The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-05-23
RAISE TURKEYS. TAKE BIG
PROFITS AND MAKE JOYOUS
NEXT THANKSGIVING DAY

There is no doubt that raising tur-
keys on the farm may be made very
profitable when pronerly conducted.
But farmer cannot grow turkeys
without care. To insure a good, strong
healthy flock of turkeys care must be
taken in the selection of the breed.
The bronze turkeys are considered the
best in this section of the country, al
though other breeds do WELL A COB
bier may be used when he is two years
old and hens at one, but a year or so
later they are better. AS long as their
offsprings are strong and vigorous IL Is
well to keep gobbler and hens, but
never have more than fourteen hens to
one gobbler.
When the hens begin to stray from
the flock in the early spring and the
gobbler's turk, turk" is heard in the
land, you may be assured that nest
| building time has come. And IL you
would save yourself untold worry and
trouble and be certain OF getting the
eggs, keep the hens penned up in the
morning until after they have laid. A
good pen may be made of woven wire
stretched about plot Of ground ten by
| twenty feet in size and covered over
with boards. Barrels turned down and
along one side of the pen will furnish
partly filled with straw and placed
good nests.
1t is best to remove the eggs after
they have laid so they will not be chill
ed or broken. Then, too, the hen will
lay from fifteen to eighteen eggs be-
fore she goes to sitting. II the eggs
remain in the nest the hen Is liable to
sit after laying ten or twelve. Keep
the eggs in a box lined with cotton bat
ting or partly filled with bran, and
always stand them on the small ends.
The yolk OF the eggs must not become
attached to the shell. for 1t will mean
death to the young turkey that forms
therein.
How to Set q Turkey.
While the hens are confined on their
nests feed them plenty and give them
fresh water each day. Keep the old
gobbler out Of the pen or the hens will
be bothered by his presence. 1t is well
to set the first eggs under a chicken
hen. Do not put more than eight eggs
under one hen, for this will be as many
as she can hover. Turkeys should not
be Matched before the first of May as
the weather is liable to be cold and
rainy UP to that date and the young
turkey Is the weakest of all fowls when
Just Matched.
When the turkey hens go to sitting
make a good large nest of straw in
the barrels and put ten or twelve eggs
| under each hen. The eggs should be
sprinkled with tepid water every few
days. They will not need to be turned
| over each day as the turkey hen per-
forms this task herself. The hen will
be little trouble while sitting. She is
no run-about when brooding over her
eggs, and sometimes 1t is necessary
to lift her from the nest 10 give the
eggs an airing and to feed her. Plenty
Of water and grain should be kept close
to the nest so that she may rot be COM
PEELED to stray away in quest of food
| and forget her duty. She should never
be allowed to leave her nest over fifteen
minutes at time. Screen doors ought
to be placed at the ends Of the barrels
to keen out intruders. These should be
removed a few minutes each day for
her outing. No strangers should be
allowed to go about her quarters for
fear of exciting her and causing her
! to break the eggs.
When the Eggs Hatch.
On the twenty-fifth day remove the
hen from the nest and clean 1t thoro-
ughly, for the little turks will begin to
pip the shells the next day. Before
the twenty ninth day they will have
come forth into their new world. Do
not disturb the mother again until the
Matching has been completed. If she is
very tame you may run your hand be-