Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-05-23

Care of Young Turkeys,
Cor. Country Gentleman.

kind as to inform an old subscriber
how to feed turkeys for the first six
weeks? A. S., Detroit, Mich.
Young turkeys are so tender, and
so easily injured, that I find it best to
remove them from the nest when
only a few hours old. The mother
hen is perhaps the most atfectionate
of all fowls, yet, owing to her size,
she is extremely liable to crush her
little ones, when moving around in
the nest, in her anxiety to make
them comfortable. For two days,
then, l keep the young poults nestled
down in basket, snugly wrapped in
soft, warm flannel, lifting them out
for an airing now and then during
the second day, in order to let them
learn the use of their clumsy little
legs, and to offer them some
thing to eat. Their food is prepared
after the same old receipt which /
and so many others (for so they have
written me) have found so good :
"Into a shallow pan placed over the
fire pour one pint of fresh sweet
milk, and into this drop two eggs
well beaten, stirring the mixture un-
til il boils and assumes the cOnsisten-
cy of jelly" If the brood is small,
half this quantity should be prepared,
as it should be made fresh every day
Little turkeys never have any appe-
tite until two or three days old, and
then the egg custard will tempt them
earlier than anything else. AT first
they peck at it in an Indifferent sort
of way, seeming to feel rather re-
lieved when they miss their aim en-
tirely, but as soon as they feel the
need of anything to eat, having beer
hitherto nourished by the remainder
of the yelk of the egg, then they be-
gin to eat with avidity, and after
ward show much more life and ami
nation.
When they are three or four day
old, / put them back in the evening
with the mother hen in a clean, largt
coop, on the short dry grass, and con
fine them for another day or so. A
this age they need some sort of greer
food, as tender onion tops, lettuce o
cabbage, cut small enough for then
to swallow and as they have Learned
to eat pretty well, now season thei
custard with pinch of black peppe
and after it has cooked, thicken j
slightly with the soft crumb of egg
bread. Part -four bread would b
good for them, but it is apt to stick i
their mouths and worry them. Swee
milk should be offered them to drinI
once daily, being given in shalloN
pan containing small stones or bits {
wood-anything that will proven
the foolish little things from gettin
themselves wet. But even then d
not leave the milk in their reach, 6
they never know when they hav
had enough.
When the poults are about tiv
days old and have been with the
mother one or two days, l let thel
out for a few hours run if the weatl
er is warm and bright. The hen an
her brood must be closely watched
though, for the little ones are Yer
timid and do not yet know how
follow; sometimes, too, the motht
is so elated at once more regainir
her freedom that she will slip ava
and hide among tall weeds an
bushes, and most probably lose son
Of her small brood. There is no er
of dangers and pitfalls that beset Il
first appearance of little turkeys in
the poultry yard they are objects
great curiosity, and animosity to
sometimes, to the rest of its inmat
who worry them no little waikiki
after them, an old gObbler or roost
occasionally treading upon one wi
his great clumsy feet, or killing
outright, either in wantonness
spite. Young turkeys are perha
the most defenseless of all your
fowls, and neither they nor the
mother have the slightest instinct
avoiding danger. They haven't hi
as much sense as young chicken.
AT the first Indication Of fatigu
the young brood and the moth
should at once be re-cooped, t
length of time for their airing bell
increased each day, as the pou
grow older and stronger, until, VIII
two weeks old, they may be let out
the morning, as soon as the dew h
dried from the grass, and allowed
remain until near shutdown. ] a