The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-10-24
POULTRY
Raising TURKEYS.


From Farmers Review: It seems
to me that our western farmers do
not give enough attention to this
grand variety of fowls. So many
think, l suppose, that they are hard to
raise, and that the price which they
bring in the market Is not commen-
surate with the bother and work ne
cessary to raise them, but too many
OF them go at it the wrong way. My
way of raising turkeys is as follows,
and have always met with good sue
cess:
After few warm days as spring
approaches, the turkey hen will begin
to think Of nesting, and where early
turks are desired make nests near
some of the outbuildings, in desir-
able place, with barrels having both
ends out. With both ends out of the
oarrel the hen can go on and leave
her nest without disturbing her eggs
IN the least, for if she should by any
mistake or accident break an egg she
would be very apt to acquire the habit
OF egg-eating, which is very bad in a
chicken, but doubly so in turkey hen.
After she has laid some twelve or
n1teen eggs, she will be wanting to sit
and II you want large turks and
neavy weights in the fall regardless
Of the numbers, set her. But if you
wish more eggs and a larger number
OF turks, let her choose her own nest;
thrown upon her own resources she
Will sometimes wander quite dis
lance hunting suitable place to de.
posit her eggs.
You should keep watch of her and
daily remove the eggs lest they be-
come chilled. Substitute a nest egg
OF some kind, and nearly every time
you get turkey egg place a hens
egg In the nest. After she has laid
a number of eggs and thinks of set
ting, remove all the nest eggs and
break up her nest. Taken by surprise
she will soon make herself another
nest, not far from the former, and
begin laying again. A turkey hen can
be made to lay thirty or forty eggs in
a season by following up this plan. l
allow fifteen eggs, as a general rule,
to turkey hen, although an old enc
could probably cover more than that
number.
After they have Matched I allow
them free range, but keep them in a
neld where the grass is short, as the
tall grass on dewy mornings is hard
on the young turks. After they are
two weeks old I allow them to go
wherever they please. When they are
able to fly well, drive them home to
roost, keeping this up until they come
without it.
AS turkeys are Of nomadic dis
position, the only true way to raise
them is with the turkey hen. She
Will take them out into the meadows,
teach them to eat grass and clover,
and that natural food of all fowls,
grasshoppers, bugs and other insects,
and the sooner they are compelled to
subslst principally on them the health
Ter they will become, and the better
1t will be for the farmer, as they de-
stroy the insects which some years
play such sad havoc with his crops.
OF this great American breed of
fowls there are many varieties, the
Narraganset, slate, white and NAM
moth bronze being the most popular
Each Of these varieties has it's friends.
but believe the mammoth bronze to
be the most desirable, as it combines
vigor, size Il having had one once
that reached the remarkable weight OF
hfty-two pounds) and beauty above
all varieties. It is not an uncommon
things for a bronze male to tip the
scales at forty pounds. Young birds
will weigh, with proper care and feed
ing, males twenty to twenty-five
pounds and females from ten to fif-
teen pounds by Thanksgiving, and.
taking into consideration care, feed,
etc., l believe there is nothing the
farmer raises that will net him as
much clear money as a flock of tur-
keys.
No domestic fowl is more easily de-
generated by inbreeding than the tur-
key. This is a great mistake. too
often made by our farmers and be-
cause Of this many meet with failure
and declare that the turkey is a hard
fowl to raise. They should procure
a male every year not akin to their
turkeys. These can be bought from
our best breeders at from So to IS
each, according to quality, size, etc.,
which is very reasonable when you
consider the cost of advertising, cor
respondence, Grating, etc. l believe
that the time is near at hand when
poultry Of all kinds will not be con-
s1dered by our farmers as secondary
matter, but will receive the care and
attention it deserves.-J. B. McAllis-
ter, Linn County, Iowa.
| A Bardain