Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-05-18
ON REARING, TURKEYS.

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ON REARING TURKEYS. .,..
From D:xons work poultry make the following ex-
If for DID, may contain hints for young house,
keepers |, brings mind much (ssys Mr. Skinner in his
excellent agricultural periodically that ourselves remember
to have noticed in the habits of this valuable bird, and justly
rdcues foolish notions and habits in the treatmen
of turkeys, young and DID, Let affect despse in
formation such Subjects let those who proud
| to learn, refuse also to eat:
"When the hen has selected spot for her nest she
will continue lay there until the time of ncubaon that
the eggs may be brought home from day day. there being
need Of nest egg, with the fowl. She will
lay from fifteen to twenty egg, less. II there are
dead leaves dry grass hand she will her eggs
with these but if not, she will take trouble to collect
them from distance Her determination to sit will he
known by her constantly remaining on the nest, though
empty; and is seldom in position sufficiently
against The weather or pfere nest should be prepared Tor
her by placing straw, with her eggs, the floor Of
convenient house She should then be brought home
and gently and kindly placed upon it. 1t is pie asng
sght to witness the satisfaction with which the al lakes to her
ong eggs turning them about, placing them with her bill
the most suitable POSITIONS packing the straw tight around
and under them, and finally sinking upon them with the
quiet JOY of anticipated maternity lu the south of England
from fifteen to twenty eggs may be allowed but with the
Norfolk variety which the smallest, and in northern
eastern country is found that moderation succeeds better
than oversreediness of chicks In this thirteen eggs
enough give her large hen might more but
few srong, wehached chicks better than large brood
of weaklngs that have been delayed the SHE'LL perhaps
twelve hours the time, from insufficient warmth At the
end of week is usual to add two three fowls eggs, to
teach the young turkeys to peck. The plan is not bad
the activity of the chickens does stir up emuIa
ton in their larger brethren the eggs take up but little
in the nest and at the end of the you have two
three very fine fowls, all the pumper for the diet they
have shared with the little turkeys Some ladies believe
necessary to turn the eggs day but the hen does that
herself many times day. If the eggs Marked and you
their position when she leaves nest you will
ind A
SO chickens from 100 eggs took the trouble to every
egg every day with her hand during the whole Of
incubation The result appears favorable but, in fact, only
to this that such ocousness did harm with such
good, patient, quiet the sitting turkey is but it
would probably have worried aud annoyed any other bird
into adding her whole clutch. We will reject,
utterly absurd and UNNATURAL all directions mmerse suy
the eggs in pale Of water, hot cold In four weeks the
little birds will be hatched aud them how they to be
reared Some books tell you plunge them in cold water
strengthen them those that will certainly hardy
hirds Sir j. 5. Sebgh exposes the folly Of endeavopg
make young creatures robust by undue exposure cold and
hardship, experiment which and women
cruel enough to try upon their offspring Air and
else increases the strength of growing ANIMAL but cold
and hunger only dwarf and weaken We see robust children
in extremely poor families not because they poor but be
if they not robust, they would be alive ALL
Sir John in his Treatise improving the Breeds Do
mestc Animals pp Is, 6 says: In cold and barren
tries animals live to the of maturity but those that
have strong constitutions the weak and the unhealthy do
not live to propagate their nfrmities often the
hardness of The horses CATTLE and sheep bred in noun
famous countries than their having been Injured
the severity of the climate for domestic animals do not
become more hardy by being exposed when young cold
and hunger animals treated will not when arrived the
age OF maturity endure much hardship those who have
been better kept during their infant state Others say Make
then swallow whole peppercorn which is as if
to cram London pppn down the throat of born babe
Others again, say, Give them little ale, beer or wine
We know, unhappiy, that mothers wicked enough
70 give hen infants gin, and we know the consequences
Not few advise that they be taken away and kept in
basket by the hre-slde, wrapped flannel for eight
hours Why take them away from her She has under
gone no loss, pain, bor she rest having
had too much of that already All she requires the per-
mission to indulge undstubed the natural her
own aecionate instinct Give them nothing do nothing to
them let them be in the under the shelter of their
mothers wings at least eight ten hours hatched the
afternoon, till the following morning Then place her on the
grass IN the sun, and under roomy coop If the weather
be fine, she may be stationed where you choose by long
piece of flannel list tied round leg, and fastened to
stump stone But the boarded coop her
full anxiety from the dread Of enemies above and behnd,he
carron-crow the hawk, the the weasel and also pro-
tecs herself she will protect her young from the sudden
showers OF summer. Offer Of first few crumbs Of hread
the little for hours will be in hurry to eat; but
when they do begin supply them constantly and abundany
with chopped eggs hreds of meat and fat cud, boiled rice
mixed with cress, lettuce, and the green Of onions Melted
muttonsu poured over barley meal, aud up when cold
also buocks liver boiled and minced excellent things
Barley meal, mixed thick and stiff with or milk ne,te-
tops, eck gooegass, cleavers and many other things
might be added to the list but is probable that few OF
these may and then be refused by ancul little
rogues think have observed that little tn keys do
like their food 10 be minced much smaller than they cab
swslo. IT. indolen,ly prefeng make three or
four mouhfus to troubling themselves with the incesssnt
peckng aud scratching in which chickens much delight
But at any rate the quantity consumed costs nothing the
| attention 10 supply is every thing"