624 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



The rations in the morning should be warm food. Always have plenty of feeding room 

 in troughs, so that all can have a chance to get all they wish, with no crowding, and feed 

 just what they will eat up clean. Milk is excellent in fattening. New corn will be liable to 

 make the bowels loose, and is not as good for fattening turkeys as the old. When the 

 bowels are loose, scalded milk with a little cayenne pepper sifted will generally correct the 

 evil. On some turkey farms, where the birds are raised in large numbers, the birds are kept 

 in a enclosure of two or three acres, and a supply of corn and water kept constantly by them, 

 besides feeding once a day with cooked meal. A reliable gentleman informs the writer that 

 in raising a flock of about five hundred turkeys, it was his practice during the fattening 

 season to turn from eight to ten bushels of corn on the clean grass in long rows across the field, 

 and permit the birds to help themselves, replenishing the supply when it became exhausted. 

 The range was so large that the food would not become contaminated with their excrement, 

 and having a supply of food at hand the birds did not range much, but lay about idly and 

 fattened all the more readily. 



Preparing Turkeys for Market. Although turkeys are apt to be a little shy and 

 are not naturally quite as tame as other fowls, if well cared for and gently treated they will 

 become quite tame and may be caught without difficulty. &quot;When provided with a roost, they 

 can be taken from this very readily. They will be liable to grow shy after some of the flock 

 have been slaughtered. . When this is the case, a slip-noose at the end of a strong string 

 spread upon the ground with corn scattered within it will prove quite serviceable. When 

 the bird steps within the circle of the noose draw it quickly and the turkey is caught by the 

 leg. 



The writer previously quoted gives his method of dressing turkeys for market as follows: 

 &quot; The night before slaughter the birds are fed as usual, and the barn floor, if not already tight, is 

 made so by nailing boards over the mangers. As soon as the turkeys come from the roost in 

 the morning, the barn doors are open and the turkeys are driven in upon the floor and the 

 door closed upon them. They are now secure, and can be caught as wanted, without bruising 

 the flesh. In a separate apartment in a stable, or under a shed, make as many nooses of 

 strong cord as you have pickers, and sling each bird by the feet as high as will be convenient 

 for handling. With a sharp-pointed penknife, stick them in the mouth by making a gash 

 across the roof near the top of the neck bone, allowing the point to penetrate the brain. 



As soon as the bird is dead, work lively at the feathers with both hands, and pick clean, 

 pin feathers and all; cut off the neck as near the head as possible; cut off the wings and draw 

 the crop and entrails. The bird should be taken out of the slip-noose ready for market. As 

 fast as the birds are dressed, they should be put upon a clean board or table to cool. If the 

 weather is very severe the picking of the pin feathers and the drawing may be done in 

 warmer quarters. Great care should be taken not to break the skin, and not to leave a 

 feather. When the turkeys are thoroughly cooled and ready for packing, place a layer o 

 clean rye straw upon the bottom of the wagon and pack them in rows upon their breasts. 

 Clean the necks as thoroughly as possible, draw the skin over the end and tie firmly. Strict 

 .attention should be paid to cleanliness in every part of the process, to keep up your reputation 

 for sending only finished products from your farm to market. It will make a great difference 

 in the long run with your bank account.&quot; 



When scalding is resorted to for removing the feathers the directions should be the same 

 .as for dressing chickens previously given. Always draw the birds before packing, and never 

 permit the poultry to freeze before packing, as it gives a blue, pinched appearance. The 

 packing should be done according to directions given for packing chickens. 



Profits of Turkey liaising. When well understood, turkey raising is attended with 

 .large profits since the outlay is comparatively small, and they always command a good price 



