Milford chronicle., 1909-06-18

luS greatest success was attalnel
in breeding turkeys and other fowl
by the continued introduction O
new or wild blood. The island
turkey flock consisted of from
5000 to 5000 birds, their blOoC
invigorated each year through al
addition of wild cocks from the
high Appalachian mountains.
Blackhead disease has proven a
dread malady among MANY turkey
focks and during the time when
Rhode Island, which has often been
termed the Turkey State, was
almost devastated thereby, the tur-
keys on Fisher Island proved abb
solutely immune. Experimental
inocculation with the blackhead
germs made by the Rhode Island
Experiment Station had no effect
on the splendid birds from this
ranch. This is cited as simply one
piece Of authoritative evidence that
goes to show that blackhead as
well as other turkey diseases finds
conditions for attack favorable be-
cause of the fact that the vitality
Of the average flock throughout the
country has reached an abnormally
low condition. No bird, it is sta
ted is more hardy or disease resis-
tent than the native American tur-
key; no bird, perhaps, is more sus-
ceptible or harder to grow than the
average domestic turkey. The
cause is in breeding. For genera
tions and generations the turkeys
of various localities have received |
no infusion of new blood and the
result has been in every sense dis
astrous. Not fully realizing the
cause of the trouble, many people |
have gwen up in disgust the at.
tempt to raise turkeys, in spite of
the attractive prices offered.
"The real difficulty in raising
turkeys lies beyond the
hatching of the young poults. It
rests to a great extent with the
parent stock" said George E. How
ard the owner of the Feather, in
of the turkey industry and
he money in it for the farmer.
"The hen thatlays the eggs from
which the pOuit is Matched has the {
greatest influence over its exis- (
ence. Growers too frequently t
make use of turkey hens hatched t
he year before which are usually !
Inder a year old when they COM '
1ence to lay. The most thrifty t
Quits are Matched from eggs laid T
y turkeys in their second, third n
r fourth year. POults from i'm il
nature turkey hens are more than O
kelly to be difficult to rear no D
latter what the matings may be. b
'igcrous hens, in their second Il
ear or more, mated to perfectly Il
ealthy toms two years old that al
ave been bred from perfectly
ealthly stock that are in no way l.
lated to the hens, should make n
-eeding stock that will produce Ie
)ults which should be reared with i,
uch less trouble than is exper- r
need among average turkey o.
overs. nc
"The breed or variety, in my br
Union, makes but little difference br
main results. There are Eocks as
White Holland turkeys that tn
We equal vigor and that repro Al
Ice and rear their offspring to as SD
eat an extent as any other variety. tn
ie Bronze, the Narragansett, the wi
ack, the Buff, the Burbon Red, ire
2 Slate, or the cross of these may eli
be equally vigorous, or they to
~ be delicate and undesirable.
is the constitutional ability to ito
1duce the best results that counts CO.
tn each variety, and in select ins
:, choose to please your fancy; all
t bear in mind the absolute ne tui
,sities OF having health and non Th
dllOuSulp III lllC uOSks II NdALlG Iltl
1 horses had been so grossly han col
d and neglected as to the infu- am
n of new blood into veins of the av,
1ng, we would scarcely have a ke,
of these races left to- suC
= to serve us. era
MY advice would be to select Dol
next years breeding stock in at
cember, and sell all the balance onl
ecially the toms. People will cas-
wv weakling tom turkeys to wan dul
about the farms, seeming to per
get that a possible chance mat DIRE
of these dericts may ruin all the tho
S of the season. Not a single wei
j should be kept in the turkey erv
ks after Christmas that would anc
be considered valuable for T
eding stock. If this rule were kew
lied rigidly each year, soon the 200
Or of the flock would be so inn tur,
,roved so as to surprise every peri
Wer SlO