TURKEYS. 623 



these evils, and makes an important addition to the manure heap. The wild turkey, of 

 course, lodges in trees during the winter, but she has the choice of location, and seeks the 

 shelter of thick woods, which modifies the temperature. 



One of our best poultrymen, who raises some two hundred turkeys yearly, has located 

 his roost at the south end of his horse barn, where there is partial shelter from the northeast 

 and northwest winds in winter. Forked posts form the support of the scaffolding two 

 front posts about eighteen feet high, and two rear posts about fourteen feet high. The front 

 and rear post at each end of the scaffold are connected by a stout heavy pole four or five 

 inches in diameter, kept in place by the forks at the top of the posts. Upon these side poles 

 which slope like the roof of a shed, smaller poles three or foiir inches in diameter are spiked 

 at each end, forming the roost for the turkeys. These roosting poles are about two feet 

 apart, of red cedar, and are very durable, with a strong odor, which is said to be a safe 

 guard against insects. The white cedar of the swamps, or the arbor vita3, or any of the 

 resinous woods would answer the same purpose. A board is put up at the lower side of the 

 scaffold, and the young turkeys mount the roosts by this board until they are old enough to 

 fly. 



The advantages of such a roost are the following: There is a fixed place for the birds, 

 where the person who has the care of them can look for them at morning and evening, and 

 learn by counting if any are missing, by straying or by theft. By putting a few loads of 

 peat, muck, or headlands under the roost, and adding to it occasionally, an excellent compost 

 can be made. The food of turkeys is grain, and in summer very largely insects, and the 

 droppings are rich in nitrogen. Any thrifty farmer will understand the value of this item. 

 The scaffold, being fourteen feet high, is protected from foxes at night, and the turkeys are 

 much less liable to be stolen by thieves. Turkeys that roost upon fences by the wayside, or 

 upon apple trees, are very tempting to low bred people with indistinct notions of the eighth 

 commandment. On the roost turkeys can only be approached by a ladder. In the zero 

 nights of winter, if the roost has the shelter of a building, or of a belt of evergreen trees, 

 the turkeys are saved from frost bitten feet.&quot; 



Crooked Breasts. A distortion of the breast-bone is occasionally seen in all poultry, 

 giving the fowls a deformed appearance, but more frequently, perhaps, in turkeys than in 

 barn-yard fowls. It is an indication of a weak constitution, or of an injury received while 

 the bird is young, such as sitting on improper roosts, such as small limbs of trees, etc. The 

 writer had a valuable Brahma cockerel become deformed and useless for breeding purposes 

 by sitting on a roost that was not horizontal, one end of which was considerably higher than 

 the other. This deformity is sometimes occasioned by too close in-breeding. When this is 

 the cause, change either the cock or the hens. Never breed from deformed birds; they are 

 only fit for table use, such deformity not injuring the flesh at all, but would be likely to affect 

 the market value. 



Fattening Turkeys. Turkeys should always be sent to market in prime condition. 

 The true economy in feeding turkeys is to give the chicks all they can digest of good food, 

 from the time they are out of the shell until slaughtered, which is generally in about seven 

 months. Turkeys that have an extensive range will pick up considerable food in this way, 

 but they should be fed at regular intervals during the day. They should be put upon a 

 regular course of fattening as early as the middle of October when the birds are to be ready 

 for Thanksgiving. The smaller birds should be reserved for Christmas and New Year s 

 markets, as they will continue to grow very rapidly, and will well repay the expense of longer 

 feeding. The basis for fattening food for turkeys should be old corn, either as grain or 

 cooked meal. Warm cooked meal mixed with boiled potatoes is an excellent diet to feed 

 occasionally. 



VOL. II. 34 



