602 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



Pairing. A feature of vital importance is assured fertility of 

 the eggs. As soon as the hen turkey has paired with the male she 

 pays but little attention to him for the time, being fully intent on 

 locating a quiet nesting place where she can lay her eggs. If 

 perchance the pairing with the male has not been complete, her whole 

 clutch of eggs will be infertile and her time and labor a total loss. 

 The importance of vigor in the male is manifest at this most critical 

 time. There is danger in having extra males that may disturb each 

 other at the time of pairing. Therefore, never allow but one male 

 turkey at a time to run with a group of breeding hens. 



Danger from Insect Parasites. -Whether the eggs are hatched 

 by turkey hens or chicken hens, equal caution should be used to 

 prevent the possibility of insect parasites of any kind being in or 

 about the nest or upon the body of the hen. A dirt foundation cov- 

 ered with some slaked lime is a good beginning in the construction 

 of a nest. Upon this should be placed a fresh nest of soft straw or 

 hay. No other enemy is so destructive to young poults as lice, 

 which are very apt to infest them as soon as they are hatched, 

 if a determined fight is not made to prevent it. After the poults 

 have begun to grow, they must be watched continually to guard 

 against the presence of the lice. 



Period of Incubation. It takes twenty-seven to twenty-nine 

 days for turkey eggs to hatch. Those that are perfectly fresh will 

 hatch a few hours sooner than those that have been kept a week or 

 longer before placing them under the hens. 



The Use of Incubators. The eggs of turkeys can be hatched in 

 incubators quite as well as the eggs of other fowls. It is preferable, 

 however, to have them hatched by the hens that are to brood them ; 

 in fact, this is the prevailing custom. There is a feeling of confi- 

 dence when the eggs are in the care of a broody hen which does not 

 exist when artificial methods are employed which depend for suc- 

 cess on the care of an attendant. 



Use of Brooders. The growing of poults in brooders has been 

 tried to some extent. The difficulties in the way are as follows : The 

 poults do not seem to realize that they should look down to the floor 

 for food ; they run about with their head up, peeping continually for 

 food, until many die from exhaustion. To overcome this, the food 

 is taken between the fingers and held close to their beaks to induce 

 them to eat. 



Copying Nature. It should never be forgotten that in the wild 

 state their food was 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 ail- 

 ments 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 



