The Democratic advocate., 1907-12-13
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 13, 1901
Rounding UP The Turkey Crop.

If the Michigan turkey roundup is not
so big or so important as the cattle round
up of the big West, STILL at the rate meats
of all kind are advancing: it should hold
an important place in the work of the year
While the range required by flock OF
turkeys prohibits their being kept by many
small farmers, yet where they can be kept
from molesting the neighbors' crops moth
ing will afford more pleasure or profit
AT present meat values, the extremely
high prices that turkeys have sold for dur
ing the last three years should be equaIed,
if not excelled, this season. At that rate
each turkey of marketable age should bring
as much as a young pig. We always
reckon each hen turkey and her brood
equal in marketable value in the fall to
one hog, as sold for pork. Year in and
year out they will average that, and labor
and feed and shelter for the former will
surely not equal in amount and value that
furnished the latter. 10 be sure there
will be more ups and downs in turkey
raising.
But to return to the roundup. All scat
tering Hocks should by this time be brought
together and the real feeding Of the year
begun. Most focks will roost until
Thanksgiving time about the barns, fences
and outbuildings. In law abiding neigh
borhood there are no real objections to al
lowing them to do so, but in many places
serious losses result from thieves, who drive
through the country and in a single night
reap rich harvest from the year work of
several farmers and before daybreak are
far enough away from the scene Of their
marauding to insure almost certain safety
Where such danger exists it is well to
put roosts in large open shed, where one
is at hand and can be used for the pur-
pose, making front and door Of poultry
netting. Here the flock can be driven
toward night and fed, then securely locked
in. But they should be released at day
break, when they may be fed again before
the troublesome chickens are about.
Frequent causes of complaint are the
serious losses in the flock when the turkeys
are almost full grown. This is usually
attributed to carelessness in beginning the
heavy feeding. This fall we may eX-
peet especially discouraging reports, for,
owing to the backward season, there will
bemuch immature and imperfectly seasoned
corn. Immature and even new corn must
be fed with discretion.
The bulk of the supply of the country
aa.ooc ,,o1 frop, Tho IraaIarS
but from the farms-just the ordinary
farms that ''1aise few. p" And it is tt
such turkey raisers that this article is di-
rected. If the flock contains many late
birds, which should first gain in size and
fame, they should be fed for the next few
weeks such food as will develop bone and
muscle. 1t will therefore, be profitable to
avoid steady corn diet and feed corn, oats
and wheat in equal quantities. As soon
as grasshoppers and other insects have
disappeared this should be supplemented
by some kind of animal food, such as beef
scraps, butchers scraps, or even sweet
skim milk. As Christmast and mar
ket day approaches the fat-producing food
should De increased until the ration may
consist entirely of corn during the last two
weeks before marketing.
Where possible, old corn should be OBJ
tanned, even at advanced price, for the
loss of two or three birds at this season is
serious, and their value will pay for the
increased cost of suitable food. Where
old corn cannot be obtained extreme eau
ton must be observed in feeding. At
first but small quantity ofnew corn should
be given. If not perfectly cured, it
should be baked in the oven. Even if
somewhat charred, its feeding value seems
little diminished, and, if digestive distur
Dances are noticed, charred corn will prove
an excellent corrective.
For the last two weeks before marketing
corn should be fed morning and night,
sufficient to even lie on the ground during
the day. Cornmeal, slightly wet with
skim milk, if fed at noon, will be help in
increasing weight during the finishing days.
With this diet. fresh water and pure air,
the turkey crop when marketed will give
returns excelled by no other product of
Michipap farms -Nichipan Farmer