Turkeys. 133 



poisonous to them. Their feeding-place must be separate 

 from the other poultry, or they will gobble up more than 

 their share. Turkeys will rarely roost in. a fowl-house, 

 and should have a very high open shed, the perches being 

 placed as high as possible. They are extremely hardy, 

 roosting, if allowed, on the highest trees in the severest 

 weather. But this should be prevented, as their feet are 

 apt to become frost-bitten in severe weather. The chickens 

 are as delicate. Wet is fatal to them, and the very 

 slightest shower even in warm weather will frequently 

 destroy half a brood. 



The breeding birds should be carefully selected, any 

 malformation almost invariably proving itself hereditary. 

 The cock is at maturity when a year old, but not in his 

 prime till he has attained his third year, and is entering 

 upon his fourth, and he continues in vigour for three or 

 four years more. He should be vigorous, broad-breasted, 

 clean-legged, with ample wings, well-developed tail, bright 

 eyes, and the carunculated skin of the neck full and rapid 

 in its changes of colour. The largest possible hen should 

 be chosen, the size of the brood depending far more upon 

 the female than the male. One visit to the male is suf- 

 ficient to render all the eggs fertile, and the number of 

 hens may be unlimited, but to obtain fine birds, twelve or 

 fifteen hens to one cock is the best proportion. The hen 

 breeds in the spring following that in which she was 

 hatched, but is not in her prime till two or three years old, 

 and continues for two or three years in full vigour. 



The hen generally commences laying about the middle 

 of March, but sometimes earlier. When from her uttering 

 a peculiar cry and prying about in quest of a secret spot 

 for sitting, it is evident that she is ready to lay, she should 

 be confined in the shed, barn, or other place where the 

 nest has been prepared for her, and let out when she has 

 laid an egg. The nest should be made of straw and dried 

 leaves, in a large wicker basket, in a quiet secluded place, 

 and an egg or nest-egg of chalk should be placed in it to 

 induce her to adopt it. Turkeys like to choose their own 

 laying-places, and keep to them though their eggs are 



