620 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



up early in the morning and wanders around in the wet grass in search of food, and as a 

 natural consequence more than half of her brood die of chills and cramps before they are a 

 month old, and more than likely the other half is gobbled up by some four-footed prowler. 

 Dew is about as fatal as poison to the young turkeys before they are fully feathered, and if 

 you expect to raise your turkeys, and make the rearing of them profitable, you must keep 

 them out of the grass when it is wet with dew, until they are about two months old. I have 

 a large, well-lighted, gravel floored shed, where 1 can confine my young turkeys in the 

 morning until the sun has dried the dew off the grass, and on many rainy days they are kept in 

 the house all day. The mother hens are confined in slat coops placed along the rear of the 

 shed. Where one raises the turkeys in large numbers, I think some such arrangement would 

 pay, but the ordinary farmer who raises only a few dozen for market each year, would not 

 care to go to the expense of putting up such a building/ 



After the first week or two. the egg and bread crumbs may be discontinued, and scalded 

 corn meal mixed with skimmed milk and boiled potatoes may be given. Onion tops chopped 

 fine and mixed with the mess, are also excellent. Grass, cut fine, or cabbage finely chopped, 

 may also be given for green food. About twice a week a little Cayenne pepper should be 

 put in their water or mixed with their food, as this aids digestion, and promotes warmth. The 

 best way to prepare it is to make a tea by turning hot water on the pepper. By this means the 

 pepper will be more evenly distributed among the whole flock, than if mixed in a dry state. 



Sour milk or that turned to curd is also excellent for young turkeys. The whey may 

 be drained out with a cloth strainer or colander, when the curd will be in a crumbly con 

 dition. Never scald the sour milk, as this will make the curd too tough and indigestible. 

 Boiled liver or meat given every other day, will make them strong and quicken their growth. 

 Never leave salt where they will eat it; carelessness in this respect might be the means of 

 greatly diminishing the number of the flock. In salting cattle in pastures, and turning out 

 old brine from meat and fish barrels, those who raise turkeys should be sure to see that no 

 such refuse is left in places frequented by these birds. As the birds get older, cracked corn, 

 wheat screenings, and buckwheat, may be given. All kinds of grain are relished by the half- 

 grown turkey, such as Indian corn, with occasionally wheat, oats, buckwheat, and barley, for 

 a change in diet; corn is, however, the best as a staple food for turkeys during the year. 

 Animal food should be given occasionally, such as meat or meat scraps. Fruit and vege 

 tables, cooked or raw, are also relished by them. Turkeys should always have access to 

 coarse gravel, crushed oyster or clam shells, as well as pure water. 



General C. P. Mattocks, of Portland, Maine, gives us his method of managing bronze 

 turkeys as follows: &quot;The true method in breeding Bronze Turkeys is, to begin with a 

 trio of birds from the yards of some reputable and skillful breeder. If possible, let the hens 

 be from eggs laid by one and the same hen turkey, and fertilized by means of the same cock 

 turkey. The little chicks, for at least two weeks, had better be kept in a small, dry yard, 

 and fed on boiled eggs, etc. The eggs may be hatched under hens or under turkeys, but 

 turkeys are better as mothers, because they take their young on long tramps and thus enable 

 them to get better food and more hardihood. At no time should young turkeys be allowed 

 to go loose in the morning until the dew is off. 



For morning feed, after two weeks, warm meal and boiled potatoes are good, with wheat 

 screenings scattered over the ground. The warm feed should be given three times a day for 

 the first two months, with cracked corn at night. As the turkeys grow old, the number of 

 feeds may be decreased and whole corn substituted. Where there is no danger from foxes 

 or other enemies, the old turkeys may be safely left to steal their nests, and no one need 

 visit their nests until the usual four weeks have passed, when, as a rule, the old turkey will 

 leave her quarters for home with a fine brood of little ones. The size of Bronze Turkeys 

 depends much more upon feeding while young, than most persons think. The breeder who 



