The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-06-07
Food for Young Turkeys.

sary performance. For the first twenty
four hours of their existence it is not
worth while to offer them anything;
they only gaze at it in weak sort Of
way and settle themselves down for
another nap. This is because their
systems do not really require food for
several days, nature having provided
them nutriment from the yolk of the
egg. This reserve seems to be exhaust.
ed after about forty-eight hours, and
then more food of the SINE kind should
be offered them.
Many poultry keepers consider hard.
boiled eggs the best food for young
turkeys, but for number of years l
have found the following recipe so sue
cessful that | should be afraid to try
any other: Into a shallow pan placed
over the fire pour one pint of sweet
milk, and into this drop two eggs. we'll
beaten, and stir the mixture until it
boils and assumes the consistency of
jelly" This quantity is sufficient for
a flock Of fifty young turkeys, and may
be prepared in ten minutes. 1t should
be made fresh very day, and in warm
weather kept in cool place to prevent
its becoming sour before evening.
After the first few days, and the young
turkeys have learned 10 love the Gus
tard, it should be seasoned with a
pinch of black pepper, which acts as a
tonic and helps to keep them warm in
cool weather. When they are ten
days or two weeks old, the custard
after it is thoroughly cooked, may be
thickened with crumb of soft egg
bread, and after the turkeys are a
month old l put pan of fresh milk on
the stove, and when it comes to a boil
l break the egg-bread into it and let
it cook until it is thick.
Even the old hens never forget the
delicious flavor of the custard, and if
permitted, will gobb.e it down so
quickly that the little ones do not get
taste. In order to prevent this l
keep the little turkeys SO gentle that
they will run to the pan and eat from it,
while give their mother liberal al
lowance of some sort of grain or table
scraps. Young turkeys are so very
tender and easily crushed, that l have
found it the safest plan to take them
from the nest when two or three hours
old, and keep them in box wrapped
in soft flannel until they are several
days old and have learned to eat freely,
when they may be put back with their
mother, who by this time has finished
Matching, and has been put out on the
grass in large coop.
If the weather is suitable, the hen
with her brood may be turned out for
short run when the little ones are
about four days cid. They should be
allowed to stray out only few hours
the first day, for the little things are
very weak and quickly fatigued and it
is necessary to watch them carefully
lest the mother. hen lead them into
danger, l have seen little turkeys
confined to a small pen for weeks until
every sprig of grass was destroyed, and
the floor the of pen was nearly half an
inch deep In black mud, still their
owner wondered why they did not
thrive.
Perfect cleanliness and fresh air are
indispensable to turkeys existence,
and the sooner every poultry keeper
learns this and acts accordingly, the
more successful he will be. For this
reason the coops should be well venti-
lated and built without floors, so that
they can be moved every day to clean
spot on the grass. After the turkeys
are ten days old they may be turned
out every morning after the dew has
disappeared from the grass, and may
remain cut all day if the weather be
warm and bright. If possible, how.
ever, their range should be restricted
to grass-lot near the house. so that
they may be driven under shelter upon
the approach of shower.
When very young they should be
fed four or five times day, but ifthey
live on farm, where they can extend
heir range as they grow older, the
number of times may be gradually
essened, until when they are several
months old they require only one meal
"a day, which be given them at evening,