PRIZE ESSAYS OK TURKEY CULTURE. 153 



frightened by children or dogs, saves trouble when laying 

 time comes, which, with mine, is about the first of April. 



I then give them free access to the barns, leaving nest 

 eggs where I wish them to lay, and I seldom have them 

 Jay outside the buildings or roaming the field in search of 

 a brush pile to hide their nest. They generally lay from 

 eighteen to twenty eggs. Should two or more choose to 

 lay in the same nest, before they begin to set, I make a 

 new nest a few feet to one side, and put a nest egg in it. 

 One turkey will soon find it and leave the other in peace. 

 When ready to set, put sixteen to eighteen eggs under 

 each, protect from draughts, and if weather is cold, feed 

 on the nest ; if warm, they will come off for feed as often 

 as necessary. 



When hatching, do not be in a hurry to take them out 

 of the nest, but leave them at least twenty-four hours. 

 Then if it is a warm, sunny day, put them out. If the 

 old one is inclined to ramble too far, put her in a coop 

 with slat front, allowing the little ones to run in and out. 

 Feed the first two or three days on hard-boiled eggs and 

 bread soaked in sweet milk, squeezing it quite dry (I 

 never feed anything soft or sloppy). When weather is 

 damp or cold I add a little black pepper, and onion tops 

 are always relished by them. When three or four days old 

 I drop the eggs and feed, instead, with the soaked bread, 

 curd made of buttermilk with a little sweet milk added. 

 Let it come to the boil, dip out the curd while scalding 

 hot, and mix with a little shorts. This added to soaked 

 bread makes a splendid ration for young turkeys. As 

 they get older I drop the bread and feed curd and shorts 

 alone, and when about four or five weeks old they require 

 quite a lot of shorts. I use some of the whey as well as 

 the curd, always pouring it on the shorts scalding hot. I 

 never feed anything else, nor do I ever give that without 

 being thoroughly scalded. Feed five or six times a day 

 for the first few days, then four times ; when three weeks 



