SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR-BOOK — PART Vlll. 701 



comfortable basket, and at this time each little poult is marKed in the 

 web'beiween its toes so that we are able to claim our own should they 

 ever mingle with our neighbor's turkeys. Then, with the turkey hen, 

 they are taken to a little three-cornered pen some ten or twelve rods from 

 our building which is to serve as a home for them for the next five or 

 six days. This pen is simply three pieces of 1x12 feet long, nailed 

 together at each end, forming a three-cornered pen.' The young poults 

 are confined in these pens URtil their wings have grown out slightly 

 and have folded in close to their body and the red has shot out on the 

 head and neck. After that we can safely liberate them to the tender 

 care of the mother turkey. 



THE HEX TURKEY. 



I omitted to say that as a general rule, when placing a brood in these 

 three-cornered pens the turkey hen is given her liberty but sometimes 

 she is a little uneasy. In that case it is better to coop her in a 

 slatted coops so that she can see out from either side. The reason I prefer 

 this style of coop is that a turkey is of a wild Indian nature, and if we 

 let her know that she is confined it arouses that wild nature and she will 

 not brood her young as faithfully as she otherwise would do. And right 

 here let me say that while these poults are confined in these pens it is 

 very important that they be taught some kind of a call. It matters not 

 just what this call is, so that we establish it. It serves to call them 

 home at any time you choose. To establish this call commence when you 

 first feed them, calling slightly at first every time you feed. They soon, 

 get used to that call and know that it means something to eat, and ever 

 after when they hear it they will cut pell mell cross lots to get their share 

 of the food. I would like to say still further that after they are let out 

 of their little pens they are never fed but once a day, at night, unless it 

 should be a cold, wet morning. Then I always get to the mvery early In 

 the morning with a dish of warm feed. This serves to keep them from 

 rambling as much as they otherwise would until after the dew has dis- 

 appeared and the weather has warmed up a little. 



WATER FOR YOUXG TURKEYS. 



Young turkeys should always have a fresh supply of water from the 

 start and it should be given in such a way that they cannot get isto it 

 and get wet. I use little automatic fountains, made of galvanized iron. 

 After they are given their liberty be sure to see that his supply of water 

 never runs short. It will aid you in getting them home nights. Right 

 beside this water dish be sure to have plenty of fine, sharp grit and a dish 

 of charcoal. Be sure that these three articles never run short; they 

 will not be healthy without them. 



After they are from six to eight weeks old they are ready to take to 

 some kind of perch. We generally let them have their own way about 

 this for awhile, but just as soon as they have all taken to their perch 

 nicely they are all driven together to what I call the turkey tree. I like 

 to have them all together at night; it is so much easier to protect them 

 from their numerous nocturnal enemies. 



