The record-union., 1893-08-09
FARM AND ORCHARD.
Raising Turkeys and the Place and
Time to Rear Them.
The Rearing of Turkeys Is a Much
More Pleasant Work Than the Rear
ing of Chickens - A Remarkable
Dexter Cow-Ducks and Geese-Mis-
cellaneous Farm Items.


Dexter Cow-Ducks and Geese-Mis-
cellaneous Farm Items.
On many farms the turkey crop is a
very profitable one. The main requisite
needed on farm to adapt it to this crop
are given by DIR. George G. Gruff of
Lewiston, Pa, in an exchange: ~ Some
warm-lying fields near the building in
which the young birds are to be started.
~ A good range for the growing and
mature birds, for they are not to be
grown in confinement. (9) Freedom
from animals of prey, as hawks and
foxes. Where these conditions are pres
ent, and there is any one on the farm
who can give the birds regular attention,
there is no doubt about the feasibility of
producing a good-sized flock of these
highly-prized birds. The rearing of
turkeys is much more pleasant work
than the rearing of chickens. Turkeys
are cleanly birds, while chickens are
filthy in their habits. Chickens are sub
ject to many diseases difficult to control,
while turkeys are free from these. This
who have tried to raise turkeys and have
failed. 1t is true that when reared as
chickens are they will die more rapidly
than the young chickens; but reared as
nature intended them TO be reared, they
very seldom sicken or die. A knoSledge
Of turkey life is needed TO enable one 10
raise them successfully.
During the winter three to five hens
and a gobbler should be selected for
breeding fIh1Sn cp ha
large, well-matured birds, in their first
year. By careful feeding they should be
made as tame as possible before they be-
gin to lay. Early in March a number of
empty barrels should be laid on their
sides, in suitable places about the barn
and outbuildings. If a little straw is
placed in these the hens VIII almost GER
tainly make their nests in the same. The
eggs should be gathered each day and
placed in box containing oats or bran,
and kept in cool room. Once week
the eggs should be turned over. The eggs
gathered earliest should be first set The
hens will lay from fifteen to eighteen
eggs and will then desire to set. They
should, however, be required to make a
second laying and then be permitted to
set.
Prepare a good nest for each hen, put
ting into it plenty of straw. Give each
one eighteen eggs, and at the same time
set a chicken hen with twelve eggs
When the young birds are hatched give
them ali to the turkey hen. Chicken
hens do not know how to raise turkeys,
and there is no use whatever in trying to
teach them to do this work for they can
never make a success Oft. Young turkeys
under chicken will get lice, and will die
OF the gapes, while they will entirely
escape these pests under their natural
mother. A good, sensible turkey hen
can care for thirty young, if they have
not been hatched too early, and if she
has just little human help. In this help
lies the secret of successful turkey-rais-
ing.
As soon as the young birds are out of
the shells, remove mother and young
from the nest to field or grove in which
the grass is thin and short. Feed them
well Tor a week or ten days, and the work
is in large measure accomplished.
Turkeys are only partially domesticated
and for this reason do not bear confine-
ment. The writer has been uniformly
successful in raising large locks when
giving them full liberty, while anv at
attempt at confinement has always been
attended with disaster Not even in wet
weather are they placed in pen. A
sensible hen Will care for her young in
all kinds OF weather. But il in a field
where the grass is tall and thick the
young will surely be lost. The secret by
which the mother is made TO protect the
young III WEI WEATHER lies III the iGeulug.
This should be done ut night and early
in the morning. Formerly it was the
writer's custom to feed them shortly
after daybreak. After full feed the hen
will sit over the young until the grass is
dry. At present the plan followed is to
feed after a roosting- place has been Sc
lected Tor the night. Enough food is
thrown down for supper and an early
breakfast. The hen under this treatment
does not roam about until the grass is
dry. y second breakfast is given from
to O'Clock. They are never fed at noon
two feeds being all that are needed. The
evening feed brings them home, and the
morning feed Keeps them quiet until the
grass is dry.
For many years the writer has used
only white bread from his table to start
his flock of turkeys. This is dipped in
water and crumbled as it is thrown TO
the birds. The bread should be well
baked and a day old. In the course of
three weeks the bread may be replaced
with corn meal and wheat bran, mixed
in equal parts and wet with water. on
this food, given as above stated, turkeys
Will uniformly thrive. AS soon as they
can swallow whole corn they may be
given all of it that they can eat When
grasshoppers become abundant a single
meal is sufficient and this may be given
Preferably in the evening, as this will
teach them to come home.
The young birds should early be taught
TO 60 on a high roost. This is done by
preparing pole, or ridge, OF building
easily accessible, and by bringing the
flock to this place few evenings. They
will soon adopt it as permanent quarters,
1t is desirable to have them roost above
the ground, for the principal losses
among the young birds are at night, and
due to foxes, minks and dogs. w orth-
less ours, in some parts of the country,
make it almost impossible to raise tur-
KEYS.
The wandering proclivities of this bird
are found an insuperable objection to
them by many farmers. The writer sue
cessfully overcomes this as follows: % a
few birds are each year raised about the