Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-08
save Your Best Turkey. for Breeding.


The majority Of farmers that keep turkeys
are not careful enough about their breeding
stock They hardly ever keep over an old
one because there are few moro pounds of
them, and will sell for smore than late
young one. | consider an old turkey worth
much moro for breeding than young one.
Mony Keep over the late ones, that are not
fit to kill at Thanksgiving, Ihave seen many
lots Of turkeys in the spring kept for breeders,
that the hens would not weigh six pounds
live weight, the tom ten pounds perhaps.
The best way for farmers that arc breeding
for market, is to get the largest and best
shaped hens he can find, color and blood
immaterial, aud get thorough bred bronze
gobbler OF some trustworthy breeder The
gobbler will mark his stock very strong
and they will be very large. One man
brought some small hens tony old gobber
Tim Bunker they weighed seven pounds
each, and they were fat his turkeys dressed
in the fall ten pounds each. He could not
afford To buy gobbler, it would not pay,
but If any one would give him the use Of "a
good one, then It would pay. A first class
-gobbler cannot be bought for much less
than 50. And contend it will pay to get
one at that price just to raise turkeys for the
market. After one has been bought he will
do to breed from three to four years; then
get another, don't keep one of your grades
they may look Just as well, but the young
turkeys will tell the story. II any Of your
neighbors want to use him, make them pay
for it. |'. .." f .ll ZOO
When bought my old gobbler, l thought
paid to much for him, but he proved the
best investment ever made in the. poultry
line. had no thoroughbred hens to 60
with him. He paid for himself the first
year in the increased weight of the young
ones. 1 sold several of the young gobblors
[grades !; for farmers to keep over they
weighed when eighteen months old thirty
pounds and upwards, but as far as l have
seen their stock is not near 80 good as those
from the old one. was so much pleased
with them that | got some thoroughbred
hens. The young averaged much larger
than the grades; one weighed when five
months old twenty-one pounds and not fat.
When you send for one, order low built
one, and one that is broad across the back,
have seen gobblers that looked large
enough to weigh City pounds, when strut
ting, but when their feathers were smooth
they looked like wild shingle or rake
stakes; they were long legged and thin
built. .u. ..U -.... 8rrfo- l.... D..
A',gdpd gobbler should weigh thirty
pounds eighteen months old and the next
fall good one may weigh thirty.fve, and
at three years old few reach thirty-eight
to forty pounds. 1t is not best to stuff one
to see how big he can be made to grow, for
there is danger Of spelling him. Keep him
in healthy growing condition, aud not fat.
Hens can be got that will weigh twelve or
thirteen pounds at Christmas, for what they
are worth to kill. Young turkeys from such
stock, well fed, ought to dress 'twelve
pounds, at least at Thanksgiving, and fthey
have extra care heavier weight may be OBJ
tanned. The largest and best gobbers will
pay well for keeping until Christmas. l
have known them to gain one pound a
week.
With good selection Of breeding stock,
good care and plenty of feed, Gf the foxes
don't interfere) there is no kind Of stock
kept on the farm that will pay SO we'll as
turkeys John G. McKeen of South Ac-
worth, N. H., in Boston Cultivator.