The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-04-30
The Turkey VS.. the Domestic, Hen.

Of all the differedt kinds of poultry that
can be raised on the ordinary farm. we
doubt IL any are of greater practicability
than the turkey. Compare the turkey and
any other fowl. Take into consideration
the cost of feeding and housing the old
stock. and add to this the difference in ex-
pense of rearing the youngsters; the turkey
Is easily ahead.
must be provided with some sort of shelter
during the winter months; this is especially
true here In our northern climate. 1t is
different with the turkey; for while the
domestic fowl must have well equipped
house for its comfort. the former is well
satisfied with the r0ost outside, providing 1t
can get reasonably good windbreak from
the winter storms. Not only can it pass
the winter with such accommodations, but,
regarding its healthfulness, 1t is far better
that 1t should. The turkey, especially the
hardy Bronze, was never designed to be-
come an inmate of a poultry house We
with anything but success.
We sometimes hear remarks something
like this: "Oh, don't like turkeys; they
eat SO much!" Persons who commit them.
selves as above show decided want of
knowledge of the real facts of the, case,
They are something like the men who are
anti.sioists-a little better than ninety per
cent never had any practical experience
with silo whatever, and yet they consider
themselves fully competent to pass upon its
merits. 1t Is sometimes surprising to The
writer to see how comparatively liltie Is
required to sustain life in the mammoth
body OF the Bronze turkey. lie Is the writ
er's honest opinion that thirty. FIVE pound
Bronze turkey tom will eat no more than
twelve pound light Brahma cock, during
the four winter months. Past experience
with the two breeds has amply demon
strated to our entire satisfaction that this
assertion is not very far from correct. For
an example, last winter we wintered flock
of something like six hens and one tom.
Their feed was shelled corn entirely,
warmed during excessively cold weather.
They were fed In troughs, so that little or
none was wasted. Our mode of feeding
during the entire winter was to give what
we could naturally and easily pick up in
one hand by plunging fingers foremost
down into the corn; one handful was al
lowed each turkey twice day, morning
and night. 1t anyone with medium sized
hand will try the experiment they will
readily see that it is not heavy feed.
This was not a stinted feed, but simply all
they required; had we doubled the amount
they would have left, on the average some
thing like half.
The writer has had experience in raising
; both chicks and poults. and il we were to
express our preference we would have to
give 1t to the latter. While the writer is
perfectly willing to admit that the chick is
by far the easier to handle during the first
three of four weeks, matters change very
greatly after the p0ults take to the range,
and practically all care is over until
Thanksgiving. This is our experience and
the way we raise turkeys.
A person ought to be able to raise from
eight to dozen head of young stock for
every hen turkev he corresponding, of
r'ursr. he 'oosl'. Pe~p m"ro than hr can