The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-01-18
RAISING TURKEYS SUCCESSFULLY
4 Few Suggestions as to Care and
Feeding from One Who Has Raised
Them P~rOfitabIy.
(By Miss VI. Cnandler.)

(By Miss NJ. Cnandler.)
After successfully raising turkeys
for a number of years [ am able to
give q few practical and useful hints
on the subject which cannot fail to be
of great benefit to the new beginner
or perhaps to the ones who have been
trying to raise turkeys with but poor
success.
Turkeys, as We ali know, are con-
sidered more difficult to raise than
chickens, on account Of heir being
more sensitive to h damp and cold
of spring, and for this reason many
do not try to raise them at all.
| find that if turkeys are not Matched
before May ] it is less trouble to care
for them and they are more apt to
live.
It pays best to start with a small
flock. Never keep over inter more
than three hens and a gObbler. Right
here let me say. be sure to get your
gobbler and hens of different flocks
il starting, and if YOU have your own
trade with some one, SO that they
will not be related to the hens.
InbreedinS is the cause Very fire.
cuently Of I have seen in
QuirieS in many farm papers as To the
probable cause of blindness, n expe-
rience has taught me hat this is the
sole cause.
1t is unwise TO SCI the old turkey
break her up to lay more eggs and
set q hen or two in hei place.
When Il hen is set, never use more
than eight or ten eggs, and even then
select Il large hen.
Give her a warm place to set, and
saturate the place We'll with sulphur
to keep away vermin. Use sulphur
on the hen also.
\ hen that is to sit for four weeks
must be we'll fed and cared for. Give
her plenty of fresh water and exercise
and a small ration Of good corn meal
wet with milk once each day.
When a brood Of little turkeys are
first Matched. they are very weakly
ami should not be taken from the
rce+ for at least twelve hours.
"~~-~~ ~ +~0~n~oOf "oopS ahould be
provided for them. Large dry goods
- - IN Re hor@ht for
about - cents, make excellent coops.
T"ro +henn on their side. with blocks
under the corner to keep them off
the ground. Nail strips of board over
every crack. The top Of the box
forms the front of the coop, Nail
laths across the front 50 close together
49, +ha little ones cannot crawl
through and make a little door
through which to feed and water
loII1 ol oiiS tlto.
/ feed them on bread and milk for
a few days and then give them corn
meal wet with sweet milk and a pinch
of salt and some clean sand,
Dutch cheese is also coed for a
change. They are very fond of it and
it aids Digestion. Give them plenty
Of water, but do not leave 1t where
they can tumble into it. as q good Wet
ting is most certain to be the death
of little turkey
When they are a few days DC [
take off the lath from the front Of
the coop and let them run out after
the dew is off. If the nights are chilly
or the weather should be damp cover
the coop well with a warm blanket
= h last year [ raised turkeys [
learned something very helpful I
PIT the coon under a large tree, Were
there was shade in the afternoon and
found that the little turks never left
49, ~'-or~ o~H ai1 rot r,1n off into the
grass and weeds and get lost, as they
had formerly done. They cannot en-
t.G, tn hot sun.
il YOU hav hens with little chicks
do not put the coops near the ones
where there are little turkeys. as a
hen with chicks will kill the lit.'o
t11rfeys. A hon with turkeys will
likewise Kill little chickens.
When the I'D turkey hens are set
later on I tate the same method with
them as with the hen mother and
largo coop.
When the little turks are six to
eiyht weeks old they can be let out
with their mothers 81 short time each
day il the weather is good, and by the
time they are half grown they can
get their own living by cleaning the
fields and will r~ara no more trouble.
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