The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-04
Cara ofYounR TurkaYS.

The loss among young turkeys every sea-
son is very large. The American AgricuL-
turtSt thinks that few farmers raise more
than one-third of the young turkeys
Matched, which entails quite loss when the
seasons work is finished, as it requires but
little extra labor to care for large number
until they are past the critical period. The
young turkey is very tender in its first
stages, but it is very hardy when matured.
Young turkeys cannot be fed like chicks,
as they are as dainty in the choice of their
food as young wild birds, and a mistake of
a single day may destroy them all In
feeding them it must be kept in view that
they make very rapid growth of feathers,
and food we'll adapted for the production of
feathers should always be fed. They should
have meat every day, but at times they
will refuse it. They seem to have a pref
erence for food of white color. and are
very fond of milk and curds. Stale bread
soaked in milk, and also plenty of curds, is
the best food for them at first Some ad-
wise feeding hard-boiled eggs, but such food
usually results in various bowel diseases.
Onions chopped very fine. with the tops in
cluded, are highly reliShed, but a little
trough of wheat and chopped meat should
be placed before them every day, in order
to induce them to begin on such food as
soon as possible
Dampness is fatal to young turkeys. They
should never be allowed to go n the damp
grass or get wet The main cause of loss is
lice, which come from the hens, and right
here we will say that nearly all kinds of
adult fowls have lice, even when seemingly
free from the pests. Not only little red
mites attack young turkeys, but the large
gray body lice soon begin on them. AS
young turkeys die very suddenly when at
tackled by lice, it is best not to wait until
they begin to droop before using precau-
lions, for then it will be too late in ma
jority of cases, but search them every
morning. Should a single louise be seen,
grease the heads and neck with lard using
the smallest possible quantity, aud dust
the bodies we'll with Persian insect powder
Do the same with the hen. The general
supposition that young turkeys must have
free range has not always proved true. We
have a small lot, Matched in an incubator
and being raised in a brooder, that have
kept remarkably healthy, not single Q
dying, though they are more troublesome
to feed than when they are with the hen.
The experiment has demonstrated that
clean, warm, dry quarters and careful feed
ing, with freedom from lice, will enable
farmers to raise a larger percentage of the
young. True, it entails greater care, but it
will pay as the young turkeys become
ha dy after shooting the red" The ad-
vice so frequently given to turn the hen
and her brood loose to roam at will has
caused the deaf of many young ones, but
there is no doubt that if they are carefully
attended to every three hours during the
dav, and fed on variety Of food with
clean water, which should be given in a
manner SO that they can only get their
beaks wet, it will not be long before large
flock will be on the farm, and the members
of which will then be able to provide for
all their necessities.