16 PARADISE VALLEY POULTRY RANCH 



case of the hen there is a light growth extending in a rather narrow strip 

 along the back of the neck to the top of the head. The "dewbill", or 

 flesh}' appendage just above the beak, is larger and more elastic in the male 

 than in the female. Young toms under one year of age have only a short, 

 blunt knob on the inside of the shank, which, as he grows older, develops 

 into a stout spur, while in the hen only a rudimentary spur or small button 

 is found. 



REARING THE YOUNG TURKEYS 



When about six weeks old the young turkeys are old enough to go to 

 roost. Practically all turkey raisers allow the birds to roost in the open 

 trees, or on fences or other roosts especially provided for them. In sec- 

 tions where high winds prevail it is customary to build the roosts next to 

 a barn or shed, where there is some protection; when this is done posts 

 are driven into the ground and poles laid across them four or five feet from 

 the ground. By driving them to the roosting place and feeding them there 

 every evening just before dark, young turkeys can be made to roost 

 wherever desired. For the first few times it is sometimes necessary to 

 keep them under the roost until dark, but they will finally fly up, and after 

 a ^ week or so will no longer have to be driven, but will come up every 

 night to be fed and to roost. 



During the summer and early fall turkeys can find an abundance of 

 feed on the average farm. Grasshoppers and other insects, weeds and 

 grass seeds, green vegetation, berries, and grain picked up in the fields, all 

 go to make up the turkey's daily ration. When this natural feed is plenti- 

 ful, very little need be added until fattening time, except for the purpose 

 of bringing the turkeys every night to roost and to keep them from stray- 

 ing from home. For this purpose one feed of grain every night just be- 

 fore roosting time is sufficient. 



One of the greatest difficulties with which turkey growers have to 

 contend is to keep their flocks from wandering over too wide an area and 

 invading neighboring farms. To some extent, feeding heavily night and 

 morning reduces the area over which turkeys range, but even then they 

 often go too far. When trouble of tHis kind occurs, the most effective 

 plan is to drive them into an inclosure, such as is described for a breeding 

 pen, and keep them there until about noon. In warm weather turkeys do 

 most of their ranging early in the morning and by nine o'clock they are 

 usually as far from home as they will get during the day. As soon as the sun 

 becomes very warm they spend most of their time in the shade until three 

 or four o'clock in the afternoon, when they begin moving toward home, 

 ranging for feed along the way. If the weather is not too warm they do 

 not spend so much time lying in the shade, and consequently range over 

 a larger area and may keep moving away from home until noon. By feed- 

 ing in the pen every morning they soon learn to go there on coming down 

 from roos,t, and no time is lost in penning them. If they fly out of the pen 

 after being fed, the flight feathers from one wing should be clipped. 



FATTENING FOR MARKET 



In fattening turkeys for the market an excellent plan is to begin about 

 October 1st to feed night and morning, feeding just enough at a time so 

 that the birds go away still feeling a little hungry, and gradually increasing 

 the quantity until they are given all they will clean up three times a day 

 during the week before marketing. By the latter feeding is meant that 

 they are fed until they leave the feed and walk away. Some turkey raisers 

 feed wheat and oats during the first part of the fattening season, gradually 

 changing to corn as the weather becomes cooler. The majority, however, 

 begin feeding heavily on corn about November 1st, and since turkeys are 

 not accustomed to such heavy feeding, scours often result, especially if 

 new corn is used. New corn can be fed safely if the turkeys are gradually 

 accustomed to it by feeding lightly at first and more heavily afterward. 



Confining turkeys during the fattening season to prevent their using 

 so much energy in ranging has been tried to some extent, but with very 



