The Red Cloud chief., 1903-09-18
Raising Turkeys,

to me that our western farmers do
not give enough attention to this
grand variety Of fowls. So many
think, ! suppose, that they are hard to
raise. and that the price which they
bring In the market is not common
surate with the bother and work ne
cessary to raise them, but too many
OF them 20 at II the wrong way. My
way Of raising turkeys Is rs follows.
and ! have always met with good sue
cess:
After a few warm days as spring
approaches. the turkey hen will begin
10 think OF nesting. and whore early
turks are desired make nests near
some of the outbuildings. in a dcsir-
able place, with barrels having both
ends out. With both ends out of the
barrel the hen can go on and leave
her nest without disturbing her eggs
in the least. for II she should by any
mistake or accident break an egg h
would be very apt to acquire the habit
of egg. eating. which is very bad In a
chicken, but doubly so in u turkey hen,
After she has laid ONE twelve o.
fifteen eggs. she will be wanting to sit
and IL you want large turks and
heavy weights in the fall regardless
OF the numbers. set. her. But IL you
wish moro & & and a larger number
OF turks, let her choose her W nest;
thrown upon her own she
will sometimes wander quite a dis.
tarce hunting a suitable place to de.
post her eggs.
You should keep watch of her and
daily emove the eggs lest they be-
come chilled. Substitute n nest egg
or some kind. and nearly every time
you get n turkey egg place n hens
egg in the nest. After she has laid
q number of Eggs and thinks of set.
ting, remove all the nest eggs and
break up her nest. Taken by surprise
h 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. ]
allow fifteen eggs, as a general rule,
to a turkey hen, although an old one
could probably cover more than that
number. '",t
After they have Matched I allow
them free range, but keep them in q
field where the grass is short, as the
tall grass on dewy mornings Is hard
on the young turks. After they are
two weeks old 4 allow them to 20
whichever they please. When they are
able to fly well. I drive them home 10
roost, keeping this up until they come
without II.
As turkeys are Of a 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
g~rasshoppers, bugs and other insects
and the sooner they are compelled tc
subsist 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.
or this great American breed OF
fowls there are many varieties, the
Narraganset, slate. white and man
moth bronze being the most popular
Each OF these varieties has It's friends
but ! believe the mammoth bronze Il
be the most desirable, as It combine.
vigor, size Il having had one ono,
that reached the remarkable weight o
ffty-twO pounds, and beauty above
all varieties, 1t Is not an uncommon
things for a bronze male to tip tn,
scales at forty pounds. Young bird.
will weigh, with proper care and feed
ing, males twenty to twenty-five
pounds and females from ten to IF
teen pounds by Thanksgiving, and
taking into consideration care, feed
etc, ! believe there Is nothing thu
farmer raises that will net him a,
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, toe
often made by our farmers and be
cause OF this many meet with failure
and declare that the turkey is a hard
tow to raise. They should procure
a male every year not akin to their
turkeys. These can be bought from
IL best breeders at from So to 81
each, according to quality, size, etc.
which is very reasonable when you
consider the cost of advertising, cor,
respondence. Grating, etc. | believe
| that the time is near at hand when
poultry Of all kinds will not he con.
sidered by farmers as a secondary
matter, but will receive the care and
attention 1t deserves. u. McAllis.
ter, Linn County, Iowa.
A Baruajp,