Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-23
FATTEN|Nc TURKEY CROP,
ACCORDING TO HOOVER
valuable Lessons to BE Observed
From Food Conserver's
Suggestions.
CLOSE WATCH ON LEAKS KEPT
1oking Economy and Efficiency in
interest OF Purse and Patriotism.
Fowls May BE Conditioned ut Ex-
pense Appreciably Reduced.
by MfRA KELSEY COX,
Experienced POultryyyomnn

by MfRA KELSEY cox,
Experienced PouItrywomnn.
turkeys. themselves prospective
anu huSc contribution to the national
pooiinS of resources. must be fed, and
IN due time fattcned. The same per-
pIeHi'y that has boon facing tho cattie-
FaiSers creating scarcity of mich
lows. beeVcs and porkers, now attends
the poultry raiser whether he counts
his birds by the score or hundreds.
turkeys that journey to market as
pony creatures are desired by none,
al nno VIII prove loss 10 the raiser.
me element of uncertainty that always
oahces attendance upon any estimates
OF the selling price Of fowls is more
active now than eve- or one thing
only is the raiser sure IN face Of tho
universal shortage and high prices for
grain; the margin of profit will BIO
narrowed. Also. who Is able to say
whether the attitude assumed by many
people toward so-called luxuries shall
include turkeys in that class?
Every person who invested In tur-
Keys for this year was familiar with
prevalent prices and laid plans accord
ingly. always with distinct Difference
10 economy In feed for his pocketbook's
sake 1t now assumes another aspect
II Is patriotic. Shortage has conspired
to place purses and patriotism In lux
Imposition. What was merely individ-
ual has become communal
Mr.. Hoover is attacking his problem
from two sides. The two phases he
recognizes are food control and econ
omy In use. Doubtless too many peo-
pie have used food unnecessarily They
can retrench with great advantage all
around. to themselves. their purses and
the general consumer. Most people
can, IL necessity presents. stint them
selves. but poultry> must be fed.
Conserving Feed in Summer.
The usual routine for turkeys during
the fall must suffer change. Eighty
cent corn and dollar wheat lying abou,
In trouGhs, waiting upon the desui-
tory appetites OF fall turkeys used to
make the average farmer vince. though
no real waste happened. This is i'm
practicable now. Turkey raisers VINO
are so unfortunate as to have to buy.
ind the burden heavy indeed.
The long sighted person, viewing
afar the fall problem, has been as
abstemious in the use of feed during
the past summer AZ his conscience
would allow. Said one raiser: Dur
Ing July and August my turkeys, hav-
ing range over Stubble Gelds, seldom
had more than one meal a day. Loose
wheat and grasshopperS were ample"
Cat patches rye stubble. buckwheat
and hay fields bridged many a flock
from summer to fall. Feed SO saved
Applying Mr.. Hoovcrs principles Is
our chief reliance. No one Will deny
that as the ancient IsraeIites cnslaved
In Egypt could not make bricks with
out straw. 80 turkey or other fowl
cannot put on flesh without sufficient
ana adequate diet. Nevertheless. tur-
key nature admits a measure of skilful
manipulation of their feeding which
VIII exert n downward pressure on the
cost. Ihere is gap between the
quantity required for thriftiness and
for fattening. "A certain quantity they
must get. Nothing approaching
fancy product or even n passable one
VIII develop from insufficient food.
we cannot save on the turkey In
quantity or quality. We must save in
our method; that is. we must
Watch the Leaks Carefully.
Conserving the feed with no depri-
walton OF the bird can be Accomplished
with scrutinizing regard for every
loss we've hitherto held unavoidable.
opportunities for economy present
Themselves in four phases OF turkey
fattening; namely, manner of feeding,
kind OF ration. health OF birds and
marketing. In modelling the manage
ment OF fattening turkeys. after Hoov-
er's pertinent suggestion for our
pantries II afords surprise to note the
casual leaks which unawares perfor-
ate well-ordered routine, some OF
the spigot, others of the bung-hoie
variety.
The manner Of feeding affords the
most direct instance. Whole grain is
moro economical than ground feed for
birds able to assimilate It, A respect
able proportion Of nutriment in the
aggregate Is lost in the fine meal and
bra6 which they cannot possibly clear
up In mash. Though desirable.
mashes must be fed only in quantities
turkeys will dispose of. else it will
ferment or mould. Left-overs must be
avoided. Grain and mashcs should he
fed In receptacles that forbid turkeys
stepping in. Elevated troughs are
commended AS superior TO boxes on
the hoor or ground. Food tossed upon
the ground is insantary Much of II
is lost II 1t consists of small or broken
grains.
Plan of Feeding the Flock.
Regularity in feeding promotes
thriftiness with least expense. Tur
keys and other fowls respond to q
regular schedule as satisfactorily as
do people. In their ranging they re.
main faithful to their meal hours ir
so trained. though they return with
bullying crops.
To getg best results from what corn
Is fed, lt% the heaviest meal, with corn
predominant, be fed at night The
period of rest on full crops aids In
rapid increase OF weight. Breakfast
may consist Of lighter feed of scratch
or other mixture OF small grains. The
kind OF ration depends upon ones re.
sources and what the turkeys have
been accustomed to. For MARYLAND
turkeys. yellow corn is esteemed as
ideal. Whether it is or not may be