The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-26
Notes on Turkey Raising.


when we saw the prescribed diet OF hard
boiled eggs, liver and flesh scraps, milk and
rice, and whole lot of ct ceteras that made
up list quite appropriate for fashionable
invalid's hospital. We presume most of the
articles that are written on the subject
come from amateurs who make their poul-
try raising pastime. and are little con-
cerned about the amount of profit 80
show of success can be made and health
ful occupation be afforded
Judging by the data given generally ex-
pense is not counted. All sorts of costly
arrangements are provided that would take
years to pay for out of the profit of the
business. If the truth we're known a
goodly proportion Of turkeys raised by these
amateurs who seem to take special pleasure
in recording in print the wonderful results
for the benefits of practical farmers) cost
about so per cent. more than they will sell
for at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Even
when they succeed in raising large pro-
portion of those Matched out. on account of
expensive feeding and care there is little or
no profit in the investment.
OF course where one keeps poultry and
attempts turkey raising mostly for the
pleasure there is in it, there is no reason for
any one making an objection. 1t is only
their presumption in offering to instruct
practical farmers upon the subject that we
object to.
A large class in this country want to in
clude turkey raising as a side crop with
their general farming, and they do not care
TO waste time upon it unless there is a
chance of reasonable profit being made out
of it. The average price of live turkeys in
this section just prior TO Christmas rarely
exceeds 81. Large, well-fattened gobblers
command higher price than this fire.
quently-in a few instances 50, but
usually not over 81 so cents. And the hens
are freq uently slow sale at rs cents per
head.
Mrs. Martel of Downup is perhaps as sue
cessful grower Of turkeys as will be found
anywhere in the south. Not that she
grows them on very large scale, but what
she does grow returns her as much clear
profit as any venture of the kind can, we
have no hesitation in saying. This lady
raises from 100 to 200 annually, and has
fCL you IOSSOIIou u udIu-DOllOu SRR,
liver, milk and rice diet 1t is true at
Downup there exists a range for fowl that
is not TO be surpassed, the farm being
situated several miles from town, and COM
posed of several acres with liberal span of
commons contiguous to the farm, but the
location is no better than thousands of
others in the same section. On recent
visit TO the farm we took occasion to ques-
ton Mrs. Martel as to the management of
her turkeys, and we derived information
that must be of value to any who are not
well up in the matter of successful turkey
growing. The present season has been an
extraordinary one for turkeys Many of
the hens began laying in January-the re-
suit of the warm, dry winter-and by
March Mrs. Martel had something over
100 young turkeys chirping and running
about in the turkey yard, where the mother
turkeys occupied coops that were large and
airy but not so heavy as to prevent even a
woman or small boy lifting them with ease,
so their position could be changed from
time to time when regard for cleanliness
required it.
Mrs. Martel says that she has found from
experience that a small flock of breeders
gives better satisfaction than one too large
to allow of being properly looked after.
She has rarely allowed her flock to be
greater on Jan. than ten or twelve select
ed hens and two well-chosen gobblers. All
the rest are sold off in December.
Owing to the peculiarly favorable season
this year Mrs. Martel expects to raise very
nearly 200 from flock of eleven hens At
mospheric conditions decide the matter of
how successful one may be any one year.
This is much more of factor than the
matter of food. A dry, warm spring,
with only occasional showers and with
plenty of sunlight. affords conditions in the
highest degree favorable to best results
Feeding of the young turkeys must be
regular, never stuffing them at any time.
Mrs. Martel has found that young turkeys
can be fed perfectly on ash cake dough
made out of Drowned meal into which a
little pepper is worked when the days are
wet and cold. She relies good deal on the
seed of German millet at first, and then of
African wheat, when they get little ad-
vanced. This with common wheat as they
get larger, will carry them on to maturity.
Where dough is used buttermilk or clabber
is used to mix it with. While this is adj
vantageous success is by no
means dependant upon it. So we
have seen as good results where
water alone was used. After the young
turkeys are three to four weeks old German
millet and African wheat, and especially
where part.of the ration is Drowned al
most to scorching, is a complete food for
them, except, as stated, little pepper
should be given them if they seem the least
droopy as the result of damp, foggy
weather.
in the nesting yard sugar barrels are
placed firmly on their sides along the fence,
and enough green pine brush placed on and
about them to secure the privacy that a
turkey hen likes. In these barrels nests are
made, placing two or three inches of soil
beneath the straw. Mrs. Martel prefers her
hens to have their nests directly on the
earth, but finds that, as many of the turkeys
will select the same nest, it is necessary to
provide an enclosure such as a barrel af-
tords, so that as they go to setting they can
be transferred readily to proper places, and
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