The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-14
Costly Buildings Unneces- sary; Open Shed Fur nishes Ample Protection for the Flock
Whole Corn Ideal Feed for Increasing Weight; Birds Should Not Be Fattened in Confinement
By REESE V. HICKS SFOrmer President of the American Poultry Association

 quire the amount of care necessary to success in other departments of the poultry industry, there are certain points that must be observed. In this article, MT. Hicks gives some valuable suggestions about breeding, feeding and caring for the flock. He also tells how to prepare birds for the market.
 The turkey is in all probability tho only one of the domesticated fowls of purely American origin. When the early explorers first came to America they found large flocks of turkeys roaming in the forests. The Spanish explorers carried live specimens back to Spain and in a few years turkeys were prolific in southern Spain, the climate of which was in many respects similar to that of the West Indies and Mexico. Sir Walter Raleigh carried them to England.
 All of the seven popular varieties of turkeys have grown out of the original wild turkeys. These wild turkeys were black and bronze in color. In the sparsely settled sections of the south and southwest flocks of wild turkeys are still to be found. In such locali- ties it is difficult to keep tame tur- keys, as they are inclined to go off with the wild birds in the fall. The wild turkey is not as large as the tame variety. but, living under natural conditions, is very vigorous and hardy. One trouble with the tame turkey is that where kept under artificial con- ditions. they are liable to deprecate in vitality. Some breeders have intro- duced wild blood into the bronze va (. riety to re-establish vitality. The wild turkey has also been domesticated, and is known as the black turkey.
 Comparative Weights of Breeds
 The bronze turkey Is the most popu- lar and also the largest. A two-year- old cock will frequently weigh as high as 50 pounds. The standard weight re quired is 96 pounds. A yearling cock bird should weigh three pounds under this, while cockerel should weigh 2b pounds by the time he is year old A year-old hen should weigh 20 pounds to be up to standard, while a bullet should weight 161a pounds. The major ity of bronze turkeys. however, are from to 10 pounds under these weights in the males and from three to five pounds in the females.
 The Narragansett turkey runs few pounds lighter in weight and is black in color, with steel gray bands running across the ends of the feathers
 The Bourbon Red. as its name im- plies, is product of Kentucky and is cinnamon red in color. It is of com paratively recent origin and has not yet demonstrated any superior points over the regular standby variety of bronze turkeys.
 The white Holland, black, buff and slate, as their names indicate. have respectively. white, black, buff and slate plumage. These are the smallest and range in weight from 20 to 2S pounds for the males and from 12 to IS pounds for the females. They have no special points of superiority over tho bronze. and it is merely a matter of fancy for any particular color.
 Production of Turkeys
 No accurate figure of the production of the turkey crop annually in the United States is obtainable, but 1t will run into millions--probably as high as $25,000,000. In very few states are the figures kept separate from those of poultry, ducks and geese. The main territory for the production of tur- keys Is in the middle south and south west and also in a portion of the cen tral west, comprising Kentucky. Ten nessee. the northern parts of Georgia,
 
 Oklahoma. parts of Texas. Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. There are also large numbers of turkeys produced in Rhode Island, parts of Vermont and .Massa . chusetts. These have established a name for themselves, being known as Rhode Island turkeys, and command a special price on the market even above those produced in the south and west, owing to the special care with which they are fed. fattened and put on the market.
 Free Range Important
 The two most important things for raising turkeys are, first, an abundance of free range where they can wander over the fields and through the woods and thus secure large part of their living, and, secondly. an abundance of cheap grain, like corn. Corn is an ideal feed after the poults Gas young turkeys are called) are about half grown.
 No expensive houses or costly build ings are needed, as they will do best if allowed to roost in the trees or on poles laid under a tree. If desired to protect them at all from snow and storms, shed open on all four sides will be quite sufficient. For breeding young stock in. the summer, while tho hens are setting and matching. and for the first few weeks after the hatch is completed. a small box or barrel to protect them from the storms is all that is needed.
 Turkeys are a source of profit where an abundance of free range can be had, as they are enabled to pick up their living in the way of bugs. insects, weed seeds, bits of grass, etcs For the first six to eight weeks of their lives young poults are more care than young chicks. but after that they require very Title care except to see that they are fed and fattened in the fall, just before they are sent to market.
 Selection of Breeding Stock
 In breeding turkeys the vitality of the breeding stock is of even more im- portance than in the breeding of any other poultry. They have been inbred very largely. and many of the troubles of turkey raising is caused by this in :. herited weakness. In selecting breeding stock, only thrifty, we'll developed males and femlaes, weighing within a pound or so of the standard require ments. should be chosen. It Is seldom advisable to use birds that run over standard weight, because usually the extra large birds are poor breeders. l COTTON I