138 MRS. BASLEY'S WESTERN POULTRY BOOK 



good, too, but are usually picked so clean that there is nothing 

 left for turkeys. The acorns in some places are as fattening to 

 turkeys as to hogs and the wild nuts do not ever seem to disagree 

 with the turkey's liver or digestion. 



Turkeys that have not the advantage of freedom or the wild nuts 

 and spicy berries can be successfully fattened in a yard. The way 

 I feed is I take 2 parts of corn, and 1 part of barley, soak over night, 

 and in the morning put on the stove to boil, let it cook slowly until 

 it begins to soften, then take up and set aside covered till sup- 

 per time, when it will be cool enough to feed. Give this three times 

 a day as much as the turkeys will eat up in about fifteen minutes, 

 then remove till next meal time. I add a chopped onion at supper 

 time, as that is a stimulant to liver and digestion. Fresh water 

 must be kept before them. 



One year I had most excellent success in fattening turkeys by 

 feeding them the same food as for fattening chickens, that is, equal 

 parts of heavy bran, corn meal and oatmeal (rolled breakfast oats), 

 mixed with milk or with buttermilk, three times a day. 



Boiling the corn removes whatever it is in the new corn that 

 disagrees with the turkeys, scalding the corn meal has the same ef- 

 fect. Adding a little ground charcoal will assist in the fattening 

 and prevent indigestion. I have known it to materially increase 

 the weight by enabling the turkeys to eat more or digest more food. 



One thing in fattening turkeys, begin gradually by feeding the 

 fattening food only once a day, and that preferably at the evening 

 meal. 



I only fatten turkeys from two or three weeks. The gain in 

 weight depends upon the condition, size and age of the turkey, 

 when commencing to feed- It will vary from one to, in rare cases, 

 as much as six pounds. This last is claimed by feeders in Europe, 

 where the cramming machine is used. 



Do not fatten the turkeys you intend to use as breeders, for the 

 fat weakens the organs of reproduction in both sexes and the off- 

 spring will be weak and small or the eggs infertile. This I have 

 found almost invariably to be the case in many instances where 

 people have had me investigate the cause of eggs not hatching. 



One word about turkeys getting sick when being fed for mar- 

 ket. It shows a lack in the constitution, and is often the result of 

 a slight attack of liver trouble, which they seem to get over, in their 

 early life. The best thing would be to turn them out on the range 

 again, or to doctor them up by giving them a dose of Epsom salts 

 and then following it with ten drops of tincture of Nux Vomica in 

 a pint of water, allowing no other drinking water. Then give 

 freely of chopped onion and bran mixed, as well as the fattening 

 food, and eat them as quickly as possible. Do not breed from these 

 turkeys, as, although they may be perfectly well, they will not 

 breed a vigorous constitution into their offspring. 



Turkeys should be kept at least twelve hours without food be- 

 fore killing. They may have water, but no food. This is to empty 

 crop, gizzard and bowels, and prevent the food which would remain 

 there from souring and giving the whole carcass a bad flavor, 



