The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-27
AGRICULTURAL.
RAISING TURKEYS.
ROSE SEELYE-MILLER.

Turkey raising is not the difficult and
uncertain business many consider it to
be. If a few precautions are taken
there is very little cause for disaster.
The birds from which eggs are to be
saved should be strong and well groom
ed. Those two or even three years old
will give better and stronger progeny
than those year old. The eggs will
be larger, the turkeys will begin lay
ing earlier, and, all things considered,
| very thoroughly matured bird to be
desired. In making turkeys great care
must be taken not to inbreed, this is, l
believe, the cause of more disaster in
turkey raising than almost any other. |
If the neighborhood exchanges male
turkeys, it would be we'll to introduce
entirely new blood occasionally, as such
exchanges can hardly fail in time to
bring about the inbreeding which is
disastrous The variety of turkeys does
not matter much, providing what you
have are of fair size and good of their
: kind. 1t is said by excellent market
authorities that there is not the demand
for very large and heavy turkeys, that
there is for medium sized ones, and so
one need not mourn the fact that he is
not able to purchase forty pound tom
I turkey for breeding purposes.
If hens begin laying early it must be
:, looked to that the eggs are not chilled,
as they will not hatch as well. II you
want to raise goodly number OF tur-
keys, and have not many hen turkeys
: to produce eggs, then set the eggs un'
der hens unless you have an incubator
The hen turkeys will keep on laying
eggs all summer if you keep them at it
Some have the idea that hen turkey
will only lay eggs enough for one set
ing, but it is not so. She will lay hel
setting of eggs, from thirteen to TWEEN
ty, and then she will want to set; but
OF the eggs are taken from her she will
M begin laying again in a week or te
RI days, and SO keep on through the en-
er tire summer unless she is allowed t
ito hatch her eggs. In such a case she wi
on I.probably run with her brood I'll
lL fall and lay no more. Turkeys al
an more prone to care for their young IL
his long periods of time than hens are, as
hen will often leave her young chicl
and begin laying when they are sti
unfit to take care of themselves. 1t
good plan to keep the young turke,
d. in a coop for few days, until their lei
are strong and they are able to folio
. their mother. A great many your
turkeys are lost just by failing in th
precaution. The mother turkey is
greater ranger, and she will lead b
young brood miles in day, this. for t
lust hatched birds, is a little too mu
exercise, and should not be allowe
: When young turkeys have, howev'
gained strengthen week, maybe
I'D then let them range and there will
ID little danger of their getting lost in
IL grass or perishing from overexerti'
Common wheat bread is about
best and simplest food to give you
turkeys for few days. Soak this In m
or water and feed sparingly, but oft
Gorging young fowls is bad plan,
| it often kills them. After the yor
turkeys are once started right, II
will eat anything without detrime
- and everything seems to be just W
they need for good development.
The belief that thunder will
young turkeys or eggs unmatched
m one that was exploded here some t
ago. We have had young turk
~ come out at such times, and certai
they were not killed in the shells.
drenching when turkey is young
almost sure to result in death, but i
= the wet and not the thunder that
disastrous. Young turkeys shoult
eE shut UP at night if the dews are he'
and not let out until the grass is
especially is this SO if the weather
. little cool.
Late Matched turkeys are not to
.1 despised by any means, as these
e matches often turn out as well as cal
s. zones. The late hatched fowls will
q need to make new lot OF feather
Nlt the fall, so while the first broods
- feathering out again, or moulting,
1Sllate Matched ones are expending
II q their energies in growing. Such
L. & may be proftably kept for selling
K the holidays, and often net a b'
~ price than those sold at the hol
q season.
nn11 mi