The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-09-16
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Turkey RaiSinU


To farmers who can give them unre-
strictcd range, there is no more protita-
bic stock than turkeys, and it might also
be said with truthfulness, that unless
you can allow them full liberty, they arc
about as improbable rs any kind of life
stock could possibly be. Turkeys re-
quire free range; they will not, like
chickens, thrive in confinement, no mat
ter how much attention and care is given
them. But when they can have the
range of large farm, and when only
the best and largest are kept, such as
will weigh from twenty to twenty-five
pounds by the holidays, the turkey crop
will be found to be a valuable one, and
the farmers wife can realize considerable
"pin money" from them.
Turkeys are great foragcrs, and will
gather from the fields during the sum-
mcr months their entire food, at the same
time destroying myriads Of grasshop-
pcrs, bugs and other insects that prey on
the vegetable and grain crops. For
this reason thcyarc not expensive or troub-
lesome to raise, and as the old turkeys
can take care of themselves, all that is
necessary in this article is to tell how to
care for and raise the young poults sue
ccSsfully.
The turkey hen usually commences to
lay about the first OF April, and will lay
from fifteen to twenty eggs at litter.
The first litter should hc given tc good
large Brahma or Cochin hens, and the
second to the turkey hen herself. The
period of incubation is from twcntv-slN
to twenty. eight days. AS soon as they
arc hatchcd and strong enough to leave
the nest. they should be placed in dry
coop. For the first two weeks after
Matching, great care should be taken to
keep them from the scorching sun.
drcnching rains, and heavy morning and
evening dcws. 1t is we'll if the coops
can be placed in an open shed, with
plenty OF chaif, sand or dry earth for the
young poults to run upon. When two
weeks old they may be allowed their
liberty with their mother, prccaution
being taken to avoid dcws and rain
storms, always closing them up early in
the evening, and not letting them out
until the grass is quite dry in the
morning. After they are six weeks
old, or after they "shoot the
red," they may be considered
past all danger. and do not require much
care, only needing to be fed a little wheat
screenings, cracked corn or buckwhcat,
when they come home to roost. Allow
them to roost in the trees with the mother
turkey, when they show an inclination
to do so, as it is healthier, and they do
much better to roost in the open air.
The first food for young turkeys should
be hard boiled eggs, curds, scaldcd meal,
rice, oatmeal or barley, both cooked and
uncooked, with little fine chopped
meat (cookcd) occasionally, gradually
introducing the wheat screenings, cracked
corn and buckwheats as they advance in
age. If these hints are carefully OBJ
served, there need be no trouble in rails
ing turkeys.
The varieties of turkeys recognized by
the American Standard of excellence are
the Bronze, Narragansett, White, Black,
Buff and Slate. Of these. the Bronze are
by far the largest and most popular, and
as size is the most important point, they
will be found to be the most profitable.
Country Gentleman.