Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-05-21
FARMER AND PLANTER.
REARING TURKEYS.
profitable Birds To Raise, but They Require
WatahfuI Cara

W nut lntg inquiry
Watehful Care.
The turkey Is among the most profit
able birds that the farmer can raise.
On account of the fact that they require
wide range, and insects upon which TO
feed, they do not thrive well in confne-
ment, and are hence beyond the scope
of the town-resident's ambition. In
recent article we took occasion to refer
to the origin and varities of the domes-
tic turkey. Hence in this we shall refer
more particularly to their breeding and
management
The female commences laying about
the middle of March, Previous TO do
ing so she emits a peculiar, wistful
cry, going around prying into out
of-the-way places, and evincing n
special desire TO conceal her
movements from the male bird, who,
If he finds her on the nest, will ill-trcat
her, drive her away and break the eggs.
She prefers to choose her own nest,
which will probably be ON the ground
in tall weeds or grass, or in an inviting
fence corner. BY carefully watching
the nest can be located. If possible, it
is better to prepare her nest for her, of
dry leaves, straw and earth, either in a
roomy Manager in the COW stable, or in
one of the many hooks she seems to fire.
quent. More readily to attract her at
tention, a nest-egg may be placed in the
CnlnafnH Gpnt xxhtnh xpt11 IL, oil ltlya1i-
hood induce her to take up the perform
ance of her incubative duties at that
point. The eggs should be taken from the
nest when the hen turkey is out of sight,
leaving the nest egg as decoy. They
should be placed on end in flannel, wool,
sawdust or meal, and at all times be
carefully handled until needed. They
are of dull cream color, specified with
reddish dots. Young turkeys will lay
more eggs than older Ones but not of
as large a size; neither are the young
birds so strong and healthy as those
Matched from eggs laid by two and
three-year-old hens. For the same rea-
son eggs from late-hatched birds of the
preceding year will not produce as fine
birds as eggs from the stock raised
earlier in the year. If obliged to breed
from young hens, let the gobbler be
two or three years old, or even older
and not related to the hens.
1t is customary to set the first clutches
of eggs laid by the hen turkey under
common hens. ~ the hen turkey il
broody shut her up in coop for three
or four days, after which she will matt
again and resume laying. When shC
becomes broody the second time sh,
should be allowed to hatch and rear tn,
young herself. AS the common her
will wean her brood more quickly thar
the hen turkey, the first brood will thcl
join that of the turkey, and the com
bined force, under a skillful general
will traverse the woods and fields to
gether. In setting the common hen,
should be borne in mind that she will
hatch larger proportion from six egg
than from nine, and she will be bette
able to cover them as they grow Older
Precautions must also be taken agains
lice by carefully sprinkling the hen an
eggs with insect powder when settin
her. This parasite is especially danger
Gus to young turkeys and is the caus
of many presumably mysterious death
among them. Special provision mus
also be made against rats by the use c
wire netting around the coops at night
as this rodent is especially fond of al
ticipating some ones Christmas dinner
readily passing by young chickens t
get taste of turkey.
If it is desired that both clutches {
eggs should hatch out at the same tim'
let all be kept until the turkey is brood
the second time, then give her what sh
can nicely cover-say from twelve t
sixteen eggs-and divide the rest anon
common hens In this case all tn
. young turkeys can be brought up b
their real mother. The period of il
cubation for. turkey eggs is twent,
eight days, although they are almo'
always Matched on the twenty-sevent
day. If the season has been dry ont
it is desirable to sprinkle the eggs wit
lulSc-warm water once or twice durin
the third and fourth weeks to insure I'll
breaking of the shell by the young tn
key within. This should be done wit
as little disturbance of the sitter an
her eggs as possible.-C. X. Westbrool
in Country Gentleman.