The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-06-11
TURKEY RAISING.

Successful turkey raising is very
much like successful chicken raising.
First select the breed you like best.
They are all good, but prefer the
Narragansette TO all others. They
are not quite as large as the Bronze,
but they lay more eggs than any 9th
er breed; another good point, they
mature early and have fine full
breast. That is what caps the climax
when a fine large savory turkey is 10
grace the Thanksgiving table.
Some think the young pouIts are
easier raised, but it does not make
anv difference what breed you are
starting with. You must have large
we'll matured healthy birds, or you
can not expect strong p0ults. pre-
fer raising them with the turkey hen
If she is not in the notion Of sitting
inst when you want to set the eggs,
nut them in the incubator or put
them under chicken hens, and she
will be ready 10 set before they are
ready to come off. Keep close Watch
on her and when she begins staying
on her nest at night then dust her
with insect powder, repeat this TWO
or three times. then she will not
have any lice to bother the little ones.
When the eggs first commence TO pip
put two or three under her and let
them hatch there, and if she likes
them then you have won the battle;
then you can put all to her or per-
haps YOU would have enough for two
or three hens, if so, say about 20 to
a hen.
First give the chicks sand and char
coal to pick, then feed them hard
boiled eggs little at a time and
often until they are couple OF days
old, but that is too expensive to feed
them very long. Take light bread
and soak it in boiled sweet milk and
sprinkle we'll with black pepper, that
warns them up of cold mornings.
One can get stale bread at the bak-
cries at reduced prices, or if that is
not handy, they are fond of cottage
cheese, cut up onion tops, dandellon
and lettuce and mix in their feed OF
mornings.
When the turkey hen has the care
Of them, you do not have to coop
them up. / find they thrive better
to have small lot fenced in with
poultry netting to keep her from drag
ging them too far awav from home,
and the varmints are not so apt to
make a raid on them while they are
roosting on the ground. About l acre
would be large enough, but more If
1t was handy. And as soon as you
take the hen from the nest put her
in this yard, and give them plenty OF
fresh water in something so they
can not drown, and it will not be
many days until they come running
and Topping their little wings where
ever you feed them.
After they are week old, you will
not have to feed them more than
three times a day, keep them in this
yard until they are about month
old then you can start them out
brave and strong to battle with the
bugs AS that is their main living
until fall, then they are cd enough
to fly up on low roosts. Lice do not
bother them SO badly raised in this
way, but keep a watch for them, II
1t should be wet weather. They can
not get to dust themselves. If any
look droopy, hunt the insect. powder
and dust them, they can stand it bet
ter now than when they were babies.
You will not have to feed them so
often now, but 1t is well to give them
a liberal feed each night, then they
have some inducement to bring them
home to their old roosting tree, and
then you can look over the flock. II
some are not looking just right give
some venitian red in their feed,
enough to color the feed. They like
1t and it makes them thrifty. Give
them some each week, it keeps them
all wen, as the old adage, says IAN
ounce Of prevention is worth. a pound
Of cure" In caring for tarHeys in
this way you can raise, large fiocks
each season. raise abtus 200 each
year-Lowry Higgins in he Farmers
Home Journal l9
POULTRY FARMING.