Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-10-25
Poultry.

Hon. TO ratten poultry. This is matter
universally practiscd---aftcr fashion-and
yet but imperecty understood by a great
many people who tatten poultry both for the
market and their own family consumption
The different varieties Of poultry do not re-
quiro lattoning alike. We will give cur
plans and experience in each.
The Turkey. Being rambling and in.
sect feeding bird, the young ones should run
at large when old enough to do 50 with safe.
ty until tho frost has killed of the insects
Of the season. such as grasshoppcrs, Beetles
and grubs. IF acoras, becch.nut5 and chest
mute abound On Or near your premises, they
may still range OH them until two or three
weeks beofre they are required tor market
Then they should be taken in and confined in
roomy pen, clean, dry and comfortable and
we'll ventilated. and darkoncd during the
day SO as 10 twiIight--just enough Tor them
to see to eat their food, yet prevent them
gobbling, atruting and fghting-for turkeys
arc apt to quarrel ycllcmepty at times when
they have nothing else to do. Their proper
food then is, any kind Of grain ground into
meal and thoroughly cooked, or if fed whole
also boiled until it becomes soft and will ca
silly mash With either the cooked meal or
whole grain also cooked, should be mixed,
say ono,iourth in quantity, boiled potatoes,
carrots Or bets carrots and potatoes are
best These may be put into a common swill
barrel and if you have skinned milk, or
buttormilk, instead Of water, to mix with
them, SO as to reduce the whole mass to the
consistency of thin mush, so much the bet
ter, as milk is very palatablo and lattonng.
If this mixture slightly frmonts, all the bet
ter, provided it docs not sour. Have some
light troughs made Of common six-inch wide
boards nailed together V fashion, setting in
standards made Of bits board eight or ten
inches vide, and one and half or two feet
long, placed cdgowisc on the ground, with
/ VS. cut in them to receive the troughS-all
well nailed together Have also trough
of water or milk if you have it to spare,
near by also box Of small gravel at hand
from which they can help themselves-as
turkey like gravel in their crops, let their
food be what it may. A box Of broken char
coal--brokcn into bits the size Of acorls or
corn or theroabouts-will be profitable to
add to those, charcoal being healthy and pal
atablc to them. You will be surprised to
see the thrift Of your birds thus treated, and
at half The expense as when fed on whole
raw grain and running at large. There is a
choice in groing-lndian corn, barley shrunk-
en- wheat (good wheat is TOO exponslye)' rye
and buckwheat-and if all these are mixed
in about equal proportions, with few oats.
arc the best. Oats are chaffy, and there is
little lattening quality in them, especially
when fed whole anddry. No salt, Of course
is needed. 1t viii hurt poultry, while il
! will benefit pigs, sheep and cattle,
In killing turkeys, if all are not wanted a
once, select the latest as they will not iattol
equally, and feed the loanor ones few day.
! longer, or until they are ready for slaughter
The flesh will thus be found fat, delicate anl
; delicious in flavor, and much superior to tina
> fed On raw grain and running at large. Th
= reason for not feeding whole grain is, that i
must be cooked for masLieation 10 the crop
. labor taxing the physical capacity Of tn
jbird heavily, and expanding much OF its nn
triment in the operation. Sixpo9oo worth Q
l fuel for cooking will sayo halt q dollar
waste Of flesh in the bird itself, while tn
5 time and manual labor consumed in the pro
= cess is next to nothing i'll a well-orderey
household. A common iron boiler, whicl