THE TTTRKEY AND ITS VARIETIES. 1183 



ever be fed after it has become sour. Feed this, a little at a time, every 

 hour or two for two days or more ; then add a little hard-boiled egg, shell 

 and all broken fine, to the soaked bread. 



After a day or two on this ration, follow with the ration of finely broken 

 grain already described, and include a little finely cut meat. Make sure 

 that the meat scrap is pure and sweet. Nothing is more injurious to the 

 poults than tainted or infected meat of any kind, as it will disturb their 

 bowels in a very few hours and cause great trouble. Lean beef, well 

 cooked and cut into very small fragments, is good. Be very cautious 

 about feeding green meat or bone. If any of this is fed, have it cut quite 

 fine, giving but little at first, and be absolutely certain that it is fresh and 

 sweet. Cooked meat is better for them while young. 



Coarse sand is excellent for grit, and if sufficient of this is at hand no 

 other grit will be needed; but plenty of grit of some kind is a necessity, 

 for without it the poults cannot grind their food. 



Food should be given them quite early in the morning, and at frequent 

 intervals during the day. Never overfeed them, but use discretion in 

 providing plentifully for their necessities. Give them all they will eat 

 willingly, and no more. Avoid the use of rich foods, grains in hulls, 

 and millet seed, which is not good for them while they are young ; a little 

 of this seed, however, may be fed as they grow older. Too much hard- 

 boiled egg is bad for them, while a reasonable amount with bread is bene- 

 ficial. An excess has a tendency to clog and congest the bowels, and the 

 writer has seen poults die from the effects of a diet exclusively of egg and 

 millet seed. The same injurious effect may be produced by feeding 

 entirely with milk curds. 



Bowel trouble must be considered as an assured result of improper 

 feeding, and may be aggravated by exposure to cold and dampness. 

 Indigestion is a prime factor in the development of this ailment that kills 

 so many turkeys while young. This should be prevented as far as possi- 

 ble by the feeding of finely broken charcoal, which is a safeguard against 

 fermentation in the crop or gizzard, thus aiding digestion. This looseness 

 of the bowels should not be mistaken for cholera. It may usually be 

 relieved by feeding rice that has been boiled almost dry in milk. 



Too much stress cannot be laid upon the practice of hand feeding. 

 The turkey hens are not so attentive to their young as chicken hens. If 

 all who grow turkeys w^ould pay special attention to hand feeding of the 

 poults as soon as they are hatched, much benefit might be gained. To 

 be successful with hand feeding, one must take the food between the 

 fingers and thumb, patiently hold it to the ueak of the young turkey, and 

 try to induce it to eat. This method of feeding tames and quiets the 

 young poults, gives them a good start, and prevents the possible con- 

 tamination of the food by being thrown upon the ground. Although 



