FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 435 



Thi)'d.^h.vo\d. close breeding. New blood is of vital importance to 

 turkeys. Better send a thousand miles for a new male than to risk the 

 chances of inbreeding. Secure one in the fall so as to be assured of his 

 health and vigor prior to the breeding season. 



PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS IN REGARD TO BREEDING STOCK. 



Kind of hens to select. — No matter what variety of turkeys may be selected 

 for keeping, they should, above all things, be strong, vigorous, healthy, and 

 well matured, but not akin. Better secure the females from one locality and 

 the male from another to insure their non-relationship, rather than run the 

 risk of inbreeding. In all fowls it is well to remember that size is influenced 

 largely by the female and the color and finish by the male. Securing over- 

 large males to pair with small weakly hens is not wise policy. 



A medium-sized male with good fair-sized females of good constitutional 

 vigor and mature age will do far better than the largest with the smallest 

 females. The wise farmer always selects the very best corn or grain of all 

 kinds for seed; equal care should be given the selection of breeding stock in 

 turkeys. The best raised on the farm should be reserved for producers, and 

 the fact should be kept in mind that turkey hens of the best quality in their 

 second or third year of laying make the best producers. Keep your best 

 young hens with this in view. Under-sized hens that lack constitutional vigor 

 are not of the least yalue for producing poults. The medium-sized, well- 

 formed hens that have good strong bone and constitutional vigor are the 

 kind to select for successful turkey growing. 



Kind of males to select. — When we stop to consider that the male turkey 

 is one-half of the entire flock in the matter of breeding we may be led to 

 greater care in his selection. None can be too good for the purpose; consti- 

 tutional vigor is of first importance; without this he can not have any value 

 whatever for the purpose intended. Plenty of bone, a full, round breast, 

 and long body are important. No matter of what stock or breeding the hen 

 maybe, the male should be selected from some of the standard varieties. 

 He will carry with him the influence of his breeding. If the hens are of 

 some standard variety, a male of the same variety should be selected so 

 as to maintain the stock In its purity. Well-selected individuals of some 

 one of the several standard -varieties will give better results than can be 

 secured by crossbreeding, which has a tendency to bring to the surface the 

 weak points of both sides of the cross. Proper crosses may improve the first 

 issue; if followed up they rarely prove successful. 



Nnmber of females to one male. — The best rule for mating is to have four 

 or five females to one male; some say twelve, and the writer has heard of a 

 fine hatch and vigorous poults from a two-year-old torn with twenty hens; 

 but this is unusual. When they are yarded and from eight to ten females 

 are kept, it is better to have two toms and keep one shut up while the other 

 is with the hens, changing them at least twice a week. When they run at 

 large on a farm they will naturally divide into flocks; under such conditions 

 one male to not more than six females is best. 



