TURKEY RAISING 

 Size 



In size, the common wild turkey runs smaller than any 

 of the standard varieties of domesticated turkeys. Wild 

 hens usually range from 8 or 9 to 12 pounds in weight 

 while the males may run as heavy as 20 pounds, although 

 this is considered very good weight for a wild torn. It 

 may be said in this connection that while the pure domes- 

 ticated varieties are larger than the wild fowls, turkeys 

 as commonly kept and bred on farms where many of them 

 receive indifferent attention and where the variety may 

 not be pure, often do not run much heavier in weight than 

 the wild turkey. The following table gives the standard 

 weights in pounds of the various ages and sexes of the 

 domesticated standard varieties: 



Adult Yearling 



Variety Cock Cock Cockerel Hen Pullet 



Bronze 36 33 25 20 16 



Narragansett .30 25 20 18 12 



White Holland. 28 24 20 18 14 



Black 27 22 18 18 12 



Slate 27 22 18 18 12 



Bourbon Red.. 30 25 20 18 12 



As a rule the demand for breeding stock is for heavy 

 birds, those heavier than standard seeming to be in active 

 demand. The fact that the larger specimens seem to find 

 favor over the smaller birds in the shows probably ac- 



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