Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-09
RAISING TURKEYS.
Paper read April 9th before the Wood County
Horticultural Society,"

| Horticultural Society.
How to raise turkeys on the farm?
The Importance of our poultry interest
| is hardly understood. Though all
farmers keep fowls there is very little
systematic work in that line. Were we
to take away from our agriculture the
sum-tOtal Of our product of the poultry
yard, we would take away one of our
great items of revenue. It will paw
just as well propOrtionately to look as
carefully after the fowls as we do after
the cattle.
To be profitable they should be FED
for the purpose Of increasing the value
Of the product. One important point
in favor Of raising turkeys is that there
is no need Of early Matching. The last
of April or the first of May is the right
time for setting turkeys. [ would
rather have my young turkeys come the
last of May or the first of June; that is,
tif intended for the autumn or winter
market. Another point in favor OF
turkey raising is that there is not the
overproduction in the market that often
occurs with other poultry. In raising
turkeys there are conditions essential
to success that must be observed.
The first, is to secure eggs for Matching
from healthy, vigorous stock. Right
here let me say that there are six
varieties of turkeys, of which the
Bronze are the largest and most popu-
lar They show the vigor and hardness
Of the native wild turkeys. | have the
full blood Bronze and the full blood
White Holland turkey. The latter are
pure white except the eyes, and they
are black and very large The weight
of the Bronze is % to 80 pounds the
weight of the White is 20 to % pounds.
If there is lack of vigor in the parents
the offspring will be hard to raise and
the number Of deaths viii be greater,
and many of the young turkeys that
you do succeed IN raising will hardly be
worth the trouble they will cost.
Another requisite to be observed is to
give the young turkeys good care and
proper food until they are we'll feath-
cred. After the young turkeys are well
teathered they are hardy and thrifty
growers. The period known as "shoot-
ing the red on the head, y that is when
they show the red on the head (that
takes place about two months after
hatching) and after that the chief
trouble Of the turkey raiser is over.
A turkey will lay from 40 to 80 eggs
with good feeding and proper care. l
have had one that layed 5S eggs in one
season and hatched two broods of
turkeys. 1t is best to employ the
turkey mother to hatch her own eggs if
you can secure a good, quiet steady one.
Young turkey hens do not, as a rule,
make faithful settlers. They often be-
come unsteady and abandon their nest
before the time of incubation IS over.
If the hen has Iayed Ecr first Matching
Of eggs and | do not Want her to set, [
take her and lock her up for few days,
and then she will at once lay another
hatching of eggs. If you have no old
hen turkey the common hen will do. A
good big Plymouth Rock is just the
thing. The old p r. will cover from
to 10 eggs and the turkey hen will cover
from Is to 20 eggs. Turkey eggs hatch
well. \ turkey setter requires the same
care as other settlers; they are close
settlers and it may be necessary to lift
them off the nest for their food and
drink. [ never 90 near the nest except
to lift as above until it is time for her to
come off with her little ones. The old
turkey usually lays her eggs in the
woods and makes her own nest, and |
never 90 near her. If the nest is made
in box, put some moist earth in the
bottom about t to inches deep and
sprinkle the eggs occasionally with
warm water. Turkeys are very delicate
when first hatched and it is best to
leave them in the nest with the mother
undisturbed for a hours. The first
food [ give is hard boiled eggs, until
three days old. Then the next three
days boiled eggs and bread mixed with
sweet milk; feed every two hours, but
be sure and squeeze as dry as possible.
Give water and milk right along from
the start Some make bread of sweet
milk, corn meal and middl1ngs and
other stuff, but | make good bread, the
same as for the family, and moisten
with sweet milk. I give this until four
weeks old, then [ give bread and
middlings mixed with sour milk curd.
Then give as often as they come up to
the coop or where their. mother is. [
take dry goods boxes and turn them
| sideways so as to have floor for them
to keep them off the damp ground. [
do not keep the old hen shut up any
longer than until the little ones can run
we'll. In that length of time they will
know their name and when I call them
they come from all corners of the
garden. Have your turkeys as close to
| your kitchen door as you can, for you
must teach them to stay at home. If
they learn to run away your turkeys are
no more. The old turkey will play
hide and seek with you and the little
ones will die of hunger and cold.
Put your turkey where there is the
most tender weeds in the garden and
they will soon learn to pull weeds for