr ol group had the highest wing-growth rate, the backpack group had the lowest growth rate, and the surgical implant group was intermediate. L atex backpack harnesses also caused physical developmental problems th at would have negatively biased wild poult survival estimates in the f ield. Surgically implanted transmitters affected wing growth less than the backpack harnesses and are therefore recommended for attaching tr ansmitters to wild turkey poults.