The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-03-30
A TURKEY HEN IS FAITHFUL
IF SHE IS PROPERLY HANDLED
Nests Hollowed Out on the Ground.
Covered with Straw and Carefully
Protected are Ideal-Cleanliness
ls Imperative; Care of Eggs.

Checker hens and incubators can
be and often are used successfully for
matching turkey eggs, but the surest
means, United States Department of
Agriculture poultry specialists saw. is
TO use the turkey hen and give her
proper management. Turkey hens
are close sitters and will covei, so
there will be no danger of chilling.
from 10 to 18 eggs, depending on the
size of the hen.
Nests for setting turkey and chick
en- hens are best made on the ground
by hollowing out little earth, SO that
the center is deep enough to keen the
eggs from rolling out of the nest. A
thin covering of clean straw or hay
can then be used to prevent the eggs
from being directly on the ground, and
large, roomy coop should be placed
over the nest to keep the hen from be-
ing disturbed. When number of
hens are to be set, long row of nests
can easily be made on the ground,
separating them with board partitions.
II this is done care must be taken to
see tilat when the hens come off the
nests each returns to the right one
instead of crowding into a nest with
another chm and leaving some of the
| eggs to become chilled. With only u
few hens it is better to set them some
distance apart, as they will then re-
qulrc less attention.
| When Hens in Earnest
when hen becomes broody and
SHOWS that she is earnest by remain
| ing on hcr nest for two or three
nights, she may safely be trusted
with the eggs, provided she is allow
cd to sit in that nest. If she is to be
set in another nest, as is usually the
cast, then she should be removed to
the new nest, preferably after dark
given few nest eggs and shut in tC
prevent her from returning to the old
one. II she sits quietly on the nest
eggs she should be taken off on the
evening OF the following da, and the
eggs to be imcubatcd placed in tho
nest. On being freed, she probably
will return to her old nest; if so, she
should be carried back and set quiet
~ ON the eggs. She should be hand
led IN this manner until on being let
on she re turns to the new nest rather
than to the old one 1t sometimes
takes only two or three days, and sci
dom more than week, to break hen
from returning to her old nest Tur.
key hens do not ordinarily come off 70,
1ccd and water more than once every
z or days, but when confined they
should have chance to come of
every day. Occasionally a turkey her
does not come off at all, and i'm sucl
case she should be taken off once !:
day, as otherwise she will die on In,
nest.
On coming off her nest the firs
thing Il turkey hen does is to strctcl
her wings, step gingcrly for a few
steps, and then she often takes a run
ming start and flies for short dis
tancc. EE"rc,s" 81 'i.i$ Snri help
greatly to keep 4 a......S iiy nm goo
condition, and for this reason it is no
well t. continc her to a small space
dust bath is greatly enjoyed by sit
ting hers, and helps to keep them fire,
from NC,min. Whole corn is a goo,
feed, aNi fresh water and grit shoul,
always he accessible.
Lice arc a great annoyance to sit
ting hens. and are one of the wors
enemies Of young pOults. TO prcvcn
their get ting start, the hen GhCult
be busted thoroughly with sodi N 4,
orldc or some good lice powder be"o"t
she is Dllccd on the nest. The nest
ing material should be kept clean, ant
if the eggs become dirty they shoult
be washed with a soft cloth dipped i,
lukcwarnl water. Just before tn,
| poultS are to hatch, the old NESTING
material should be replaced with clean
straw.
Incubation Period
The REGULATION period of turke @,
eggs is % days. The first egg is us
ually pipped during the first part 0
the twcnt y-sevcnth dav, the first pou
hatchcd by the middle Of that day
and the hatch completed at the en-,
Of 28 DAYS, although in extreme case
all the poults are not hatchcd befor,
the end Of 80 DAYS. Turkey eggs ar,
tested for fertility and for dca,
germs. "s a rule, on the tenth anc
twentieth days.