Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-10-18
NO.. |
TURKEY BREEDING.

It is notably established fact among
experienced cultivators of this kind OF
fowl, that young hen turkeys are not as
good as are their elders for reproduction.
They will not lay very large number of
eggs in season, but what they do yield
when set will produce larger poults at
Matching, and their eggs are also more
certain to be fertile.
The turkey hen will often steal her
nest by herself in fence corner, or be-
meath an old pile of rails but the greater
danger is she will wander off too far from
the house and her eggs become the prey
of skunks, crows and other mischief-dOers
that either prowl about in darkness or lie
in ambush awaiting plunder.
The best place for turkeys nest is on
the bare ground, taking care to raise
it,,above the danger of flooding during
rain and to shelter it above, locating it
in same quiet place. The turkey loves
privacy in these matters rather more than
the common hen, and she is an excellent
and very patient sitter. Indeed, she
sticks to her business so well that it is
often recommended to hatch more than
one brood by one turkey hen, removing
the 1rSt DrCOQ as soon as out.
| While the sitting is going on you will
need to pay particular attention to see
that the sitters are off their nest as soon
as proper, Turkeys stay on their nests
very faithfully. The process lasts month,
but if the eggs are fresh they will hatch
a day or two earlier. 1t is not necessary,
however, to be very careful about watch
ing them. The egg yolk. comes in part
with them into the world and serves as
| nourishment for somewhat more than
day after Matching. When you come to
feed them, it would seem important to
initiate this food as nearly as possible;
and with this idea eggs in some form
boiled hard or made into a custard with
milk, SKINNED an clabbered milk, cot
tage cheese and curds should form their
principal food in the beginning. Bread
crumbs soaked in milk, fine barley or oat
meal and hard boiled eggs, chopped fine
with curd and onions is an excellent diet
for them until they can. partake of coarser
food.
It makes great difference in the cost
of raising brood whether it is early or
not, as a brood that is of the right size at
the right time to catch the first crop of
grasshoppers will increase pace, and to
your advantage. If you have ample
space for them to roam in, or woods near
by, you will be surprised to see bow in
dustriously they pick the insects, nuts
and seeds, which come in their way
With young turkeys av i'd fltigue, which
creates unrest, and withou, the natural
rest the birds dwindle, pine and die.
They are also weak from rapid growth,
and are easily worried. Keep an eye on
the focks, as they need especial care
while young. In warm sunny atmos-
phere they will take care Of themselves.
The damp, cloudy days worry them for
the first few weeks; but we'll over this
period, with a covering on their heads,
backs, and wings, they are safe and can
endure quite an amount of drizzling rain
or sudden and heavy showers. Damp
coops and runs, and wading through the
dew must be guarded against. After the
poults "shoot the red'' the critical period
has passed, and the danger, from these
causes need not be feared; but before
this time they require the greater care in
keeping them from cold and wet, and in
the judicious preparation and quality of
their fCod.-POuItry Monthly.