Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-05-02
Naru4 EHtrestts,
Care of Growing Turkeys.

The demand Tor eggs last season |
was unusually great, and as the or
ders came in until very late l deter
mined not to set single egg at home.
The old hens, however, determined
otherwise, and persisted in laying and
attempting to sit, until wearied by
their pertinacity l was obliged to let
them have their way. So about the
18th of July two or three of them
came off with 81 little poults, the live
Hest little things / ever saw, "peepN
ing" to each other as cheerfully as
though somebody wanted them; and
so determined were they to live and
make the best of things, that in spite
of my resolution to the contrary
could not but become interested. They
grew and throve like magic, and
would now all doubtless be alive had
not Sally, the stupidest little helper |
ever had, killed one of them one day
in attempting to house the brood be-
fore a shower that never came.
AS the turkeys were Matched so late
in the season, I fed them more liber-
ally than usual in order to push
them on as fast as possible, allowing
them three meals day so long as
they kept near enough to the house
to be accessible at midday. After
they were old enough to take wide
range they were fed twice daily,
having a generous breakfast and sup
per of bread and milk with some sort
of dry grain as dessert. This ration
was continued until the turkeys were
about four months of age, when, as
they seemed to prefer the grain, once
day only, in the morning, were
they given soft food. This now cons
sists of boiled cracked corn or stale
bread moistened with sweet milk,
and the whole made stiff with one
third wheat bran. If the sweet milk
be heated to the boiling point they
cannot devOur the mess fast enough,
for there is no. flavor more delicious
to turkeys palate than that of boil
ed milk. AS grain food they are
very partial to sorghum seed, and
l have never had any bad results fol-
low its liberal use. And once a day
after the frost comes, they should have
some sort of green food, as cabbage,
turnips or specked apples, of which
they can manage large quantity
without detriment, or rather to the
Improvement Of their health. If |
want to make them perfectly happy
on a chilly morning when the ground
is white with frost, give them a
Thoughtful of porridge made of sweet
skinned milk boiled and thickened
with fine corn meal. This is so very
much to their taste that their morn.
ing meal must be offered first, else il
will be left untouched.
After four months of age, growing
turkeys may be allowed all the corn
wheat or oats, equal quantities Of
each being preferred, y that they will
pick up with avidity twice daily; but
they should be compelled between
times to take widge range and gath
er for themselves that variety of gree,
food and "rOughness" without which
they cannot be healthy.
The severe frosts have, / know, de-
stroyed all tender vegetation, but il
their rambles over the pastures anC
grnss lots the flock will be able Il
find tender blades Of grass and clove
of which they are especially fond
sufficient for their needs. Unlike
chickens, turkeys thrive best wher
deprived of meat, being allowed in
stead an unlimited quantity of butter
milk or clahber.
At this age the young turkeys ar,
growing tall very rapidly; the COB
blers, in fact, look as though the.
might be on stills, being mostly OF
legs. Their appetite is simply insa
table, prompting them to make wa.
with large quantity, as well as
great variety of food; for being busil
engaged in making bone, muscle
flesh and feathers, all at the sam
time, liberal supply of materia
must be stored away for selection.
When properly cared for, 1 hav
had turkeys of five months to weig
the gobblers 193, and the hens, /
lbs; and at 8 or ten months of az
they weigh respectively, the gobblel
from 25 to 80 lbs, and the hens fror
l6 to IS lbs.
During the moderately cool wealth
er in the fall, turkeys eat more an
make more rapid development tina
they do after the winter weather SCI