The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-12-04

BY MRS. JOHN c. MOSES
Turkey is the favored fowl at holiday
tables. But turkey is on the decrease
in the United States. This is because
many turkeys range through the grain
fields of adjacent farms and thus be-
come a cause of neighborhood i'll will
while the high mortality among young
poults as ordinarily cared for on the
farm, the outbreak of such serious dis
ca SEES as blockhead and serious losses
from predatory animals have all tended
to discourage turkey raising. However,
for people favorabiy situated raising of
turkeys is one of the most profitable side
lines which can be combined with gen.
eral farming.
Given plenty of range, turkeys win rus
tie for grasshoppers and other insects,
green vegetation, weed and grass seed.
waste grain, acorns, chestnuts and other
waste nuts and convert them into de-
licious meat at a minimum expense
Plenty of range is essential to success
in turkey raising, and usually the dis
couraging results have come from at
tempts to raise the fowls under close con-
finement.
1t is free for all choice as to what
bred the farmer will raise Six varieties
of domestic turkeys, including the Amer
bon Red, Black, Narragansett and Slate
varieties of domestic turkeys, are rec
ognized by the American standard of per-
lection. Because the Bronze turkey is
heaviest it is most popular among tur-
key raisers, as the fowls are sold by
weight. Generally speaking, other con-
ditions being equal. the Bronze is the
hardest variety, the Bourbon Red and
the White Holland are the, most domes-
tic, while the White Holland is the most
prolific.
Turkeys generally are raised in small
flocks on general farms. Few extensive
commercial projects devoted exclusively
to turkey raising are operated. Usually
from 10 to Is turkey hens and one vig-
orous tom constitute flock, the fowls
being allowed free range during the
breeding and laying season. The turkey
flock requires particular care during the
laying and Matching season and during
the early life of the young poults, or
until these youngsters are able to range
at large with their mother.
The incubation period of turkey eggs is
four weeks, the average number of
poults raised under ordinary conditions
being about 50 per cent of those hatchef
out, or about seven poults for every
turkey hen The greatest loss occurs
when the poults are quite young, the high
mortality resulting largely from expos
ure to dampness and cold, improper feed
ing, close confinement, flee and predatory
animals. and to inherent weakness, the
result OF carelessness in selection of pa
rent stock. As soon as the poults are
old enough, the mother hen and her
brood should be placed on the range in
an individual coop where the hen may
be confined and the poults allowed to
pick about on grass, clover, alfalfa, and
other green feed at will, so that the
youngsters will become accustomed to this
/ feed
! Young poults usually remain with the
mother hen until about October or No
veinber. when the males ordinarily sep
arate from the females and range by
themselves. Improper feeding combined
with close confinement has been the cause
of many failures in turkey raising. When
on free range the pouits are busy search
ing for feed most of the day, and hence
there occurs no overlooking or lack OF
exercise. Even if the range is good
and the supply of insects abundant, 1t is
usually advisable to. have the flock come
home at night-the daily feeding Of lit
tie grain inducing the return of the birds
TO the home roost-in order to accustefn
the fowls to a common sleeping place.
At the age of about weeks the turkeys
are old enough to- go to roost, Most tur-
KEY raisers allow the birds to roost in
open trees or on fences, or on other roosts
especially provided. One OF the greatest
difficulties is to keep flocks from wan
dering over too wide an area and invad-
ing neighboring farms. To some extent
feeding heavily night and morning re-
cuces the area over which turkeys will