FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 443 



possible by the feeding of finely broken charcoal, which is a safeguard 

 against fermentation in the crop or gizzard, thus aiding digestion. This 

 looseness of the bowels should not be mistaken for cholera. It may usually 

 be relieved by feeding rice that has been boiled almost dry in milk. 



Hand feeding. — Too much strees can not be laid upon the practice of 

 hand feeding. The turkey hens are not so attentive to their young as 

 chicken hens. If all who grow turkeys would pay special attention to hand 

 feeding of the poults as soon as they are hatched, much benefit might be 

 gained. To be successful with hand feeding, one must take the food between 

 the fingers and thumb, patiently hold it to the beak of the young turkey, 

 and try to induce it to eat. This method of feeding tames and quiets the 

 young poults, gives them a good start, and prevents the possible contamina- 

 tion of the food by being thrown upon the ground. Although feeding in this 

 manner may appear to involve considerable labor, the resulting benefits are 

 often far in excess of the time and effort expended. 



FEEDING THE POULTS AS THEY GROW OLDER. 



Food and treatment .—Aiier three weeks the poults may have whole 

 wheat, hulled oats, cracked corn and a little millet seed, in addition to their 

 other food. Many young turkeys are lost when partly grown, particularly 

 in wet weather after they have been given liberty to roam at will. Much loss 

 may be avoided by going after them wherever they may be and feeding 

 them once or twice a day. This plan should be followed during continued 

 wet weather, no matter how far advanced they may be. A continuous wet 

 spell deprives them of the greater part of the bugs and worms they feed upon, 

 and the wet grass, by retarding their motion, tends to reduce vitality. Go 

 after them during such weather and feed them, so as to prevent the bad 

 results that must follow a scarcity of food at such times. Flocks of young 

 turkeys that wander continually should be fed at least once a day, if only a 

 little, to keep them quiet or tame. If fed at least once a day on grain, they 

 will grow faster, mature earlier, and make better size than if not fed at all. 

 Those who make use of these methods secure the best results. 



A practical example. — One of the most successful growers in the country 

 feeds the young poults at the start oatmeal, broken wheat and finely cracked 

 corn, as they grow older whole wheat, hulled oats and coarser cracked corn, 

 and still later, whole grains of corn. When running at large they are taught 

 to come close to the barns twice a day for food. Following these and simi- 

 lar methods enabled him to bring to maturity, during the unfavorable season 

 of 1903, over three hundred white turkeys out of about three hundred and 

 thirty-five that were hatched. 



Feeding oats. — Hulled oats are used to avoid the injurious eflfects that 

 arise from feeding oats in the hull, the sharp portions of which are apt to 

 prick and irritate the crop. No more nutritious grain can be feed to grow- 

 ing poults than hulled oats. Wheat and whole or broken corn will do as 

 they grow older, but oats should be added whenever practicable. If hulled 

 oats can not be had, use clipped oats, boiled; drain them thoroughly, and 

 feed when cold. Always select plump, heavy oats, with a large percentage 

 of kernel. 



