The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-05-04
PROFIT IN TURKEYS.


the Coming Year.
l have just marketed my turkeys
and with a well-flled pocketbook as
The result, feel quite satisfied with my
.abor of raising them. They are much
more profitable than chickens, as far
as my experience goes, although many
persons assert that they eat enough
more than chickens to make up the diff.
ference in weight. a statement which
[ very much doubt.
These turkeys were of the Bronze
variety, ard the young toms of last
years rails ng weighed on an average
twenty pounds each. Their food has
leep quite an item Of late, when the
aock of fifty received bushel Of ears
If corn day, but 1t is selling at a
pretty good figure made into turkey
meat at Il shilling pound. The over
supply of poultry of all kinds this year
has kept the prices low. Last year
my turkeys brought sixteen cents a
pound. dress scd-that is, with the feath
scs off, leaving the heads on. and en-
trails undrawn. Surely this is better
than almost any other fowls will
bring. Rroilers may surpass it, but
the weight per head is SO small 1t
would take nearly a dozen to bring as
much as one of the turkeys.
But many will say: 1T is such a task
to raise turkeys" Yes; so it is, for
the first few weeks, but after that they
are no more trouble than an equal
number Of chickens. Give them what
wheat or screenings they will eat and
4 chance TO get plenty of fresh water
to drink, and they are very little trou
bic. They like to roam over the fields,
and as their food is mostly bugs, grass
hoppers and other insects. they are a
benefit rather than a detriment to the
crops. In California vineyards large
docks of turkeys. often numbering
hundreds, are kept among the vines &c
destroy the worms which feed upon
them. one man who formerly lived
in this county now owns large vine
yard in that State. and keeps flock
of 800 turkeys for this purpose When
his own vines are rid of the post his
neighbors hire the flock, and some.
times the birds go miles away for
this purpose. They are herded like a
lock of sheep, and driven along the
highway IN the same manner
Turkeys sometimes do considerable
damage TO gardens. but by taking Il
little trouble to have the garden away
from the place where the turkeys arc
kept this is easily oyercope, We rails.
sd al kinds qf vegetables last sum
mer in our garden, with very little
bother from the turkeys. They do no
more harm than chickens; either will
undoubtedly eat cabgagc, tomatoes,
cucumber etc, If they come in con.
tact with them.
! certainly know of no better way
fof farmers wives to get the much
talked-of "pin-money" any easier, or
IN larger quantity, than by raising tur-
keys. Now Is the time to get your
breeding stock for the coming year.
Make your selections early. and let the
fowls get accustomed to their new sur
roundings before the laying season be-
gins. If you prefer 1t, buy eggs and
hatch them under common hens. This
costs less than buying the fowls, and
rs fully as good a way to get Il start.
In selecting a hen to hatch turkey
eggs, choose one that is not fidgety
and nervous-if q hen can be called
nervous, and I've seen some that could.
A steady-going hen, that is not so
heavy as to be clumsy, is best. She
should be tame enough to allow one to
pick up the little turkeys without get
ting excited, and to allow herself to be
picked up. poults and all, to be car
ried to shelter should a storm threaten.
1t requires vigilance for the first few
weeks if one would raise a goodly
percentage Of the Matching. Kept free
from lice, and fed bread squeezed out
1f hot milk, or sour milk curds with
little pepper to prevent diarrhea,
and a plentiful supply of fresh water
n shallow dishes, and the little things
will thrive and grow in a very salts
factory manner.
1t is really a pleasure to care for 4
aock of young turkeys. They are much
more interesting, and l actually get so
attached to them that l dislike to have
them killed. But such is the fate of
turkeys.-Ella lockwood, in the Coun-
try Gentleman.