The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-05-23

meath her and remove the pieces OF
shell for fear they telescope the other
eggs and hinder their Matching 1t is
best to leave the little turks under the
hen for twenty-four hours after they
are hatched without feeding. The
warmth of the mothers body seems to
supply needed strength and the yolks
of the eggs left in their abdomens give
sufficient nourishment,
Now the real care to the farmer and
his wife begins If the life of the young
brood is to be preserved. The reason
so many fail to get their young tur-
keys through the first two months or
the critical period is simply because
they do not realize the weakness of
the newly Matched pee pee" A board
pen ten k~- twelve feet in size should be
constructed in which a water tight and
vermin proof coop may be placed. The
mother should then be tied to the coop
with stout string unless the pen Is
sufficiently inclosed to keep her from
tolling her brood away. Young tur-
keys should never be allowed to run at
will with their mother for at least q
month.
Caring for the Brood.
The feed of the young turkey Is very
important. They should be fed often
and on good, wholesome diet Clabber
cheese mixed with onion tops cut fine
and pepper is the best food for young
turkeys. OF course If this Is not OBJ
tainable, there are substitutes. Stale
bread soaked and peppered and mixed
with onion tops will be relished. Corn
meal doctore>4 in a similar manner will
be good. Some millet seed mixed With
the food will supply the needed grit X
there is not plenty of sand in the pen.
1t is good plan to keep the hen and
her brood in the coop on damp or rainy
4 MT pat
bedrabble or drown. Keep the coop
perfectly clean and sprinkle lime about
1t for a disinfectant.
After a month II the brood is strong
enough, it will be we'll to remove the
board pen and let the hen roam about
the chicken yard with her young. Keep
the mother limited in her territory, II
1t becomes necessary to clip her wings,
until the little turks are able to fol-
low her anywhere. When she Is al
lowed to run at large, you will not
need to pay so much attention to the
flock. She may have to be driven up
at night, or when a rain storm is ap-
preaching. You can take the feed to
the brood at noon time, but II bugs and
grasshoppers are plentiful 1t will not
be necessary to do this. A good supply
OF food night and morning will be suf-
ficient.
Fitting Them for Market.
Never let the flock roost away. from
home. If you do, your troubles will be
many and your flock will gradually de-
crease in number. When the young
turkeys are half grown a fence or a
tree will be a good place for them to
roost. But be sure that neither beast
nor owl can bother them there. The
young brood will not begin to fatten
until cold weather sets in. They keep
themselves reduced in flesh by running
over the fields in search OF bugs and
flies, but when winter approaches
they will be~in to hang around the feed
lot, pick up the waste grain, set about
on the fences and grow fat.
AS the fields are divested OF nourish-
ment, the flock should be given plenty
Of corn. Nothing fattens a turkey so
quickly, so the allowance should be
liberal. Cooked vegetables, oats and
wheat are also splendid food for tur-
keys. A hot mash of bran and oats
may be given each morning in extreme
cold weather and warm milk or tepid
water will serve as a good drink II
the flock is well cared for, by Christmas
the turkeys will be ready for the mar
ket. They will weight heavily, bring
a good price, and make your pocket
book bulge with the reward of your
labor.