The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-05-04
Agricultural.
- --777'-7
Raising Torkeys.

Turkeys delight in warm weather, and for
: he chicks it can never be too hot. Warm
weather and long rambles along the pleasant
felds are good for the growing brood. To
he profitable turkeys must make rapid
',wth and TO do this they should be kept
h.artv food, and dry and warm 4 iur
-e N-r reccr ads her brord scri.. ~
pen se'd=, exposed to the opn,oirh nf ~.
enerv, hut Stp9ls cautiously and slowly
atom, with one eye on I, he alert for danger,
while the pretty lit,lc creatures, sleek and
'nwrv. rra'tle and chatter, aud look in ev-
cry out of the way nook and corner for some
concealed insect They are immensely
fond of spiders, and from the eagerness with
which they sePrch for and devour them, the
morsel must be very sweet and good to their
taste. When fully grown they will not scru.
pie at swallowing good sized snake Tur-
keys will not bear confinement. Their hab-
| itude is the free open air and sunny fields.
The mother hen always Peeps her brood to-
gether with a soft, low, cooling sound which
they early learn and follow. She generally
seeks deep grass and grain fields, wherein
the young can hide from the attacks of
overhauging hawks. A peculiar sound from
| the parent hen causes every chick to squat
and hide in the tall weeds and grass. They
remain thus secreted until assured from her
that all danger is over, when the bright little
creatures come forth with happy Autter Of
glad wings. Turkeys are perhaps the most
interesting in their shy cunning ways of all
our domesticated birds Their bapnts are
alya>snt and clean, IN fact TURKEYS will not
.-Ye at all, ualess they aro kept in state
~ parative cleanliness.
farners in general are prejudiced against
keys. Their rowing propensities often
'"pd them into mischief 1t is, iadeed, an-
wing TO be Obliged 70 put u2 with the fire.
-ent tresspasses Of flock Of turkeys They
avs Geek the deepest grass, and trail
igh, and fud the rankest and shadiest
a field. Il the early part of the season
" do not damage either grass or grain,
ther than treSding 1t down; but later,
shen.. corn and buckwheat kernels have be-
"ome tempting, would not care to be an
! aerabie for their depredations; still they
rill not thrive without their run. If on
mes own premises, the damage is slight, if
on neighbours provocation to anger, the
better way is 10 limit their range, if possible,
, and train them to certain bounds. We have
| iten observed that the later broods, that
come off about harvest time, thrive much
better than the early hatched that is, they
are more apt to live. One turkey Matched
the last of May or first of June, is worth two
Matched in August; has more frame and
muscle, and makes altogether finer bird.
| Why is it that the late hatcbed live better
.han the early2 Simply because the parent
bird is in better state of cleanliness, and
freed from vermin, and it is the presence of
vermin on the body that produces or aggra-
Yates every disease. The turkey hen sits
over four weeks. The chick comes out in
twenty-six days, but the mothers sedentary
life is not then at an end, for the young
must be covered, and she has had no oppor-
tunity for wallowing before commencing her
first period of incubation, and thus ridding
her body OF the winter accumulation. These
parasites leave the parent and crowd and
breed on the young chicks. With the first
brood this formidable obstacle is to be en-
countered. Later in the season the turkey
hen is rid of this scourge, and the young do
not have the parasites to confront-the
weather is dry and warm, and the earth has
become so thoroughly heated that the night
ly roosting strikes them with no chill. Free
quently the later broods require no feeding,
as there is sufficient forage of tender herbage
and insects for their supply, but our depend
ence for large turkeys land size is an i'm
portant item) must be on the early hatched.
Frequently June is heralded by cold beat
ing rain storms, followed by chilling east
winds. All young chicks, and turkeys in
particular, must be guarded against these Vi
cissitudes. The best way to do this is to
provide building for their occupancy that
can be warmed by means of stove, as the
spring chicks require constant watch over
them to enable them to pass safely through
the gapes. Warm weather, high feed, and
clean quarters will tide them over this terri.
BILE scourse. At three weeks, if kept in good
condition, they are beyond danger; yet 0
close observer will perhaps note the heavy
breathing and hoarse rattling in the throat
which always accompany the gapes, although
the bird may give no other indication of the
presence of the disease. As long as this
ger, but sudden cold may tighten it, and
then there is no help. While it is loose, and
the bird is strong, vigorous sneeze will re-
move the difficulty but when once weaken
ed or reduced in strength, there is no hope
believe, of late years, all the early brood,
of both chickeas and turkeys are afflicted tc
a greater or less degree, with this mos
painful malady, for which there is preven
tion, but no cure.-C b., in Country Gen