1102 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



raise them with a hen mother or a turkey mother, they must be 

 confined to this coop and pen; then, if all appear strong and 

 well, and the weather favorable, open the pen and give the 

 young liberty after the sun has completely dried the dew off 

 the grass. 



Should a sudden shower come up while your young turkeys 

 are out in the field, you must turn out and drive them to the 

 coops. If any are chilled, take them to the house, dry and 

 warm them thoroughly, give them a good feed with plenty of 

 ginger or red pepper in it, and then return to the mother hen. 



A good way to revive chilled turkeys is to dip them, all 

 except the heads, in quite warm water, and hold them there 

 until they show signs of life; then wrap them up, and keep in 

 a warm place in the house until thoroughly warm and dry. 



See that your turkeys come home every night. A hen 

 mother will bring her brood home at night-fall, but for the first 

 few nights the turkey mother must be hunted up and driven 

 home, else she will squat down wherever night happens to over- 

 take her, and get up in the morning and drag her brood around 

 through the wet grass long before you think of getting out of 

 bed. After you have driven her home a few nights she will 

 probably come without any urging, especially if you always give 

 her a good meal after she gets into the pen. 



After they are fully feathered and have thrown out the red 

 on their heads, which usually occurs at about three months, 

 young turkeys are quite hardy, and may be allowed unlimited 

 range at all times. 



To fatten turkeys, give them their accustomed range and 

 all the cooked corn-meal and potatoes they will eat up clean 

 twice a day, plenty of grain at night, and milk to drink at all 

 times. Mix a little pulverized charcoal in the food once a day. 

 Three weeks of this feeding, and your turkeys will be in the 

 best possible condition for the table ; that is, if they have been 

 kept growing and in good condition from the start. Remember 

 that no amount of stuffing for a few weeks, just before killing, 

 will make a prime, extra-large, table or market bird out of a 

 turkey that has been starved and stunted from the beginning. 



