Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-12-04
TWO LADS HAVE PROFITABLE KNg
TERPRISE ON RANCH IN
BILLINGS AREA

Year-end holidays mean harvest
time for two Yellowstone county
farm youths 10 miles west Of Hal-
Iings In the Hesper vicinity. HaEaev
! O'DonneEl, IL, . senior Ia high
school, and Ignatius O'Donnell. 1a.
who graduated from high schnal
In 1886, have q crop Of 600 Bronze
turkeys which they will be market
ing this season.
But even more interesting IL the
story Of how they have developed their
business from meager berinn il1as
starting In 1884 with 40 birds and "by
using a method OF gradual increase in
equipment as well as experience" build
ing their flock to enable their market
ing 900 birds this year.
THE project has proved profitable
to us each year, including 1885 with
its disastrous prices" the ODonnell
Here is their story of raising turkeys
for market:
Finding it more practical to pur-
chase our poults, instead of using
breeding stock as we had in the past,
this year we ordered ESQ purehred
Bronze poults. They we're Matched In
Oregon, May IS. Upon arrival they
were Immediately transferred to the
ready waiting brooder houses which
had previously been heated and pre-
pared for them. Burlap had been
placed on the floor to prevent the
poultS from eating litter and the
houses had been held at a temperature
Of 95 degrees for three days by three
kerosene drum-type brooders. As 125
pens, their beaks were dipped into
water and a commercial mash. This /
was done to teach them to eat and
drink.
After the birds had learned TO eat,
the burlap was removed from the floors
and alfalfa leaves were used for litter
The reason we used alfalfa leaves was
and not hinder as cinders or sawdust
would.
During the first several weeks some
0ne was kept with them all the time
and light was kept burning all night
20 prevent piling. Cardboard walls
DOT high were placed around the can
0pieS TO prevent crowding into the
leat. After they learned to return to
he hover, the cardboard walls were
emoved and feed was placed in the
,uilt-in feeders around the walls.
Wire platforms were used for the
water jars and additional feeders as
sanitary measure. When the pOllltS
we're a week old small lath roosts four
I
'py. Each night for some time the
,oults had to be placed on the roosts
to teach them TO rOOst.
Aater these rooSts were changed for
mes II inches high and at four weeks
able rooSts Is inches high and made {
( one-by-twoS were used. :
THE breeders were run ct q tenn
'erature Of IS degrees the first three
lays then lowered five degrees each
week. To keep an even temperature 4
lectric temperature alarms were IN
tailed in each house. When the heat
hanged, the temperature thermoStat Z
Yould make contact and ring a bell I
4 the prooder house as well as our
ouse.
"As soon as favorable weather per- b
lifted they were let out into yards a
Ianted in wheat. The yards were sur c
FUNDED by q stx-foot poultry netting "
Die posts were used to hold I'D the b
'ctions and made it easy TO move the n
nee to range.
"At seven weeks Of age the poults z
ere moved to q three -acre pasture; 4.
Ie brooder houses were moved with q
e farm tractor, and the yard fence W
as taken down and set up at the new q
cation. Pole roosts were set up OUT
de the houses, as well as inside and
entually all of them roasted outside. So
they grew In size more rooSts were II
ded. The birds went outside Of the GO
I'd to range during the day and were T Ts
ut away from the rooSts until even RI,
3. Gs
AFTER the birds were moved to \
nge they were fed in eight-foot feed
with lathed sides. They had access ~
an irrigation ditch running through ~
2 yard and pasture.
AT this time we gradually changed 81