370 THE TURKEY. 



of enemies above and behind the carrion-crow, the hawk ; the 

 rat, the weasel; and also protects herself she will protect her 

 young from the sudden showers of summer. Offer at first a 

 few crumbs of bread : the little ones, for some hours, will be 

 in no hurry to eat ; but when they do begin, supply them 

 constantly and abundantly with chopped egg, shreds of meat 

 and fat, curd, boiled rice mixed with cress, lettuce, and the 

 green of onions. Melted mutton-suet poured over barley-meal, 

 and cut up when cold ; also bullock's liver boiled and minced, 

 are excellent things. Barley-meal, mixed thick and stiff with 

 water or milk, nettle-tops, leeks, goose-grass, or cleavers, and 

 many other things, might be added to the list ; but it is pro- 

 bable that a few of these may now and then be refused by some 

 fanciful little rogues. I think I have observed that little 

 Turkeys do not like their food to be minced much smaller than 

 they can swallow it ; indolently preferring to make a meal at 

 three or four mouthfuls than to trouble themselves with the 

 incessant pecking and scratching in which Chickens so much 

 delight. But, at any rate, the quantity consumed costs nothing; 

 the attention to supply it is every thing. 



Young Turkeys are sometimes attacked by fasciolse, or 

 worms in the trachea, but not so often as Chickens. Cramp 

 is the most fatal to them, particularly in bad weather. A few 

 pieces of hoard, laid under and about the coop, are useful : 

 . sometimes rubbing the legs with spirit will bring the circu- 

 lation back again, N. 



The time when the Turkey Hen may be allowed full liberty 

 with her brood, depends so much on season, situation, &c., 

 that it must be left to the exercise of the keeper's judgment. 

 Some, whose opinion is worthy of attention, think that if the 

 young are thriving, the sooner the old ones are out with them 

 the better, after the first ten days or so. A safer rule may be 

 fixed at the season called " shooting the red," a " disease," as 

 some compilers are pleased to term it : being about as much 



