Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-04-24
farm, 6araea & AousehOla.
ruRKEYs-srccEss IN RAIsING.


Comparatively few people have uniformly
good luck in raising turkeys. those whose
aock numbers perhaps hundreds oae season
win count but a bare score or two smother
When the old birds are watched. shut up, and
made TO sit where they can be controlled, and
The young receive great care from the first,
they seem to DO no better and often not SO
ven as when the old turkey steals her nest
in the woods and brings her young home only
when she fnds II hard to provide food for
them. Young turkeYs seem to die for 10
good reason. Some Of the readers Of the
AgricutuTtst report their dying at the rate
Of 20 or 80 a day. Tho gapes destroy many,
and slight cold, apparently, is frequent
y the cause Of whole broods dying. The
lack Of proper food is also, no doubt, pro.
gestions we have lately seen is the recon-
mendation to use an empty hay bay for early
chickens, locating the coops in different cor
ners. This would be just the place for young
turkeys, provided they could..have grass, fine
u chopped roots, or similar vegetable food.
Such place Is, however greatly exposed to
depFedations Of rats, and these are great foes
Of young poultry Of all kinds
The food Of all young animals is Of an ami
NAL nature. In the earliest period Of the ex-
istence Of young birds, it consists Of TIE yolk
Of the egg. On this they live before and for
some time after they leave the shell. Tur-
keys and chickens are never hungry when
first hatched, and may 90 at least two days
unfed without harm. This is because a por-
ton Of the yolk Of the egg remains in the di,
gestiye organs, to serve as food until they get
familiar with the world and some of its res.
possibilities and cares. The gizzard is not
yet IN order to grind up hard grains like flint
corn, simply cracked, or in the shape Of
course meal, The instincts Of the mother
bird are q tolerably good guide to the kind Of
food adapted to her young. Throw her some
grain, or Indian meal wet up, and she will
consume it with the greatest greediness her
self; give, on the contrary, soft worm or
grub, and she viii call her young 10 get it,
and pick it to peices for them. Hard boiled
egg, mashed, and boiled liver, also mashed
fne, are adapted to their easy digestion, and
should be fed to them for the first few days at
least, together with bread crumbs, fine Indi-
an meal mush (cooked), and if they are not
upon the ground, some clean, sharp sand.
Another excellent suggestion in regard to
turkeys is made by Mr.. ]. A. Richardson, Of
Kane Co., H., who writes that they seldom
lose q turkey, except by accident, if each
brood is treated as follows: "We make a
tight pen Y feet square, and IS inches high,
of boards, and in this we place the young
turkeys when first hatched, and Let them re-
main until they are able to fly out. On one
side Of the pen we make shelter Of boards,
to protect them from the sun and from the
rains. We feed during the first week with
boiled egg chopped fine, and good wheat
bread, in about equal qualities The second
week we give curd made iy heating sour
milk, and bread made ul wheat shorts, OF
coarse flour. When three weeks old we give
them dandelious chopped6ne und mixed with
their food. Up to this time we feed si2
times a day at regular intervals, and Away.
furnish plenty Of fresh water. When seven
or eight weeks old wheat makes excellent
feed. We use screenings or small wheat.
The old turkey will not leave the young; con
sequently she is not confined"