366 



THE RURAL EFFICIENCY GUIDE STOCK 



brooding is teaching the poults to eat. They will run about the brooder with 

 their heads up, never thinking to* look down to the floor for their food, until they 

 die from hunger and exhaustion. 



Teaching Poults to Eat. To induce poults to eat take the food between 

 the fingers and hold it close to their bills until they take it. They will have to be 

 fed this way many times a day for several days before they will learn to eat 

 of their own accord and to look on the floor for their food. 



RAISING POULTS. 



(Valuable Information is Given in This Department on the Feeding and Care 



of Poults.) 



Caring for the poults is the most difficult part of turkey raising and requires 

 the utmost care. One must study and then practice the things he learns, to know 

 what to do and just when to do it. Practice makes perfect in this line as well 

 as in others. A person must learn to use his own head to make a success at 

 turkey raising. He should study the experiences of other breeders and learn 

 to profit by their successes or failures. But above all he should study his own 

 conditions. One year's actual experience in raising poults will teach him more 

 than all he can learn from others. 



How to Handle. 



No arbitrary rules can be set down for handling poults. One person will 

 care for them one way and another will use opposite methods with equal 

 results. Some persons give lots of freedom, others hold them in check. There 

 are about as many different methods of feeding as there are neighborhoods 

 where turkeys are fed. 



Care of Mother and Brood. Where the simple method of permitting the 

 turkey hen to take care of herself and brood as her nature and inclination 

 directs, can be followed, very little care is necessary. About all that can be 

 done is to hunt the flock up once a day to see that they have sufficient food. 

 If it is yet too early for them to get bugs and worms and if the grass is not 

 green it will be necessary to feed the hen some whole corn and the poults 

 some prepared dry grain feed. Such extra feeding, once a day, will hasten 

 the growth of the poults even when the season is far enough advanced for 

 them to pick up their feed. 



Coops. If the flock is to be confined, a lath or slat coop should be placed 

 over the hen just before the eggs are hatched. This will keep her from leaving 

 the nest too soon and also prevent her from wandering off with her young. 

 The coop should be large enough for her to stand erect and move around. 

 The roof may be covered with tar paper to protect the brood from the sun 

 and rain. The floor must be clean and dry for the poults. It may be of earth 

 or boards. However, earth is best because a natural environment tends to 

 increase the health and vigor of the flock and helps to keep up their spirits. 



Have Coop Sufficiently Large. Be sure the coop is large enough. It 

 should be at least from 3 to 4 feet square. Many times the restless condition 



