Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-02-25
TURKEYS HERpEp IN WEST.
Flock of go Fattened On Grasshoppers
and Later on Wheat.

The largest flock of turkeys in the
northwest is being herded ON the stubble
fields of Horse Heaven In Klickitat coun-
ty, fifty miles west of Walla Walla,
Wash. Six hundred and forty gobbling
and Squawking turkeys belonging to Mr..
and Mrs. George II. Mottinger and Fay
cite Turney are being fattened on the
scattered wheat, to be turned on the mar
kets of Portland, Spokane, Walla Walla
ard Pendleton on Thanksgiving and
Christmas
Two years ago Mr.. Mottingcr rode over
the hills to a neighbor and fetched home
ten turkey eggs in n lard pail. That sea-
son they raised ten turkeys. All were
kept and the following year found lit
tie flock of seventy-tive Forty of them
graced the tables on Thanksgiving, but
thirty hens and four gobblers lived to
pursue the festive grasshopper on the
bare, brown hills this year with their off
spring.
This year they raised $50 from the
result of bringing home the ten eggs and
III July they were hauled over the hills
to pick UP their subsistence the best they
could. Only a few died and the herd
today numbers $40 lively birds.
When first taken up the grasshoppers
were SO numerous that they rose in clouds
before the herd and it took the turkeys
but a few minutes to catch their FILL
the need of recreation. Soon couple
OF lively young gobblers would start a
tight, and the whole herd would form Il
ring around the combatants and appa-
rently urge them on. Sometimes the con-
tests became so exciting that it would be
necessary TO part the birds before they
injured each other. just before noon
they would resume their foraging and
by noon their hunger would be satisfied
and they would be driven to camp and
watered. Afternoon would be the same
performance until near sunset, when the
whole flock, with outstretched necks and
wings, would half run and half fly to
roost Tor the night.
AS the season advanced the grasshop-
pers almost entirely disappeared and the
flock had to learn to eat wheat. At first
they did not take kindly to the change
of diet, but soon became accustomed to it,
few days before thanksgiving part
OF the herd will be slaughtered on the
hills where they have rOamed through the
summer and packed for shipment to the
city markets. After Thanksgiving the
remainder of the flock will be driven
down the mountains to the ranch on the
river and those not kept to raise another
flock will supply the Christmas demand.
The most Interesting member of the
flock Is the mascot of the herd, a guinea
men. This spring guinea hen Matched
her brood, and there was one egg left
unmatched, seemingly spoiled. 1t lay for
three or four days in the warm spring
sunshine. and one day a distressful cry
was heard issuing from the egg. 1t was
placed under a hen turkey and in a
short time Matched out with the Young
turkeys. Since that time it has never
left them. Its fellow fowls ignored it
and it in turn ignored them. Nothing
was left for the little guinea hen but to
live with its foster brothers and sisters,
and when the time came for all to move
to the hills it accompanied them. Today
its ''potrack'' joins Justify with the ''gob-
BILE, gobble' and 'tork, tork" of its adopt
ed kin.