The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-06-02
FORTUNE IN WILD TURKEYS
virginia Man Breeds Them for Market
and Game supply.

neriments I'm DEMONSTRATING Wild luIhfN
T. ,Lis rouniry. Among those 80 engdgeu !,
p,of n Il Blanton Of Virginia, VINO own.
l,he inreest flock IN the United States, ~
nresent he has more than 10 semi,WllI Nv
HEN turkeys 20 supply eggs iot ha'Vn' '',
land this season he expects to nave al '"''
600 young turkeys, .,rl,.ys
I'm 1908 he captured I'VE young tu'NVl
Ion his farm in Cumberland, county
They were only two days old Whvl iU",',
il 10 nest. After two days Of confinement
,r;tb tame turkey and her brood they
were turned out together At hfst the VIA
lnrkevs were shy, but they soon became ac'
lcnstomed TO Prof Bant0n, who ied thsi'
with various berries and other turkey 1vl'
Iieacies and taught them TO come TO hi'
All FIVE thriyed. There were one gobblet
and four hens. That same season there was
a mortality of 60 per cent among lhe "
Imestic birds but the five from the WoouS
grew M hale and hearty
Dnring the winter they were KEPT IN .
Ipoultry wire enclosure 80 yards 10y TO- ~
one end was small tree enclosed ~ -,
foot square OF wire fencing. Tins ahoideu
Ia natural roosting place, , 81,
The enclosed space had q growth ui
bushes and wild vines and aiso ial
sod. The turkeys were red on su'n ip' ~
las they would probably have obtained y
In a natural state-corn, wheat oats, via
berries. acorns persimmons ana plenty
Iof nit. and they also had plentiful supply
OF fresh water
The following spring nests were made
Iby the hens in the wild honeysuckle WhlSl
grew within the enclosure. Nheh lne
Young poults arrived they and their moth,
Iers showed the wild birds desire to avold
lmen. so the broOds were taken away IRON
their natural mothers and given TO some
tame bronze turkey hens who raised %
birds out OF a hatch Of 40, A.,
The same methods in regard 70 ieeding
and handling were followed with the, -
The loss Of only two birds was a striking
lproof OF the hardness Of the Wild STOCK
After the young birds had become thoI'
oughly acquainted with their adopted moth,
lers the five original turkeys were turned
ont and although allowed to have their
freedom they showed no disposition to re,
vert to their wild state. They returned
! home every night and roasted on the upper
limbs of their trees along with the other
turkeys. The Young birds took even more
kindly 10 domestic ways than their parents.
After the second season and with ~
| fullgrown domesticated wild turkeys IN
stock Prof. Blanton began 10 realize some
| financial returns from his labors. oi the
IS birds all but six were sold at prices
iaggregating slightly more than S4oo. while
eggs have gave him another S2Ju. A de'
mand for wild turkeys Tor crossing with
domestic strains. for stocking preserves
and for country estates began to show IL
self. The price for young hens eight months
old was so, while cobblers brought from
SD TO $50. Eggs easily brought 81 each,
Professor Blanton kept IL birds during
the second winter. In the spring lO2
chicks were Matched and 10 reached matu
'rity. accidents OF dogs being responsible
for losses and some dying OF disease, all
though with the domestic birds on the
same farm hardly one IN ten OF the bronze
turkeys survived cholera appearing early
in the season,
The enclosed space was now increased
to one acre with several more trees added
for roosting purposes. Bermuda grass was
also sown to give green food. AUTOMATIC
food bins were installed and were provided
with several sections operated on the hop
per system and supplying katlir corn. sun.
flower seed charcoal wheat, grit, corn and
oyster shells. As a change a dry mash OF
wheat bran. cornmeal, cut clover and meat
scraps was given, but during the period OF
confinement there was little chance to pro
vide berries or other kinds OF food easily
procured by the turkeys in their Wild state.
Turkeys purchased from DR. Blanton by
the Rhode Island experimental station have
been tested at that institution and have
been found to be free from disease common |
to the ordinary domestic turkey. The |
bureau OF animal industry at Washington |
is also interested in the experiments OF DR.. /
Blanton, the latters work showing that |
an infusion of wild blood win make the
domestic turkey a much harder bird in
every way.
The demand for turkeys at Thanksgiv-
ing and Christmas grows greater and the /
prices higher every year, while the dangers
that beset turkeys seem likewise to in
crease For that reason many who have /
hitherto found this branch Of poultry cul |
ture profitable have given up the business
The original turkey has deterorated in Vi
tally from too much inbreeding and too
intimate association with barnyard fowls
Those familiar with the nature and habits
of the wild turkey say they are the hardest
and most virile OF the gallinaceous species.
They have struggled for centuries against
men, beasts, birds Of prey and the elements,
so that their existence has depended upon
the survival OF the fttest For that reason
DR.. Blanton believes that no turkey fan
cier with strains of the tame variety can
produce breed that will equal in vitality
the wild birds
Carrying out his plan of demonstrating
wild turkeys DIR. Blanton has secured from
hunters and others interested in his line
Of work fine specimens of wild turkeys
rom Louisiana, Tennessee. North Carolina.
Arkansas, Oklahoma and even Mexico. He
S inclined to believe that the domestic
turkey of today is not descended from the
native wild turkey, as is commonly sup
1osed but traces its origin back to the Mex
can 2, Wild turkey which was domestic9ted I
owing out this theory he advocated cross
ng the native wild turkey with the de. /
cendants of the Mexican wild bird.