MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY 



Turkeys. Because the turkey is such a popu- 

 lar form of meat during the holidays and so 

 much attention is directed to it as an indigenous 

 native bird, it rivals the American eagle as a 

 national emblem. Turkey raising on a commer- 

 cial scale has had its ups and downs for a great 

 many years. One of the principal scourges has 

 been the so-called black-head disease and this 

 has destroyed the industry in many areas. It is 

 now known that this disease is carried by a small 

 parasitic worm common to chickens, which, how- 

 ever, it apparently does not seriously injure. 

 The black-head germ, carried by this worm, 

 clogs the blood in the head of the turkey and 

 causes quick death. For this reason, it has 

 been found impracticable to raise turkeys where 

 chickens are present, unless they are kept 

 entirely separate by confinement. 



The principal varieties of domesticated tur- 

 keys are the Bronze, White Holland, Bourbon 

 Red, Black, Narragansett and Slate. All are 

 large, handsome birds, each breed having a 

 following of admirers. The Bronze is the largest 

 and heaviest and most popular, the mature 

 adult male weighing 36 pounds and the mature 

 hen 20 pounds. Under ordinary conditions 

 turkeys do not require much in the way of 

 housing, except in cold weather when covered 

 roosting sheds should be available. The period 



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