Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1906-11-03
Feeding Turkeys for Market.

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Tvs SOON as the weather begins
IN to turn cold and insect food
~ becomes scarce, an increas-
ed grain diet must be provided for
the growing turkeys. A ration of
wheat and corn is the best. Do not
feed them too much at first, but
gradually increase the supply until
they are having all they will eat.
Those who succeed best in having
the turkeys ready and in fine condi-
tion for the early market are those
who allow them their freedom and
feed them all they will eat of whole
some, fattening grain. Even when
finishing them it is not we'll to con-
fine them. If they are fed each day
at regular hours and at the same
place, it will be an easy matter to
have them come three times a day to
this place to be fed. Their longing
for food beingfully supplied LESS vio-
lent exercise will be taken, and the
energy that would be expended in
their wonderings in search of food
will be directed in the more profita-
BILE channels Of growing and devel-
oping for market. Turkeys that are
poorly fed during the fall eXpend in
seeking food that is no longer at
tainable considerable of the flesh
they may have gained.
When feeding turkeys for market
it must be remembered that they
will sell for considerably more per
pound than can be obtained for
hogs or cattle, while the actual food
cost per pound of turkey meat is
but little, if any more than for hogs
or cattle 1t will always pay well toll
give to growing turkeys all the grain
they can eat.
MARKETING.
After the turkeys are grown and
ready for market, quite as much
care and attention should be given
to the killing and shipping as to the
proper growing. Where these
things can not be done to good ad-
vantage, it is better to sell them
alive. Buyers who are prepared TO
kill, dress, pack, and ship turkeys,
and to save the feathers, should be
in position to pay what they are
worth alive; and should be able to
handle them at profit, better than
can the grower, who may not bepre
pared to do the work to advantage. |
So much depends upon marketing !
them in the best condition that small
growers should either dress and sell
to their home market or, providing
it can be done at fair price, sell |
alive to someone who makes bust
ness of handling such stock.
KILLING.
Kill nothing but well-fatted stock.
1t seldom pays to send ill-favored
stock into market. Do not give any
food to the turkeys for twenty-four
hours prior to killing. This allows
the crop and entrails to become
empty and avoid much of the danger
of spelling. Full crop and entrails
count against value; they often faint
the meat and prevent it being kept
for any length of time.
METHOD OF KILLING.
There are two methods Of killing
largely used. The most popular is
to suspend the fowl by the shanks,
head down, and cut or stick it in the
mouth with a knife made especially
for this purpose. This sewers the
arteries and cuts into the brain,
causing insensibility and free flow
Of blood from the mouth This is
called sticking in the roof of the
mouth.
The other plan is to break the
neck by a quick twist or jerk back
ward. When the neck is completely
disjointed the head is pulled away so
as to form an open space in the neck
in which the blood may settle. This
plan has been hut little used, though
the claim is made that when so kill
ed the fowls will keep longer, be-
cause there is no opening by which
the air can get into the body, as
there is when they are stuck in thel-t
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