Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-21
Misetllaneulls Reading.
$1,000 A YEAR FROM TURKEYS.
A Connecticut Woman's Way of Max
ing Money.

ed to suggest ways by which women in
the, country might make money. BE
ing a farmers wife and living some
distance in the country, 1 am accus-
toned to work, so I don't mind putting
in my spare time on poultry.
when some seven years ago l de-
cided that 1 wanted to try making
money of my own l talked the matter
over with my husband and we both
agreed on turkeys. He had prefer
ence for the bronze, because they were
the largest and, he had heard the
hardest.
Il had a longing for the white Hol-
land, because I wanted something or
namental. I hadn't any other reason,
and knew absolutely nothing about
raising turkeys.
"As a beginning l bought two set
tlngs Of eggs. All the eggs hatched,
but so many of the young chicks died
that only eighteen birds reached ma
turlty. There were ten hens and eight
cocks.
Fortunately, they were all vigorous
birds. l decided to keep all the hens
and one of the cocks for stocks, selling
off the seven others. My husband had
agreed to give me the food needed for
the first two years, so I invested the
money received for my extra turkeys
in eggs.
When the spring came around again
I knew quite a good deal more about
raising turkeys than l had the pre-
vious season. AS a consequence l
did; not lose so many chicks in COM
parison with the number hatched as
had lost the year before.
1.-The autumn of that year after Sc
lecting my young breeders l sold the
balance for upward of 5000. The money
went into the bank, and before the end
of the following year by far the largest
half had gone to pay for food. That
year my profits amounted to over $780,
"The fourth year l increased my
flock and my profits were more than
doubled In the fifth year I cleared
81, 600 for the first time and feeling that
my flock was as large as I,could COM
fortably manage I have kept the num-
ber about the same.
although I had no reason for Sc
lecting white Holland turkeys beyond
my love of their beauty, now know
many points in their favor. The first
is that l believe they suit the climate
Of Connecticut better than either the
bronze or the ordinary domestic tur-
key.
Then their color enables me to pick
my flock out from those Of my neigh
bors. They don't get mixed, and when
| thy happen to stray, which is very
seldom, they are easily identified.
"They are more domestic and require
a smaller range. They are not nerv-
Gus, and are so gentle that any one to
whom they are accustomed can pick
them up.
Though a size smaller than the
bronze turkey, they are larger than the
ordinary domestic fowl and an ideal
market bird. When properly fattened
their flesh is yellow, delicate in flavor
and very juicy. Their breast is very
large, which is another point in their
favor for table use.
My methods of rearing them are
very simple In the winter my flock
roots in a large and very airy shed and
have access to a barn in which is kept
plenty of good, clean chaff and grain
litter When the weather is unusually
severe all their food is warmed and
spiced with pepper For the cold
months I use q mixture Of wheat,
buckwheat and corn almost exclusive
ly.
They are never kept indoors even
in the coolest weather, except in case
of rain. They go out into the snow
freely, although the doors Of their shed
and barn are always left open for them.
1T has to be admitted that until
turkey passes it's third week it is an
extremely delicate bird, but by observ-
ing a few rules it may be easily pull
ed through this dangerous period. TO
be successful with the young birds you
must see that they have plenty of the
right sort Of food, that their troughs
and coops are kept clean and that they
are kept from getting wet even in the
dew
For food l begin with bread sea-
soned with pepper and curds, and let
them gradually work into hard grain.
| AS a rule a turkey will begin to eat
grain freely when it is about the size
of a pigeon. l give wheat and buck
wheat before corn. Even to grown
turkeys 1 give corn sparingly, except
during the coolest weather.
"Earthen vessels or old iron pans
make the best troughs for drinking wa
ter or sour milk. l would never rec
Commend the use of wooden vessels
for such purposes, as it Is next to i'm
possible to clean them, and nothing is
so sure to breed disease among fowls
as dirty drinking vessel.
1T is my rule to keep the young
birds confined until they are able to
fly over the two foot high fence OF
their yard. After this they are al
lowed to run with their mother but |
am careful to keep them in in wet
weather and until the dew is off in the
mornings.
"As a rule after the third week, If
young turkey has been properly cared
for it should be able to stand almost
anything. There are some years in
which care over them should be eX-
tended one week and sometimes even
three weeks longer. A clear season.
when there is plenty Of sunlight, Is
much better for young turkeys than
rainy or cloud weather.
Il have been urged to use gluten
meal and gluten feed by other turkey
breeders, who say that it is just as good
as the whole grain and much cheaper.
That it is cheaper in price 1 must ad-
| nit but it has never been proved to