Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-11-14

than his tame brother and that the
cross between the native wild turkey
and the Bronze makes the handsom-
est bird of the turkey tribe has been
demonstrated most successfully by ex-
periments along these lines.
An enterprising Virginian was
lucky enough few years ago to cap |
ture five baby wild turkey chicks
they were only two days old when he
caught them.
They were given to tamS turkey
hen-who already had a brood OF
young ones-after they had been in
captivity only two days.
At first these shy little fellows
seemed to distrust everything, but
soon became accustomed to the Vir-
ginian, who paid particular attention
10 his mixed flock, bringing them ber-
ries and other delicacies, at the same
time teaching them to come to his
call to be fed.
Every one Of the five birds grew
up and they turned out to be one
gobbler and four hens. 1t is inter
esting to note that although there
was a mortality of 60 per cent. among
the domestic birds that season, the
Eve wild turkeys were not affected in
any way.
At the approach of winter a wire
enclosure was made, this was also
covered over with wire, making
perfectly enclosed space of 15Ox45
feet, and at one end was a small tree
that was enclosed in 25-foot square
of wire fencing-a natural roosting
place-the enclosed space had
growth Of bushes and wild vines
growing upon it. also a natural sod :
The turkeys put in this limited
space must naturally be fed on such
stuff as would as nearly as possible,
resemble the food that nature intend
ed for them, SO they were given corn,
wheat, oats, wild berries, acorns, per-
simmons, grit in abundance, and fresh
water ad libitum.
The winter season passed, the birds
wore well ard hearty, With the adj
vent OTIS hg, - made segSeir
nests in the enclosIre., mere honey
suckle vines afforded the privacy that
they so longed for. Later on the
young poults arrived, both they and
their half domesticated mothers
showed aversion to man, their nat
ural enemy-so the broods were taker
away from the wild hens that hat
Matched them, and were given t.
some Bronze hens, who raised 80 birds
out of hatch of 40.
The first adventure being SO sue
cessful, the Virginian followed gu
the same methods with the 3S bird
that he had used with the origina
five, and the loss of only two bird
was a striking example of the hardi
ness of the wild birds.
1t is interesting to note that atte
the young birds and their mother
had been given their freedom, the
showed no disposition to revert t
their wild state, but always returne
home at night, roosting on the uppe
limbs of their tree along with tn
other turkeys, the young birds takin
more kindly to domestic ways tina
their parents.
After two years of hard work ii
virginian began to realize some final
cial returns from his labor, and ii
SS birds above mentioned, were sol
at price aggregating slightly mol
than $500, while the extra eggs gay
him another $3.50. The price of IL
young hens was $40 each, while th
received from gobblers was from $
TO 500 each. Eggs easily sold at
apiece. At present he is getting s
for hens and 500 for gobblers.
Keeping IL birds during the secoI
winter, 102 chicks were Matched al
rs of these were raised to maturit
the losses were caused by accide
or dogs and not by disease, althout
the domestic birds on the farm tn
year were decimated.
- The wild turkeys roasted under Il
wire enclosure, the domestic Dir
over 1t, The droppings of the latt
naturally fell into the enclosure. No
of the wild turkeys contracted t
fatal disease, but showed themselv
not only immune to it, but to 10
spell of wet weather. These hir
have been thoroughly tested and ha
shown themselves immune to t
dread disease, black head, as well
from other diseases which affect t
domestic breeds.
Experiments have demonstrat
that an infusion of wild blood v
undoubtedly make harder strain
domestic turkey.
In order that there will not be
breeding to an extent that would
duce the natural vitality of the bir
fine specimens of wild turkeys fir
Mexico. Oklahoma, Louisiana, No
Carolina, and other sections hi
been secured from hunters and 9th
interested in the experiment.
~ Believing that the domestic bird
the present day is not descended Fl
the native turkey, as is commo
4 supposed. but traces its origin b