Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-03
Weekly Bureau of In
formation for All Who
Till the Soil or Are In
terested in Making Homes
HOW ONE WOMAN RAISES
TURKEYS SUCCESSFULLY

There is no kind OF live stock that
will return SO large Il profit to the
successful producer rs poultry. and 40
Kind OF poultry is moro profitable than
the turkey, when handled pre- ?crly.
Turkeys viii. from the tim. they arc
SIX weeks old Lntil winter sets In. gain
The greater part Of their cu:ir, living
from the bugs Erasshoppcrs and waste
trair they hustle for for themselves.
is TO " hoped Virginia farmers
end their wives will give more at
tcntion this year than ever .cforc 10
turkey raising. but many Virgins, wo-
men say thN% arc SO hard to raise, aul
That the dealt, rate among The young
turkeys Is 80 great that Ill Of The
Profits game long before market
ing time. According TO Mrs. y. Woods,
who made money raising the birds.
young turkeys are not any harder 10
raise than chickens. If on" Is careful
never to inbrccd and keep them free
from lice add mites.
Mrs Woods SAYS:
set al, the eggs under chicken
hens so as 10 keep my turkeys lay
ing When the eggs pipprd. ] put
them in the incubator. which was set
with chicken eggs Every egg that
pipped Matched. and they did not harm
the other eggs in the least.
1t wasn't an unusual ;hin-; to have
every egg of setting hatch and never
more than one that didn't hatch.
never let the young turkeys run
with the turkey hen. because she takes
them too far from home. and it is
easier to keep them free from lice
when they are raised by hand.
do not feed the poults for twenty
four hours after Matching. Then I
don't have any trouble teaching them
to eat. Soak bread in milk and
squeeze II dry for them cor two or
three days. then feed fine cracked corn
mixed with clabber cheese.
/ never feed black pepper, as so
many do, nor very many nard boiled
eggs: and I raise more turkeys than
those who do. in this neighporhood.
Then let them have much free
dom as possible. for they like to pick
bugs and tender grass. If they are
kept at night in house that has
roosts, they will soon fly on them and
do better than If left on the ground
1t is necessary to keep these coops
or roosting places clean. and disn-
fected, for lice and mites are sure
death to young turkeys.
Coarse sand should lie provided for
them: also plenty of shade and ashes
for their dust bath.
In preparing turkeys for market
they should not he fed 100 literally
during the first few days. but after
they have become used to confinement
should be given all they IAN eat up
clean.
Only the very early Matched birds
will be large enough for the carlies,
holiday market, and selections for this
market must he very carefully made.
The largest birds in the flock should
be placed by themselves in n large
pen. They must not be closely con-
fined a large shed, with tight sides
on the north and west, with the south
and east sides covered wifi, DOultrv
netting, makes good fattan!ng pen
1t must be covered. as the birds must
lie kept perfectly dry The pen should
he provided with low roosts in the
back part, and II should he placed in
secluded spot At some distance from
other poultry houses or barns. rs tur-
keys are very shy OF birds, aud If rX-
cited by n noise or other animals or
strangers. Will not readily take on fat.
The feeding troughs should I've placed
on the outside of the pen. so :hat they
can be easily cleaned and filed, without
continually entering the pom. This
work should he done quietly and at
regular intervals. Tho troughs should
be kept scrupulously cleaned. Nothing
is better than galvanized iron for this
purpose. MS they can he scaldcd and
i'll this way made perfectly sweet and
clean. Wooden truurhs absorb n great
deal OF moisture, ana II Is almost i'm
possible TO keep them rs clean as they
should be.
1t requires from three to four weeks
to put young turkeys in fine condition.
They should he pushed from the start.
because turkey. like n hog, is n los.
Ing proposition after 1t has attained
its full growth. The birds should be
market just as soon as they begin
to slackcn UP in gain, because beyond
n certain point in weight, they cannot
be pushed:N. l.