The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-06
THAT TURKEY PROBLEM.

Frequent Causes of Failure as keporged
From the Rhode Island Station.
In bulletin devoted to the production
of turkeys Samuel Cushman of the Rhode
Island station gives in detail astudy OF the
turkey question that cannot fail to prove
valuable to turkey growers througnout
the country. Under the head OF FIRE
quent Causes of Poor Success Mr.. Cusr-
man says:
We have been surprised to find how
great a proportion of those who attempt
toraise turkeys use small, immature birds
for breeders. Many kill their earliest
and best birds for the market and keep
for breeding those that are too small or
too late to be salable. They "kill the
goose that lays the golden egg" In buy
ing new gobbler or few hens to change
the blood they choose late Matched, i'm
mature turkeys because they cost less.
This practice is not confined to the least
intelligent people, as would be expected,
but is followed by those well informed
and who appreciate and pay for a well
bred horse or COW. If such a course was
followed with horses and cattle, the best
stock in existence would be ruined in a
few generations.
Many who know that turkeys 2 years
old or older give the strongest and lar
gest young continue to kill off the young
hens for market after breeding from
them one season. There seems to be a
dread of having something too old orun-
salable left on their hands. To breed
from immature or poor specimens is to
violate one of the first laws of breeding.
Selection of the best for generations has
given us the improved and most profita-
BILE breeds of stock. The hereditary in
fuence of such selection is of great value.
The most inferior bird out of flock of
such blood may ''throw back" and breed
very fine stock and do better than a
much finer specimen from a poorly bred
strain, but the repeated selection of in
ferior birds for number of generations
makes this inferiority hereditary.
The future stock depends almost en-
tirely on the parent birds or their ances-
try. If valuable birds are used for
breeding, their offspring will be like
them and amply repay the extra expense.
The best are none too good and are the
cheapest. notsoa &
| If a turkey becomes sick and is allowed
to roam with the others and eat, drink
and roost in the same places, the others
will probably have that trouble very
soon. If flock becomes diseased, the
land which they wander over may be-
come contaminated and infect other
focks that occupy the same ground.
Therefore stamp opt disease when it first
appears. Doctoring very sick turkeys is
rarely practicable. aQuarantine or kill
and bury deep all sick fowls and disin-
feet what they have contaminated. Pre-
vention of the spread of disease is posi-
BILE. Lice cause more loss among the
little turkeys than any other causes.
Grease the top Of head with lard or car
BOMBED vaseline. Little turkeys are
weak and tender creatures, and as they
grow very fast require an abundance Of
nutritious and easily digested food, but
it must not be too concentrated. Too
rich food, too much food that is hard to
digest or lack.of green food will cause
bowel trouble. They require food oftener
than little chicks. Feed little and often.
Give cooked food until they develop
enough to show the red about the head
Provide green food like chopped onions
and lettuce if they are confined to pen.
Little chickens thrive under confne-
ment that would cause disease and death
among little turkeys. If the little tur-
keys are cooped, remove them to fresh
ground frequently Dampness, lice and
filth make sh So9Grts work of them. Give
them their food on clean surfaces. They
should have water to drink that is fresh
and pure, and the dishes should be clean
ed every time they are filled. They
should have continual access to fine
gravel, crushed shells and broken char
coal. Young turkeys should not be out
in heavy showers until their backs are
well covered with feathers. IF they get
wet, they may die from chill unless put
in warm room to dry. Black and red
pepper and ginger in the food or drink
ing water aid them to overcome a chill
and are Of great value on cold or damp
days, and are preventive of bowel
troubles in both young and old turkeys.
Turkeys do best if kept separate from
other fowls.