POULTRY KEEPING 199 



feathers which must, at that price, be white, clean, dry, and unmixed with 

 hen feathers, which sell at 4 cents but are worth a good bit less than 

 nothing when mixed with goose feathers. If you have a large quantity, 

 you will save freight by compressing them. 



Ganders or Geese? 



How can I distinguish the sex of Toulouse geese f 



It is very difficult. Put a suspected gander on one side of a tight 

 board fence and the geese on the other. The gander's voice as he talks to 

 the geese is a louder, coarser, honkier sound, while the geese are more 

 musically voiced. Observing their copulation is a sure way to distinguish 

 if the gander doesn't get mixed with the geese before you catch him. 



Proper Coloring of Toulouse Geese. 



Which is the Toulouse goose, the big grey one with the black tip on 

 the bill, or the one ivith the orange blossom tip? 



The bill of the pure-bred Toulouse goose should be orange yellow to 

 meet the requirements of the poultry judge. Black spots on the bill are 

 usually caused by bruises, when young, but so long as the birds come up 

 to the standard in other ways, the black spots should not be any detriment 

 in the breeding of pure-bred young stock. 



Need Tom for Each Clutch of Eggs. 



After all my turkey hens had gone to setting on their first clutch of 

 eggs my Tom died. Will the second clutch be fertile. 



It is generally supposed that a turkey hen needs the attention of the 

 male once for the season ; certainly once will fertilize one clutch of eggs, 

 but when the hens sit a month on the nest, then perhaps some time with 

 the poults, it is almost like a new season and it is better not to risk it be- 

 cause in the end the gobbler would cost no more than the loss of the eggs 

 in case they should prove infertile. 



Maturity in Turkeys. 



Are the first eggs of turkey hens any good for setting? How old are 

 the turkeys before they start to lay? 



Turkey hens should be over a year old before their eggs are used for 

 setting. Having complied with this, the first eggs are all right and they 

 usually come in time to hatch for the Thanksgiving market. 



Exposure and Turkeys. 



My little turkeys get weak in the back and legs; sit on their knees 

 with their feet off the ground. It comes on very quickly. They have a 

 good appetite but always die. 



