Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-05-24
farn1er's 9epartme1tt.
RAISING TURKEYS.

Richardson, in his work on the Domestic
Fowl, has. these remarks: Many writer
recommend vast deal of quackery in the
treatment of the young chicks. Some g
the length of ordering them wine, pepper
bathing in cold water, etc. 1t is far better
| to let them alone. For few hours aftel
Matching, chicks require no food at all
and then instead of cramming them-a pro
cess in which you are likely to break the
tender beak of the little ohick-chop up 9
few hard eggs with boiled nettle, parsley
and little bread or curd; make this into
| paste, and present it to the birds in the palm
of your hand, or place it before them on
stone, taking care that the hen does not rob
them.
In supplying them water, be careful to
put it into very shallow vessels that they
cannot wet themselves for the least mois'
ture appears fatal to them. As the turkey
chick does not seek its food Immediately on
leaving the egg, and the hen seems inca,
pable of instrucling her little offspring how
to do so, it is common practice with Some
to put few common eggs among the tur-
keys, (Which must be done nine or ten
days after setting,) that these coming out
with the little turkies may, by force of ex.
ample, teach them to provide for themselves.
Unless in very warm weather, the hen
and chicks should be housed for month.
Ifthey appear dropping, put powdered cara
way seed and a little Cayenne pepper into
the food. If you mix the food with milk,
letit be previously boiled. Unboiled milk
will purge the chicks; but for my own part
1 prefer pure water.
At the age of about two months occurs
the most critical period in the life of tur-
key, called shooting the red, or the time
when head and neck acquire the reddish
color of adults. This crisis once past, the
birds may be regarded,as past danger, and
exchange the name of chicks for that oftur-
key poults. The only treatment necessary
when bird is shooting the red, is to fur
uish nutritive food, with small pinch of
Cayenne pepper. Bruised hemp seeds al
so found serviceable.
Take care that young turkies never go
out on any account, (exceptin dry weather.
until the dew is off the ground and this
should be adhered to till they get to be the
size of an old partridge, and have their
backs we'll covered with feathers; and in
wet weather they should be kept under
cover all day long. As to the feeding of
them when young, many nice things are
recommended-hard eggs, chopped fine,
with crumbs of bread, and great many
other things, but that which l have seen
used, and always with success, and for all
sorts of young poultry, is milk turned into
curds. This is the food for young poultry
of all sorts. Some should be made fresh
every day, and if this is done, and the tur-
key kept warm, not one out off score will
die. When they get to be strong, they may
have meal and grain; but still they always
love the curds. When they get their head
feathers they are hardy enough; and what
they want is room to prowl about 1t is
best to breed them under common hen,
because she does not ramble like hen tur-
key and it is very curious thing the tur-
keys bred up by a hen of the common fowl,
DO not themselves ramble when they get
I'D.