The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-05-10
How to Raise Turkeys.


are out. But if the hen is quiet, don't
seem inclined to tramp about in the
nest, and in every respect behaves as a
hen with family under her feet ought to,
let her alone until the young turkeys are
twenty-four hours old. Handle the Young
turkeys carefully and as little as posi-
bic, for they are delicate and many are
killed by too much handling. Never
touch young turkey except when alb
sOIutely necessary, and then handle as
quickly and as carefully as possible. A
strict adherence to this rule would save
thu lives Of many infant turks. When
the eggs are set under turkey hens YOU
need not trouble your head about the
young turkeys. 7 never knewa turkey
hent0 tramp one of her children to death.
When the poults are t,venty-fonr hours
old all that will ever amount to ANYTHING
will he tOlerably strong on their feet,
and ready for the coop and their first
meal. And mind that you don't feed
them until they are about a day old.
After turkeys once get in the habit Of
eating. there is but little danger of
hurting them with food-provided the
food is of the proper kind-but If fed
too soon after they leave the shell, they
will be very apt to quit living before
they are q week old. Ef W .-f
The very best food that you can give
she young turkeys for the first two weeks
of their lives is hard-boiled eggs, stale
wheat, bread-crumbs moistened with
milk, and curds. Yes, I admit that it
is some work to boil eggs and make cot
tage-cheese, especially if you happen to
have a hundred or so young turkeys on
your hands, but then it pays And
mind that those eggs are hard-boiled
eggs. If you boil them five minutes
you will simply make them tough and
indigestible; but if you boil them half
an hour they viii crumble like baked
potato, and be easily digested. The
third week is the time to COM
mence feeding cooked corn-meaI, and
see that you do cook it-merelv scald-
ing with hot water is not cooking. Mix
the meal into quite a stiff dough with
skim-milk or water. pinch of salt and
a bit Of soda, and bake until it is thor
Oughly done. This bread will keep
sweet for three days in the hottest
weather. Don't soak this bread-unless
the crust needs it-but crumble it lust
fine enough for the turks to swallow.
More work! Yes, but after Won have
tried to raise turkeys on raw food, you
will conclude that it is cheaper to bake
bread than to have your turkeys die of
Indigestion. After you begin on the
bread you need not feed it all the time,
but vary with boiled potatoes, curds,
and occasionally meal of cooked rice,
stale bread, etc. After the boiled eggs
are dropped from the bill of fare, very
little cooked meat (beef) may be given
two or three times a week until the
pOults begin to forage for insects New
er give any uncooked food until after
the pOults have thrown ont the red on
their heads. Raw corn-meal- and sour.
sloppy, uncOoked food kills more Young
turkeys than anything else. except chiIIs
and cramp. Season all the food with
salt, exactly as you would if YOU ex-
pected to eat it yourself, and use pep
per once a day. Unless they can get
plenty OF young, tender grass, give
onion-tops or lettuce chopped and
mixed with their food once a day Give
some milk to drink. Once a week give
bone-meal, tablespoonful to pint of
food.
For the first few weeks Young turkeys
do not eat much at time but they
must be fed often-five or six times a
day until they are three months old. If
you expect to have fine, large turkeys
for Thanksgiving market, you must
keep them growing right along. Tur-
keys that are well fed during the first
three months will weigh from three to
six pounds apiece more in November,
than those that were half starved to be
gin with. No amount of examining for
two or three weeks Just before killing
time will make an extra fowl of tur-
key that lived chiefly on faith during
the first three months of its life. After
they are three months old turkeys will,
il insect forage is abundant, thrive on
two meals a day-a breakfast of cooked
potatoes and meal, and a supper of
cracked corn, oats or wheat.
Young turkeys must be kept dry and
warm. The mother hen and her brood
must be confined to the coop and pen
nights, rainy days. and mornings. until
the sun has dried the dew off the grass.
The coop must be of a fair size, slant
roof tight enough to shed rain, and have
a floor covered with dry sand or gray
ell, which should be removed often.
When the ground is dry and gravelly,
and the coop can be 50 placed that the
rain can not wash under it, the floor
will not be necessary, but the coop must !
be moved every day. In front of the /
coop make pen by placing wide boards
on edge and fastening. in position. o. Ri
For the first three DAYS cOnfine the /
hen to the coop and do not allow the !
poults outside of the coop and pen; then /
when the weather is pleasant open the /
coop after the dew is off and let them (
wander until night hen mother will /
come home at night, but the turkey |.
mother will be very apt to squat down /
just where night overtakes her and YOU
must drive her to the coop and fasten /
her IN Sometimes an extra intelligent /
turkey will come home regularly with /
her brood, but generally speaking, YOU I
can not trust them. If your turkeys /
get caught out in a shower before they (
are fully feathered, YOU must turn out /
and get them to shelter as soon as pos /
sible. If they are chilled take them to /
the house, warm them thoroughly, and /
give them a warm meal with liberal /
dose of ginger in it, When they are so I
chilled that they seem almost dead. give I
them teaspOOnful of whisky as soon 1
as they get warm enough to swallow
After they are fully feathered and /
have thrown out the red, turkeys are
quite hardy and NAV be allowed free /
range in al kinds of weather: but it is
a good plan to see that they come home
10 roost. If always fed at night they
will come home almost as regularly as
chickens.
There! have given YOU very minute
directions about turkey-raising, and
now if you don't succeed il certainly
will not be the fault of-F'd1lHy Field,
ne PTajrte Farmer. Fs
.rE A Death-BIoE.