Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-04-03

than tine golden eagle world have been,
rs that is native Of both continents.
There are several varieties Of turkeys,
the magnificent Honduras, our American
wild ones, and in the domesticated kinds,
we have the bronze, black, white, buff,
and other colors. There i but little
doubt that all domestic varieties origi-
mated from the wild turkey Of the United
States. and of these varieties, the bronze
are nearest to the wild in color and
size. They are the heaviest and are
probably the hardest. In every way
the bronze is The turkey.
can not lay too much stress on the
importance Of size in breeding turkeys.
Nothing is gained by breeding from the
Youngest or smallest birds. As turkeys
are not at maturity until three years old,
il is much the plan for those who want
fine, large birds to breed from those
that are fully matured. What would
farmer gain by breeding together for
number Of generations half-grown cat
tie, or pigs, or any other stock? He
would certainly expect their size tc be
materially lessened; it must be so, too,
in any stock. Selling all the biggest
turkeys because they weigh and sell for
little more than the smaller ones, is n
poor policy. Suppose you sell at Is
cents pound five large birds weighing,
say % pounds, and keep five weighing
five pounds less, you get $50 more for
the larger birds. Now, should you
raise 20 young birds the next year from
the small ones, they would weigh less
at given time (say about Novembe)
than they would have done If larger or
raised from five matured or larger birds.
Up to that time of year they get most Of
their food in the fields, so that the less
they weigh the less profitable they are
If the 20 young birds each weigh five
pounds less, you have 100
pounds weight less, worth. at
eighteen cents per pound. eighteen
dollars. Deducting the $3.50 taken for
the extra size of the five birds sold and
perhaps dollar saved on n little less
food than the five larger birds would
have eaten, the loss amounts to $3.50
by breeding from the smaller birds; for
the larger birds are of no more trouble
to look after than the smaller ones.
The best way is to have gobler not
related to the hens, Of as fine matured
stock as can be procured, with good
large two-year-old hens, which are bet
ter than one-year-old birds, if extra size
is wanted. One gobler is enough for
six or eight hens; but some prefer not
to allow him more than four or five. The
hens delight to lay in quiet places where
they are least likely to be disturbed; it
is best to watch them little, and il they
take fancy to any out-building, some
times a nest-box put up in it will keep
them from laying astray; but should
they lay astray, they should be watched,
that the nest may be looked after, as
they generally lay more eggs than they
can properly cover, some Of which may
be set under hen or otherwise dis
posed of, but it is most important to
find sitting turkeys nest to see that it
is kept clean, as sitting birds often break
eggs and foul the nest, destroying the
whole brood. The nest can be cleaned
while the turkey hen is off feeding.
Many people labor under an impress
sion that hen or turkey will hatch and
raise more young ones when left to a
stray nest without interference, thinking
that as such habit il q nearer approach
to nature, it must be the correct way
But what does nature do as to increas-
ing numbers? In state OF nature the
whole feathered tribes about hold their
own in numbers from one year 10 an
other. This will not satisfy the breeder
of domesticated birds and animals. IL
a farmer has five hen turkeys, ne must
raise more than that number to
pay him for his trouble, and here
Is where the secret of success comes
in-care.
Your turkeys are very dainty and re-
quire frequent changes OF food; when
first Matched, chopped hard-boiled eggs