Milford chronicle., 1916-11-10
TURKEYS AS A PROFITABLE ASSET TO
POULTRY.
By J. H. MeFAUL, Jr.
LAH Rights Rese've1

n Most poultry raisers. and particular
farmers in all sections of the country
will generally hoot at the suggestion tina
money is to be derived from the raisini
of turkeys, but notwithstanding this fact
it has been we'll established that they ar
good money earners. A number of per
sons engage in the raising as a speciality
thus earning quite a neat sum Annually
! Mistakes however, similar to thos'
made in the raising Of poultry, are otter
made in the breeding and raising of the
turkeys, with the result that the busines:
is a total failure. Then, as in the case
of poultry raising, the poor turkey is
blamed, when in reality, the fault lays
with the breeder for his failure to con-
duct his business along systematic lines,
which would result in success and a neat
income.
The fact that almost all of the turkeys
marketed come out of the West and
South, where they are raised with great
profit, proves cOnclusively two things ;
first, that there is money to be derived
from the raising of this bird and second
that great number of breeders, particu-
larly those in the East, run their estab
lishments in haphazzard manner, or in
other words, fail to run it along syste-
matte lines, thereby causing a loss.
Probably the greatest percentage of
loss in the raising game is the failure to
raise them in other words, turkeys are
not nearly so hard to hatch as are chick
ems, but on the other hand, they are
harder to raise to maturity. This is true
under normal conditions, and for this
reason, the poultryman who attempts to
raise them should give the business his
undivided care and attention instead of
letting the young poults, as the baby tur-
keys are called, run wild in the hope
that they will rear themselves.
Turkey eggs for the most part are very
fertile and a 100 per cent hatch is not at |
all unusual, while one rarely ever gets |
less than 95 per cent out in incubation. |
The trouble with the average person who /
attempts TO raise turkeys is that they con-
tent themselves with placing a setting of |
eggs under hen, and when the poults are
hatched lets them run wild over the range.
giving them absolutely no attention.
The hen is a sort of brainless creature
and seems to know or have but little re-
gard for her own or brood safety. The
result IS she will carry the young aim
lessly over the range, through wet grass
and weeds and this means that within a
very short time nearly, if not all of them,
have turned up their toes. Turkeys are
more susceptible to disease than are
chicks and every one knows that even /
these cannot live and thrive if treated in I
this manner-then, what chance has the
young poult? But, oh, when such {
breeder condemns the turkey and SAYS,
Nothing in them of course, there 7
sn't and how could you expect it. \
Looking at this from the view point of t
he average farmer one cannot expect G
more, for he invariably fails to grasp the &
Importance of the poultry industry or +
What it means to him. He fails to realize
What the revenue from poultry in all of a
IS various branches means toward swell a
ng his income and that it is the most
of the farm life. This peculiar
Individual will refuse to listen to any ar o
no matter how good or forceful s.
hat may be advanced for his interests. t.
dead poult is like a dead chicken. s.
but how different with the live a
mes. They will net neat return for the b
me and trouble necessary to raise them. il
10 farmer would refuse to care for his Il
We stock and the observant and indus. d.
-ious farmer should give his attention to
hickens and turkeys with the idea of &
ealizing profit with as much vim and nj
Enthusiasm as he would to any other W
ranch Of farm work. W
Owing to the susceptibility of Young Of
Quilts to disease, they should be given ii
xtra attention until they have reached d'
4 age when they can reasonably take al
ire OF themselves. If this care and at nj
ntion IS given them, large percentage tn
the hatchings can be raised to maturity VI
I'd a good profit derived from them.
Many PERSONS differ on the methods ey
II raising turkeys There are those who TO
aim that turkey hens should be used OF
for purposes of incubation.
It while this method can be followed, l IN
i've found greater success with the use tn
the other hens for this purpose. of
Chickens, as a rule, make better moth tn
Tor the young poults than do the tur- be
y hens, and then too, they are much pr
tier sitters. Just as soon as the poults br
e hatched out they should be placed in
good, dry, sunny coop, raised we'll off
e ground to prevent dampness. the
or of which should be covered to To
pth OF about two inches with sharp drv In,
nc or very small gravel. on
Sunshine and fresh air are necessary, 70 -
health OF the poults and for that rea-
2 1t should be admitted in large guam
les but shut out all draughts. Keep 20
mother hen with them at all times. be
he same care in feed, followed in rails II
chicks, should govern the raising of WI
poults. They should be fed sparingv gre
! often. Theirst feeding for the poults
ould consist of pin-hea oatmeal. .
continue this fern of feeding for one will