1182 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR. 



it be insect parasites. As they advance give them a more plentiful food 

 supply, and guard against any possibility of lice infesting them. 



While they are young special attention must be given to protection 

 from the direct rays of the sun, exposure to which wilts them completely. 

 At times they will reel under its influence as though suffering from sun- 

 stroke, or move about with slow steps, weakly dragging one foot after the 

 other, while giving forth a feeble peep that sounds the warning of their 

 approaching end. The blood-sucking parawite has much the same effect 

 upon them when present. When under the influence of both at the 

 same time, the chance of survival is small indeed. 



Have a dry spot where the young poults may run and exercise. This 

 may be provided by spreading a load or two of coaree sand near the coops, 

 which will furnish a dry foothold, no matter how wet or damp the grass 

 may be. To keep this in sanitary condition go over it once a day with 

 a fine-toothed rake, in order that the sun may dry it thoroughly. When 

 the young turkeys are suitably housed, properly fed, and kept free from 

 lice, they are quite as easy to grow as young chickens. 



A thorough investigation of the methods of feeding young turkeys 

 shows to what extent general rules already cited are followed. While all 

 who succeed seem to adopt nearly the same methods, there are a few dif- 

 ferences worthy of consideration. Some feed bread and milk in a saucer 

 as soon as the poults will eat, while others soak bread and milk and squeeze 

 it dry before feeding; some adhere closely to an absolute grain diet, while 

 others feed everything they imagine the poults will eat. 



It should never be forgotten that in the wild state their foods were the 

 bugs, worms, seeds, etc., which they could find for themselves, and which 

 were hunted for and scrambled after continually. There was then no 

 overfeeding upon rich, unnatural foods that impaired health and produced 

 bowel troubles or other ailments that naturally follow unwholesome food. 

 They subsisted by their own efforts in the wild state, while now they are 

 quite too often forced to eat unnatural foods that are furnished in hope 

 of forcing them to an unnatural growth. If the grower wishes to copy 

 nature as nearly as possible, the young poults may be given for their 

 first meal very fine oatmeal or finely cracked wheat or corn, with a little 

 fine grit of some kind and a very little granulated meat scrap. Some of 

 the commercial brands of ''poultry food" are also good. They should 

 have clean water convenient where they can help themselves at will. 



As a general rule, do not feed them wet food or slops. Poults are seed- 

 eating chicks, not slop eaters. Bread and milk, however, contains ele- 

 ments most valuable in the growing of all kinds of fowls. This food 

 should be considered, when properly given, as one of the best kinds of 

 food for the first day or two. Soak stale bread in sweet milk, press out 

 the milk as completely as possible, and feed the bread to the young poults. 

 Be careful never to use sour milk, nor should the bread thus prepared 



