POULTRY RAISING TURKEYS 369 



guard against fermentation in the gizzard or crop and thus aids digestion. 

 Charcoal helps to keep the poults in good health. If given at first it should 

 be finely ground. 



Green Feed. If the poults are not at large, they should have a supply of 

 fresh green feed given them. If a run is used, it should be moved to a fresh 

 spot every day. 



Dried Blood. A little dried blood is very good to mix with the feed of 

 the poults as it takes the place of worms. Too much, however, will loosen the 

 bowels. 



Meat. After the first couple of days it is well to add a little finely cut 

 meat to the ration. Care should be taken that the meat is pure and sweet. 

 Infected or tainted meat will injure the bowels of the young poults in a few 

 hours and cause great trouble. Cooked meat is better for them than green 

 meat. If any green meat is fed, have it finely cut and feed very little at first. 

 Well cooked, lean beef, cut into fine pieces is very good for this purpose. 



When to Feed Little Poults. One should begin giving little poults food 

 quite early in the morning and should feed them at frequent intervals during 

 the day probably from 4 to 6 times a day, the first couple of weeks. 



Amount to Feed. Give them only what they will eat willingly and no 

 more. Be sure they have sufficient food to supply their wants but avoid over- 

 feeding them. Overfeeding is dangerous. It has a tendency to congest and 

 clog the bowels. Many poults are killed by overfeeding. Even too much milk 

 curd or hard boiled egg is injurious. 



Hand Feeding Important. It must be remembered in raising poults that 

 turkey hens are not as attentive to their offspring as domestic hens. They 

 will not spend as much time in teaching them to eat. For this reason hand 

 feeding is important, in fact, too much stress can hardly be laid upon it. A 

 great deal of benefit might result if more attention were paid to practicing 

 it. To feed by hand successfully one must take the food between the thumb 

 and fingers, hold it to the beak of the young poult, and induce it to eat. This 

 requires patience but it will often return benefits far in excess to the effort 

 and time expended. 



Overdoing. The best results can never be obtained by handling turkeys 

 like hothouse plants or cage birds. Such handling does not agree with 

 their semi-wild nature. It is natural for turkeys to wander over the range 

 and pick up their feed at leisure, getting plenty of exercise as they eat. In 

 their present semi-domestic condition, they require care and attention but this 

 should not be overdone. One must use common sense in tending them. Do 

 not feed turkeys on unnatural foods nor overfeed them at any time. Give 

 them plenty of fresh air and outdoor exercise. Treat them like turkeys. 



Neglect. The mistake is often made of giving poults too much care when 

 young and then neglecting them as they grow older, perhaps at just the time 

 they need the most attention. One enjoys caring for the "cute little poults", 

 but the novelty wears off to their disadvantage as they grow older. 



Times for Special Care. There are two times when poults need special 

 care. The first is when they are growing their feathers and the heat easily 



