The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-05-08
POULTRY DEPARTMENT

this is done there will never be gapes
in either turkeys or chickens. A little
copperas water should be given several
times a week to prevent Worns-most
of the so-called cholera is due to
worms The young birds should be
fed sparingly five or six times a day
for the first ten days; after that two
or three times will do. Curds, stale
corn bread baked with little onion
is good, but I like as soon as can
to get the fowls on a dry grain diet,
ground oats, wheat and corn too
fine; then cracked grain, and as soon
as possible, whole grain. If they have
any range at all they will find most
Of their food right from the start
Turkeys differ from chickens in
feeding a chicken will stand by his
dough until he can stuff no more; a
turkey will peck once or twice, leave
it and pass on. This characteristic
makes it necessary to feed young tur-
keys oftener than chickens until they
get their strength.
1t is, Of course, very important to
keep the turkeys free from vermin.
The time to do this is before the eggs
are Matched. The hen should always
be set on the ground, in the dirt, a
good flat nest should be made and
tablespoonful Of sulphur should be
sprink1ed in the nest; the warmth OF
her body will cause the fumes to rise
through her feathers and free her en-
tirely from vermin
Once a week old fowls should be
fed sulphur in their feed. This will
keep the flock free from vermin, a
chief cause Of many of the ills which
carry them off,
A Little Chapter From Experience.
At Arrowhead we usually raise a
hundred or hundred and twenty-five
after disposing of many eggs I re-
member some years ago giving the
turkeys on shares to one Of my boys
who was ten years old. | told him
lust what to do, explaining the prin-
ciples as above outlined. He did Just
what he was told He neglected them
not single day. A half dozen birds
would cover his losses. One flock Of
sixtyfour he put with two big bronze
hens and raised sixty-one, the other
three were accidentally killed. With
large flock like that you must he
careful to shelter them from thunder
storms, for the hens cannot properly
hover them. My boy made shelter
in the field where the turkeys ranged,
as the coop for night was too far to
escape sudden clouds, and many a wet
ting he got driving his focks to safety.
A heavy doWn-pour will strangle young
birds if their mothers cannot properly
hover them.
| hope no one will misunderstood
my meaning Turkeys cannot be
raised without trouble, but if intelligent
care is taken, they are easily raised
One matter that does not seem to
be 6eb g1neraly y understood is that single
twenty-five or thirty hens.
There are no diseases in the South
that threaten success with turkeys, if
ordinary care is taken with them The
North and Northeast, hitherto the
greatest turkey-raising section, has
been swept by a disease known as
blackhead, which has killed thousands
and thousands, old as we'll as young,
and for which no remedy seems eff
ficient. To it is due the very high
price Of turkeys in recent years
We should quarantine against all
birds from that section until assured
that they have not been exposed to
this disease, for when it comes turkey
raising will be one of the hard things
of farm life