CHAPTEE XIX. 

 RAISING TURKEYS. 



It is a joyful morning to the farmer when he discovers 

 his first brood of young turkeys following the cautious 

 tread and the low cluck of the mother, as she leaves her 

 nest. The critical season of turkey-raising is now be- 

 fore him. Upon his constant care and watchfulness for 

 the next three or four weeks depend his success and his 

 profits. It is a matter of the first importance that the 

 care of the young broods should be committed to some 

 one individual. There is no substitute for personal re- 

 sponsibility in carrying the young chicks through their 

 first month. .They are very tender, and they have many 

 enemies from the start. The mother bird has wise in- 

 stincts to guard her brood against harm in a state of 

 nature, but in domestication she needs close watching 

 to guard them against birds and beasts of prey, against 

 roaming for food too early in the morning, and especial- 

 ly against storms. If the farmer cannot attend to this 

 himself, he should put the care upon some one else who 

 will look after the broods at short intervals during the 

 day, and see them properly sheltered for the night. 

 Women who have a fondness for the work make the best 

 guardians of the young broods. Each little flock should 

 be counted every night, as they come to their roost, and 

 if any are missing they should be looked after. They 

 can be controlled in their wanderings, at first, by fre- 

 quent feeding. Like all other birds, they follow the feed 

 very strictly, and will not wander very far from food 

 that is regularly and bountifully supplied. 



Why is it that one farmer will raise nearly every tur- 

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