PRIZE ESSAYS ON TURKEY CULTURE. 117 



come broken in the nest, the soiled eggs should be carefully 

 washed immediately in warm, but not hot, water, and 

 dried and returned at once to the nest. The trying time 

 in the life of turkeys is the first week, when they require con- 

 stant watching, then great care until they are eight weeks 

 old, or until the quill feathers are well started. The pro- 

 ducing of these feathers seems to weaken the fowl, and 

 exhausts the system, and therefore they need especial 

 treatment to counteract this difficulty. 



For the first week, the mother and young must have a 

 warm place, free from draughts of air, free from dampness, 

 and where they will be undisturbed by other fowls. 



The first three weeks the food should consist of sweet 

 milk (fresh from the cow is best), very hard-boiled eggs and 

 fine wheat, bread crumbs for the little ones, wheat, corn 

 and fresh water for the mother. Feed the mother first and 

 she will not take much of the egg and bread, which is more 

 expensive. During this time, if the weather be warm and 

 sunshiny, let the mother out during the middle of the day, 

 keeping her near the coop, taking care to shut her in before 

 sunset, as the dew is harmful to the young turks. During 

 the first week the little ones are apt to get onto their backs, 

 from which position they cannot rise, and will die if 

 allowed to thus lie for any length of time. Care must 

 be taken not to place the pens near the hills of the 

 small red or black ants, as these are enemies to 

 young turkeys. They not only attack the head and 

 kill the turkey, but if eaten, will almost instantly choke 

 them to death. 



The fourth week the food may consist of oatmeal, sour 

 milk curd in small quantities, cracked wheat and scraps 

 from the table, taking care that the scraps contain nothing 

 salt. Salt, salt meat, brine or salt fish will kill them. 

 After the eighth week, give mother and brood their free- 

 dom. Feed only in the morning, and this is not needful 

 if they have access to grain fields. 



