The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-12
yI,OOOFR0M TURKEYS
E CONNECTICUT woMAN's WAY or MAKING MONEY.
Hkx Pound Turkey Raising Profitable from the Very Start and Learned to Reduce the Mortality of the
 xoung Chickens, Hut the
 Fowls Require Care.

xoung Chickens, Hut the
 Fowls Require Care. .sWhite Holland turkeys have added 1loon a year to my income for the last three years" Mrs. E. N. Munson of Connecticut, told a reporter. when asked to suggest ways by which wo- men in the country might make money. 'sBeing a farmers wife and living 1orne distance in the country, am ac- custoned to work. so don't mind put tlns in my spare time on poultry.
 .When some seven years ago l de- clded that I wanted to try making money of my own I talked the matter agreed on turkeys. He had a prefer nhce for the bronze, because they were 7 fhe largest. and. he had heard. the hardiesf.
 n had longing for the white Hol- land, because wanted something or nAnental I hadn't any other reason. end I knew absolutely nothing about raising turkeys.
 As a beginning : bought two set tings of eggs. All the eggs matched. butsso many of the young chicks died that only eighteen birds reached ma turity. There were ten hens and eight socks.
 Fortunately they were all vigorous birds. I decided to keep all the hens and one of the cocks for stock, selling I1 G. agreed to give me the food needed for the first two years, so I invested the money received for my extra turkeys 1n eggs.
 'When the spring came round again knew quite a good deal more about raising turkeys than did the previous season. As consequence l did not lose so many chicks in comparison with the number matched as l had lost the year before.
 .~rhe autumn of that year. after se- lecting my young breeders, I sold the balance for upward of $200. That money went into the bank, and before the ena of the following year by far the larger half had gone to pay for food. That year my profits amounted to over $500.
 The fourth year increased my flock and my profits were more than doubled. In the fifth year cleared $l,000 for the first time, and, feeling that my flock Was as large as l could comfortably manage, I have kept the number about the same.
 eAlthongh I had no reason for se- 1ecting white Holland turkeys beyond my love of their beauty, I now know many points in their favor. The first ts that I believe they suit the climate of Connecticut better than either the bronze or the ordinary domestic tur- key
 aIhen their color enables me to pick my flock out from those of my neigh bors. They don't get mixed, and when they happen to stray, which is very seldom. they are easily identified.
 They are more domestic and require smaller range. They are not nervous and are so gentle that any one to whom they are accustomed can pick them up anywhere.
 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 or rearing them are very simple. In the winter my flock rOost 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 un- usually severe ali their food is warmed and spiced with pepper. For the cold months use a mixture of wheat, buck wheat and corn almost exclusively.
 They are never kept indoors even in the coldest weather. except in case of raln- They go out into the snow free- ly. although the doors of their shed and barn are always left. open for them.
 It has to be admitted that until a turkey passes its third week it is an extremely delicate bird, but by observ- ing few rules it may be easily pulled through this dangerous period. To be successful with the young birds you muat 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.
 s.For food begin with bread, sea- wnned with pepper and curds, and let &ftAr4 adrHallV work into hard grain As rule. a turkey will begin to eat grain freely when 1t is about the size Df a pigeon. I give wheat and buck wheat before corn. Even to grown turkeys l give corn sparingly except during the eoldest weather.
 s.Earthen vessels or old iron pans make ths best troughs for drinking water or sour milk. I would never recommend the use of wooden vessels for such purposes, as it is next to im- possible to clean them, and nothing is so sure to breed disease among fowls as a dirty drinking vessel.
 sTt is my rule to keep the young birds confined until they are able to fly over the two-foot fence of their yard. After this they are allowed to run with their mother, but I am care full to keep them in in wet weather and until the dew is off in the morn ings.
 a young turkey has been properly car ed for, 1t should be able to stand almost anything. There are some years in which care over them should be extended one week and some times even three weeks longer. clear season, when there Is plenty of sunlight, Is much better for young tur- keys than rain or cloudy weather.
 T have been urged to use gluten meat 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 I must admit but 1t has never been proved to my satisfaction that it was as heaIthful for the fowls or that young birds matched from eggs of gluten fed hens were as vigorous
 T am fond of my turkeys. and, while I make a point of killing of every chick that is not up 10 the mark, 1t gives me pain to do 1t. When there are no puny chicks In a brood it makes me very happy. So am not willing fo try any food that l am not sure will not increase the number of little creatures for me to- put to death.
 ''Though I am in the business for the money and am willing to try any lit- tie economy that promises saving, am not willing to risk the health of my birds. Good food produces good birds and even when the best food IS