PRIZE ESSAYS Otf TURKEY CULTURE. 133 



Look out for the cause, which is generally lice and too nar- 

 row range. 



Do not give young turkeys to common hens that are 

 too heavy, if you can get a light one. The Brown and 

 Buff Cochins are so lazy, lousy and heavy, that a 

 young turkey has a poor chance of his life with one of 

 them, and if she once sets her big foot on him his fate is 

 sealed; he may live for a time, but must die in the end. 

 These very large hens are not only heavy, but awkward 

 and stupid. The Brown Leghorn is the best mother, ex- 

 cept, of course, the turkey hen, that I ever knew for 

 young turkeys. She is light and active, a great ranger, 

 forager, scratcher and fighter; will provide for and pro- 

 tect her chicks, and if she happens to put a foot on one of 

 them, which she is not apt to do, he is up again as lively 

 as ever. Any small- or medium-sized hen is a better 

 turkey mother than a very large one, but a large 

 hen that has all outdoors to turn around in will not 

 be so apt to crush the breath out of her turkeys as if 

 in coop or pen. 



When the turkey hens have laid their second hatchings, 

 I let at least one of them have twelve or fourteen eggs, 

 never more than fourteen, and put fourteen to sixteen un- 

 der a couple of common hens. When the poults are out 

 I give them all to the turkey and one of the hens, greasing 

 the mothers under the wings and inside of thighs. To 

 the other hen I give hens' eggs, or shut her up. As soon 

 as I have enough eggs I set the first turkey that is ready ; 

 if I only have a few, I give them to a common hen, if 

 they are in danger of becoming too stale to hatch, and 

 let the rest of the turkeys lay and go to sitting when they 

 are ready. 



I have raised a flock of forty-two young turkeys with a 

 turkey hen and a hen (two common hens for a couple of 

 weeks). I gave them a very large, dry coop to roost in, 

 with a good-sized yard in front. After they ware a few 



