CHAPTER III 



Management of the Breeding Stock 



Making a Start. What is the best way to make a start 

 in turkey raising, by the purchase of breeding stock or of 

 eggs for hatching? As a rule, it will be found best to 

 purchase breeding stock. Such a purchase will involve a 

 greater outlay of capital but will allow one to begin opera- 

 tions in earnest as soon as the laying season begins. The 

 purchase of breeding stock will also make it possible to 

 gain a better idea of the quality of the stock and -what may 

 be expected of the young stock raised. If one does not 

 wish to put as much money into the turkeys at the start, 

 they can purchase eggs for hatching and hatch and rear 

 them under an ordinary chicken hen. Where this is done, 

 however, it will be a year before one can begin breeding 

 turkeys. For the person who has had little or no experi- 

 ence in turkey raising, one torn and from three to five hens 

 will be enough to begin with and many persons will prefer 

 to start with a trio, that is a torn and two hens. With 

 good success from 7 to 10 turkeys should be raised from 

 each hen. In buying breeding stock for a start it is better 

 to purchase a torn which is unrelated to the hens. 



41 



