The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-10-24
FARM AMP ORCHARD
Noes and Instructions from Agricultural Colleges and Experiment sor.
Dragon Washington Specially Sabk so Pac Coz cooae

~ Oregon and Washington. Special
Turkeys Beat Hogs.
Washington State College, Pullman
The feed it takes to produce hof
that will dress two hundred pounds fol
the market would probably feed and
fatten a flock of twenty turkeys
which would average at least twelve
pounds dressed at market or holiday
time. These usually sell as high az
twenty-five cents pound. The two
hundred pound hog would bring $26'
The twenty turkeys would bring $780,
It is true that young turkeys re-
quire more care the first few weeks
than do chickens, but one is abundant.
ly rewarded for the extra work. AL.
though the domestic turkey is, with
proper handling, as tame as the chick
en-, they are yet of semi-wild nature,
and must be allowed, so far as posi-
BILE, to follow their natural inclina-
tions. Much of the failure in turkey
raising is due to not knowing how to
handle the little poults. One may
sum up the essential things in hand
ling the poults as follows: Proper
food and drink; keep them free from
lice; keep them out of the rain and
wet grass, and out of damp, filthy
quarters.
Many poults are killed during the
first few weeks by feeding improper
food, and by overlooking. For the
first several days they may be fed four
or five times day, but only so much
each time as they will eat in a few
minutes. Do not leave surplus food in
the feeding dish to become sour or
mussed. Never feed sloppy food.
Keep clean, fresh drinking water and
fine grit constantly before the poults.
Stale bread moistened with sweet
milk, with all the surplus milk pressed
out, is an excellent feed at first.
Hard boiled egg (boiled at least thirty
minutes) chopped fine, including shell,
and mixed with finely chopped onion
tops or lettuce, is also good for the
first feed. After a few days, little
cracked grain may be fed. One can
vary the feed some, but must use
judgment as to the quantities fed.
Milk curd, commonly called "cot-
tage cheese" and fresh meat, either
raw or cooked, chopped fine, can be
fed after few days. The egg, meat,
or curd should be fed moderately with
other feed; green feed, such as cab
bage, kale, onion tops, lettuce, grass,
and the like is always relished by tur-
keys, and should be provided, espe-
cially for those that are kept in close
quarters. One can plan on having
such feed on hand when needed, be-
fore that time comes. When several
weeks old, the poults are likely to do
best if allowed to have free range, and
will after that time find much of their
feed, such as waste grain, bugs, grass
hoppers, and many other dainty NOR
sells to their liking, but they should be
fed morning and evening. Keep grit,
pure drinking water and charcoal
where they may get them convenient
ly. Charcoal to great extent is a
preventive Of disease.
When poults must be closely con-
fined their quarters should be clean,
light, airy and free from, dampness.
As they become older, they will
choose outdoor roosts in preference to
being housed, and when possible allow
them to roost in trees or on outdoor
roosts, that is, proper places for them.
While poults are small. if necessary to
have floor in their coop or building,
keep good layer of dirt, sod or sand
on the floor so that they may scratch
in it. The exercise is good for them,
and their legs will be stronger than if
kept on hard board floors. Whenever
weather will permit, allow them out
in the yard or field, but little poults
must be kept out of hard showers and
wet grass. If the ground is reason
ably dry, coops without floors are best
and can be moved about to fresh,
clean places.
Parasites are very destructive to
poults, and poults infested with them
are quite likely to be short lived.
Poults Matched in incubators and
reared away from other poultry are
not likely to be troubled, but one smust
make sure that the lice are not pres
ent. If chicken hens are used to
hatch and rear the poults, see that
the hen and nest surroundings are free
from lice and mites before the poults
hatch. There are different ways OF
Kidding poultry of lice, but persistent
effort counts more than all else. In
sect powder rubbed thoroughly through
the feathers, or washing them well, on
a warm, sunny day, in weak solu-
ton Of good louise dip will make lice
scarce. If latter treatment is given,
follow directions as given with the
preparation.
Hens should be given such treat
ment before young birds hatch, as il
is not advisable to have the feathers
Of the hen filled with powder when the
poults hatch; nor should her feathers
!