The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-05-25
CARE OF YOUNG K

Az il ia now about the season for
Matching young turkeys, perhaps It
will not lie am SIS to discuss a lew
Uoints relative to their care and nan
segment.
If turkey hens have been i~"e..h*t-
ing the egg it is usually a good
scheme to distribute some of them,
before Matching time, among proooy
fowls, giving each from six TO eight
eggs and leaving the same numDer
under the prospective motner. Inc
object, of course, is to lessen d oan-
gel of trampling the youngsters IN
the nest. Perhaps a still better plan,
if it can be conveniently DONE, would
he to place nearly all the eggs In an
incubator during the fourth week OF
incubation. 1t is necessary that the
mother hatch a few else she may not
accept the incubator brood.
There need not be any special hur-
nv about feeding the poults after they
are Matched; any time between 30
and 48 hours after their escape from
the shell will be soon enough. There
is great difference in opinion in re-
spot to the diet for young turkeys and
a great many formulas have been
given. In general the same feeds that
are given to chicks will suffer for
poults. Finely chopped, hard-boiled
eggs mixed with bran or rolled oats,
cottage, cheese, bread and milk, or
some similar food is excellent for the
first few meals, or until all the little
ones have learned to eat. After two
or three days, cracked corn, hulled
oats. whole or cracked wheat may be
scattered before them. There is no
objection to the use of commercial
chick feeds, but high-priced patent
poultry foods and condimentals are
not essential. Equal parts, by weight,
of wheat bran, corn meal, middlings
and beef scraps make a good mash, or
bran MAJ be substituted for middlings,
making the formula read: Two parts
bran, one part meal, and one part
beef scraps. AS with the grain ration,
it may be more convenient and equally
economical for small f1ocks to pur-
chase the commercially prepared
mash. Some sort of green food, pre-
ferably a grass run, is desirable from
the very beginning. Any change Of
ratiOns should be made gradually, not
abruptly.
Some breeders allow the turkey
hen to roam, caring for her young I'M
assisted. While this method is some
times successful, it would seem bet
ter to confine her in a roomy pen for
the first few weeks as this is the most
p~recariOus period of the poults' exist
ence and, therefore, shelter should be
provided to protect them from the
cold rain and foes. On the other hand
long continued confinement would pro-
be detrimental for turkeys are
fond of range and freedom; they
may, however, under favorable circum
stances, be grown ON quite restricted
areas.
When blackheadl "a disease that de-
Stroys more turkeys, perhaps, than all
other causes combined) is not present
b danger Of losses rapidly dimin-
lShes as the poults grow older. Upon
arriving at six OF eight weeks of age,
they can largely care for themselves.
They will need less and less feed and
attention from their owner, requiring
only an evening meal to induce them to
come home to roost."
1t will be noticed that only turkey
hens have been mentioned as mothers
Fowls may be used and they usually
keep the poults a little tanner, but
turkey mothers are more quiet with
he little ones, especially during the
trst few days. They are better fight
es when enemies are encountered, do
not yea the poults so early, are less
mbject to mites and lice, and are bet
er rangers and foragers.-W F.
Kirkpatrick, in Progressive aFrmer.