CHAPTEE XIII. 



PRIZE ESSAYS ON TURKEY CULTURE. 



Sei3Cted from one hundred and eighty-seven statements of their practical expe- 

 rience, sent to the Farm and Home by men and women in all parts of 

 the country who have achieved large success in raising 

 turkeys for profit. 



FIRST-PRIZE ESSAY, BY MRS. A. J. SEXSON, FURNAS COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



The first requisite to successful turkey growing is care- 

 fully selected stock for parent birds. Selections of the best, 

 for years, have produced the most improved and profitable 

 breeds of stock. The future stock depends very much 

 upon the parent birds, or their ancestry. Kepeated breed- 

 ing from inferior birds makes inferiority hereditary. Af- 

 ter having faithfully tried the White, the Wild Black and 

 the Mammoth Bronze turkeys, I prefer the latter for sev- 

 eral reasons. They have proven hardier than the White, 

 are equally strong, more gentle and more easily handled 

 than the Black, less apt to roam far away and with proper 

 care are ready for market at an earlier age than either of 

 the other varieties, and I believe are less liable to disease. 

 After complying with the first condition and having se- 

 cured large, strong, parent turkeys, at least one year old, 

 see that they are in the right condition for breeding. 



Breeding fowls should not be overfat, as the offspring of 

 such fowls are less vigorous. If the hens are young (late 

 hatched) they require more food at breeding time, as they 

 are still growing and immature. If hens are old they should 

 have millet and clover, where it can be grown, and less car- 

 bonaceous food in the latter part of the season. Too much 

 corn will produce overfat turkeys, unless they have abun- 

 dant exercise in insect hunting and plenty of green food. 

 When the laying season begins, usually in March, a watch- 



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