TURKEY RAISING 



Selection of Breeding Stock 



The main considerations in selecting stock for breed- 

 ing purposes are vigor, size, shape of body, strength 

 of bone, early maturity and in the case of stock for 

 exhibition, color of plumage. It is always desirable 

 for the farmer or other turkey raiser to select pure 

 bred stock rather than to keep ordinary or mongrel tur- 

 keys. Not only will the pure bred stock possess greater 

 uniformity and therefore better market quality, but be- 

 cause they have been systematically bred for the purpose 

 of producing suitable carcasses, they will be found to 

 possess better fattening qualities as well. It is also true 

 that the pure bred flocks when given good care so that 

 they have a chance to reach their full size will develop 

 into much larger birds than will the average flock of 

 mongrels. Another consideration which should carry 

 weight with the turkey raiser is the fact that there is 

 always a brisk demand for breeding stock from pure bred 

 flocks both in the way of turkey hens for breeding, good 

 vigorous toms for the same purpose, and eggs for hatch- 

 ing. Such a sale adds very materially to the income which 

 the turkey raiser can secure from his flock of turkeys. 



If the farmer or turkey raiser already has a flock of 

 hens which may be crossbred or mongrel and if he does 

 not feel that he can go to the expense of replacing these 

 hens with pure bred individuals, he can secure a rapid im- 

 provement in his flock, in fact can grade them up to the 

 point where for all practical purposes they are pure bred, 



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