TURKEY RAISING 



poults when hatched and in four or five weeks transferred 

 to the wings. Colored bands can also be used for this 

 purpose, but will require changing several times to a 

 larger size to accommodate the growth of the legs. Per- 

 manent marks may also be given turkeys by clipping off 

 the first joint of the toe, the joint carrying the toe nail. 

 By clipping different toes for different matings, a record 

 of the breeding can be kept. 



Where the flock of turkeys ranges far and may mix 

 with neighbors' turkeys it is desirable to mark them in 

 such a way that they can be told from the other turkeys. 

 This will prevent disputes as to ownership. The best 

 plan, of course, is to keep the turkeys at home by training 

 them to come home each night to roost. See page 98. 

 Toe marks as explained above, or colored or numbered 

 bands, will serve to identify turkeys, while some varieties, 

 especially whites, can be easily marked by using a dab of 

 colored paint or dye on the back or shoulders. It is quite 

 a common practice for neighbors to make a point of 

 keeping different varieties of turkeys so that the owner- 

 ship of the birds can be easily established. 



Feathering of Poults 



When first hatched, the poults like baby chicks are 

 covered with a soft down. In the Bronze variety the 

 poults show a brown color over the back with two paral- 

 lel, dark brown stripes running from the head over the 

 shoulders and back, the breast being of a yellowish white 



94 



