TURKEY RAISING 



ble to keep them for the first three or four days within a 

 fenced enclosure such as a garden until the poults gain 

 sufficient strength so that they can keep up with the hen 

 without any difficulty. Sometimes the turkey hen instead 

 of being shut in a coop is tethered out to a tree or post 

 for the first few days by means of a cord fastened to one 

 leg. For convenience in moving the hen and her brood 

 to fresh ground each day, the cord by which she is tied 

 may be fastened to a weight too heavy for her to move. 

 Under favorable conditions the hen and brood can be 

 allowed to run at liberty after the third or fourth day. 

 It is most desirable, however, to keep the youngsters out 

 of the heavy dews of the morning and to protect them 

 from rain during the first two or three weeks. After 

 they have reached this age, especially after their backs are 

 covered with feathers, dews or light showers followed by 

 warm sunshine are not serious as the poults will warm up 

 quickly. If a period of cold damp weather sets in even 

 after this age it will be necessary to provide the poults 

 with dry quarters and perhaps to keep them from running 

 at liberty part of the time. Nothing is more serious and 

 fatal to young poults than becoming thoroughly wet and 

 chilled. Occasionally young turkeys will get caught in 

 severe rainstorms and not be properly hovered by their 

 mothers so that they may become thoroughly wet and 

 chilled or even drowned. It is occasionally possible to 

 revive young turkeys that are apparently dead by wrap- 

 ping them in heated cloths and putting them in the house 

 behind the stove. 



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