SHELTEE MASKING. b9 



season. The first night a flock fails to return to its home 

 roost, it should be looked up, separated from the other 

 flocks and driven home. To do this is comparatively easy 

 if immediately attended to, but each day they run to- 

 gether makes their separation more difficult. 



To readily distinguish their own birds, many raisers try 

 to have turkeys of a different color from any of those of 

 their neighbors. By breeding for several seasons from a 

 gobbler of a breed different from those kept near by, the 

 flock takes on characteristics of its own, and each individ- 

 ual is readily distinguished. The White, Buff, Slate and 

 Red or Golden varieties are valued principally for such 

 use by growers. An additional advantage is gained, be- 

 cause first crosses between pure breeds are much more 

 hardy, and some combinations are much larger. The 

 grading up of common stock by the repeated use of males 

 of a pure breed also improves its profitable qualities. 



This means of identifying a flock is an excellent one, 

 but is not sufficient for all purposes, for it is often desira- 

 ble to distinguish the birds of a flock from each other, the 

 stock raised one year from that of another, or that of a 

 favorite hen or gobbler. Your turkeys may be lost among 

 similar colored birds, or they may be captured by thieves, 

 and dressed before you get a clue to them. If you have a 

 private mark you can tell them, dead or alive. A private 

 brand is desirable, for many reasons. 



In turkey-raising sections, where there is a flock on 

 nearly every farm, a system of marking their feet is fol- 

 lowed. This is done by clipping off one or more of their 

 nails, or tips of their toes, as soon as the little turkeys are 

 hatched. At this age they take very little notice of the 

 operation, and there is little or no bleeding. Each raiser 

 has a different mark, and in some towns these are regis- 

 tered at the town clerk's office, the same as the brands of 

 sheep or cattle. As a turkey has three front and one back 

 toes on each foot, or eight toes altogether, many different 



