Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-11-25

the turkey hen to make her nest and to
let her set and hatch where she will. 1t
Is we'll to cover the nest with an old box
or barrel. open at one end to protect It
from storms. From IS to 80 days are re-
puired for turkey eggs to hatch.
The young turkeys do far better II al =
lowed to go with their mother hen than
with the chicken hen. A chicken hen
does not range enough for them after
they are few weeks old. For the first
two or three weeks the turkey hen should
be confined, so she will not range. espe-
pecially in the damp grass and weeds,
but after that she may be allowed to
range at will.
The young pouts should not be fed
anything for "a hours. Their first feed
, should be some grit or coarse sand. Then
give them some dried bread crumbs with
which a small amount of hard boiled egg
has been chopped up Some successful
raisers give each small poult a grain of
black pepper for the first feed. Finely
| CHOPPED onions, either the bulb or stalk,
are also good for the first few feeds. For
the first week the bread crumb and egg
mixture should be fed every three hours.
After this fine cracked wheat may be fed.
and in addition they can be given three
times a day a mash Of corn meal. wheat
mddlings and wheat BRAN in equal parts.
mixed in milk and cooked They should
be fed very sparingly for the first three
weeks. After three weeks cracked corn,
hulled oats and whole wheat may be fed
four times day.
When the poults begin to range with
the mother hen, feeding is necessary only
twice day. mornings and evenings. I'M
less the range is limited and they have
but little opportunity to pick up their
living II is necessary to feed them in
the evening after they have ranged free
~ in order to keep them tame and cas-
fly approached Fresh water should be
constantly accessible.
FATTENlNG FOR MARKET
The best time for marketing turkeys
is from two weeks before Thanksgiving
until the Christmas holidays. This means
that young turkeys should be fed an in
crease! amount of corn from about the
first of November. 1t does not pay to
fatten them in confinement They should
be allowed their usual range and fed
four times daily It is especially mpor-
tant when fatteninE turkeys that the
last feed at night, Just before they 20
to roost. he abundant, Whole corn Is an
ideal feed for fattening them.
The best prices can be obtained usually
in local markets If the birds are prop
erly killed and nicely dressed, They
should he killed In the same manner a
chicken is killed-by sticking them with
a knife and allowing them to bleed tC
death. They should be picked. leav,
ing n few Of the feathers on the extreme
ends of the wings Dry-picSinG must b.
done as soon as the bird is killed.
SELECT SMALL BIRDS FOR TABLE
Large turkeys, Weighing 20 pounds Oh
over when dressed, are usually old ones
ana are not as tender and delicate as tho
smaller birds. In selecting turkey tt
eat, 1t is wise, therefore, to select on,
Of medium weight The wing feathers al
so are an indication OF the age Of a tur
key. If the points OF these feathers ar,
sharp It is a sign that the turkey il
young; if the points are rounded the birC
is year old or more. The breast BON
in Young turkeys is soft and tender, viii,
in Old birds It is hard. firm bone In tn,
bronZe variety the legs of the young fow
re dark almost black. while in old bird
they are of a pinkish shade