70 OUR HUMBLE HELPERS 



cealment in the bushes, he witnessed the mother tur- 

 key's anxious procedure, the young ones left the nest 

 almost as soon as the shell was broken. For a mo- 

 ment the mother warms and dries them under her 

 breast; then, trotting and tumbling, they abandon 

 the bed of leaves, never to return. In domesticity it 

 is much the same ; no sooner are they hatched than 

 the little turkeys leave the nest and thenceforth have 

 no other shelter than the cover of their mother, who 

 protects them under her wings exactly as the hen 

 protects her brood. She also takes the same care of 

 her family, exercises the same vigilance in foreseeing 

 danger, shows the same audacity in coping with the 

 bird of prey. For the first few days the refuge af- 

 forded by the wide and deep coop, so useful to the 

 little chickens, is not less useful to the young turkeys. 

 The hen-turkey is put there with choice provisions, 

 and the little ones are free to come and go as they 

 please. These provisions consist of a pap similar to 

 that given to young chickens and composed of bread- 

 crumbs, curds, chopped salad leaves and nettles, a 

 little bran, and hard-boiled eggs. Later comes 

 grain, oats in particular. When the weather is fine 

 the coop is put out of doors in a sunny spot, on very 

 dry ground, and the brood is allowed to play about 

 for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. Great 

 care must be taken to avoid rain, dew, and dampness ; 

 a wet turkey chick is in grave danger. 



"The more delicate the bird at the beginning, the 

 more robust it is when it has successfully passed the 



