Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-02
Agricultural,
Raising Turkeys.

MANY people seem disposed IN Il Is business u
trust 10 luck. without much care or painsiak-
ing not rejecting that luck, III Lh's case
as in most other cases. attends those who pun
themselves in the way of being lucky
Believing that a few hints at this season
from one who has bad some experience in this
department. might be acceptable. the follow
ing article Is at your disposal
In the first place, | thIrk the brightest anG
best hens should &c selected iJr breeders, and
kept for this purpose as long as they live anc
are healthy for | believe the young turkeys
from mothers TWO or three years Ole are
stronger, and capable of more endurance,
than those hatche1 by mothers only enc year
old . aud they are apt TO lake better care IN
bringing no the brood. The gObber ehould
be taken from another brood. IhIs Is not 40
solutely essential, ana the etfecs may not D
visible Tor several years; but constant breed
ing In-and-in, WILL have tendency, alter
while, 10 make the race weak and unhealthy,
and produce general deteTioratIon
Though the turkey. when tall grown, is a
very hardy bird. stu | think the hens require
more care ana d t4ntIyn during the WINTER
than they cirelt,nes receive they should
be fed regularly every day. and accus Omed 10
the BAN and no suffered 70 roOst out on trees
in stormy we.tber, or when 1t IS extremely
cold, as their habits induce hem 10 DO
Two advantages are "a ned by this One
- the health Of the turkey Is preserved {; and
another is they will be m0re Wiling TO lay
and hatch IN the barn. thereby saving the
trouble OF hunting them mp, or losing sheir
eggs, and perhaps the turkeys themselves
bout the last of May carly enough to
have them hatch /; ana # possible, hase them
come out ID the increase of me noon. know
very vii that eJIne Will laugh al tins, and
say 1t IS /. relic cI the dark ages !; and that 1t
Is all superstition and nonsense. 20 talk such
stuff II lhIs enlightened age Now tie VIII
ter Is tOleraby free trdm whim5 ard suFerstI-
f;ons In other matters; but such Is invariably
the fact III MS experience. The young tur-
KEYS are always weaker and more puny, an0
dwlndle away mere u hen they come cut on
the decrease Of the moon. hetber she has
Anything 10 DO with 1t or not, Is more than
undertake 10 say; I'll L state IS the lac. &C
coT1ibg 20 Lay observation. Ii is better to SCI
sbe turkeys On open scaffJld IN tie barn,
than II boxes or tubs. The air ciIculstes
.reer, anc there Il not 81 much danger VI the
OId Ones breaking the eggs III gong on and
of.
The turkey is !. most assiduous sitter and
should De induced 10 90 I'll as often as every
J.ncr I-v, It not disposed to ~ herself
A. soon the turkeys are patched, auG
suincI-nTly s.rOng u run about, they should
&c removed, together with the NO heI, 10 d
Len made vi boards about two jeet nIsn, IN
some warm, sunny place, anu the grass cut
snort, Du- thoy should lie removed 10 the barn
every night, Or Il house made IN the pen sui
hcienJIy tight ~ protect them from tie Wet,
and from r4Js ana other veTmln.
The practice Ot tying tne mother with d
stFIu- 10 q stake, IL very reprenen>ible- The
young luraeys stroll away too iar from the
mother. wlIcn heeps her constantly uneasy,
and she c4nno- protect them II she would ::
and some are spirited that, II confined III
this manner, they will not call the brood, nor
take any care oi mem whatever. ms COZ
stan. tugLIng 1t the stnng 10 get away Is apt
60 lame ana IrjuIe the TURKEY, II nothing
worse
1t the weather should De very stormy when
they are quite young, IL Is best 10 keeJ them
IN an open barn dJoE Tor a few days altogether.
The OILS objection 20 Tins IL he danger Oh
rats carrying off the young turkeys
II the turkeys 90 we'll, they will be able to
hy over anu escape from their enclosure Dy Ur
before they three weeks Ole aud then
they age sJrUug enough 10 DC allowed more
liberty. But at this sage they By No
means eyond the reach OF care Ihey mus
be hunted up every night anu housed; ana
not suffered 70 out IN the morning I'LL The
grass Is dried IN some measure aud must Al
ways be looked up and taken care OF IN Rainy
weather, as nothing IL more iatai 10 yOunA
turkeys than 1tt. They must be kept dry al
all eUeRtS.
This care extends from the last OF May, OI
the time they are first batched, I'LL the fourth
UT middle OF July, according to the health
and strength OF The turkeys, when they VIII
be able 10 fly up and rOost out OF doors, and
the greatest part of the and DAGGER il
over.
With regard to their other treatment, " ben
quite young do not believe IN much nursing
or medIcIue- Dough made of fine meal aI-
pears u be fatal TO them, causing what is
called - the gales, and diaribeI. Dougt
made Of bran. at first. or very coarse Indian
meal and mixed with milk, some
recommend, y neat bran, appears 10 be pre-
terred fJr them, in small Quantities 4; and any
uIanuty 81 curdled sour milk and curd. a.
much as they want, is good for them, anc
sour milk set IN q SHALLOW dlsn for them tC
drink; but III No case must they have fine
meal.
They ought TO be fed every day from tht
time they ha ched TIL they are ut Tor tbs
market The advantages OF thIs treatrnen
are numerous They will require much Il {.
IN the i4ll TO fis them /; and If no iatter, vii
De much more shy and juicy, and such
course will diminish their natural wIidness
and make them love home better Ii accus
toned 10 being fed, they Will return regularly
every cay tor this purpose, ana VIII De sur'
10 come home nIghte-thus saving ali tsoub.'
and anxiety about them And besides IL les
their propensity To do mischief IN fields
and gardens Their principal living IN sun.
ner Is such as they hunt Out they like To *
red at home, whether they eat little or much
In their habits they are naturally wild, ans
eneuits To all restraint For this reason tne,
should have their tull lIber,y, and never b
shut up In the tall 10 be iatted. Shutting
them up may actually put on more yellow TAT
but sta ed above, they will not have ct
much hesh and will not really De 50 heavy.
| fDd that customers In The mark Will, a:
general thing, pass by very tat tut keys, ant
give the preference 10 those not 50 lat, bu
which have more flesh, though they may no
IN all cases know what makes the difference
My article rs already too long ; but can
nOE help expressing the wish that farmer
would gave more attention 20 this noble bird
The difficulties in the way Of rearing then
may lie overcome by care and perseverance
ami there Is not the least danger of overstock
in5 lie market
Ihey inoffensive in their habits, apt
bcautitUl BIRDS The pleasure of seeing then
about the premises is sufficient to pay an,
enc Tor considerable and trouble In theI
frst bringing Up. The care is mostly owe
alter TIE first two months.
n B. BUTLER.
Hamilton, Mass, April, 1866.
REMARKs.-The finest hocks OF turkeys VI
have ever seen, were raised by the writer Q
the above. His plan of proceeding witt
them is so plain add practical, that on
who is commencing the work can mistake it
We believe he rarely or never fails in secur
ing q good flock. He thought the 6oci
which We saw would average him s. EACH
Asso E~uL0nd farmer