Turkeys. 135 



mixed with minced dandelion, and when that cannot be 

 had, with boiled nettles. They may then have boiled egg, 

 bread-crnmbs, and barley meal for a fortnight, when the 

 Qgg may be replaced by boiled potato, and small grain may 

 soon be added. Do not force them to eat, but give them 

 a little food on the tip of your finger, and they will soon 

 learn to pick it out of the trough. A little hempseed, suet, 

 onion-tops, green mustard, and nettle-tops, chopped very 

 fine, should be mixed with their food. Curds are excellent 

 food, and easily prepared by mixing powdered alum with 

 milk slightly warmed, in the proportion of one teaspoonful 

 of alum to four quarts of milk, and, when curdled, sepa- 

 rating the curds from the whey. They should be squeezed 

 very dry, and must always be given in a soft state. Water 

 should be given but sparingly, and never allowed to stand 

 by them, but when they have had sufficient it should be 

 taken or thrown away. The water must be put in pans 

 so contrived or placed that they cannot wet themselves. 

 {See page 38.) Fresh milk is apt to disagree with the 

 young chicks, and is not necessary. If a chick shows 

 weakness, or has taken cold, give it some carraway seeds. 



In their wild state the turkey rears only one brood in a 

 season, and it is not advisable to induce the domesticated 

 bird by any expedients to hatch a second, for it would be 

 not only detrimental to her, but the brood would be 

 hatched late in the season, and very difficult to rear, while 

 those reared w^ould not be strong, healthy birds. 



The coop should be like that used for common fowls, 

 but two feet broad, and higher, being about three feet high 

 in front and one foot at the back ; this greater slant of the 

 roof being made in order to confine her movements, as 

 otherwise she would move about too much, and trample 

 upon her brood. When they have grown larger they must 

 have a larger coop, made of open bars wide enough apart 

 for them to go in and out, but too close to let in foAvls to 

 eat their delicate food, and the hen must be placed under it 

 with them. A large empty crate, such as is used to contain 

 crockery-ware, will make a good coop for large poults ; 

 but if one cannot be had, a coop may be made of laths or 



