A SELF-SUPPORTING HOME 



Early in the spring flocks of eight turkey- 

 hens and a gobbler were placed in two of 

 the yards, the original five old females and 

 gobbler left on free range; so there were 

 twenty-one hens to gather eggs from, all the 

 first being stolen and set under common 

 hens; but when it grew near the end of the 

 season and the turkey-hens began to get 

 broody, they were allowed to sit, 



If permitted to obey their own inclination, 

 young turkeys will gobble up an amount of 

 food they have not the power to digest. 

 Little and often must be their feeding rule. 

 The owner of the farm I am writing of 

 thinks that his great success is due to the 

 land on which his birds are kept, the rocks 

 and gravel never getting damp enough to 

 hurt the young birds, excessive care not to 

 inbreed, and periodical introduction of wild 

 blood. 



My own experience was with White Hol- 

 land turkeys. For small flocks this strain 

 seems preferable, being much more domes- 



197 



