20 



we can determine no amount of wetting will of itself produce 

 blackliead. 



Others la}' great stress on warmth, and keep their turkeys in 

 the kitchen nights until they are of considerable size. Warmth 

 should be furnished sufficient to keep turkeys contented until 

 they show an inclination to roost at night. The amount of 

 artificial heat necessary will depend upon climatic conditions. 

 By the middle of June, hereabouts, turkeys may be removed 

 from the heated brooder to a hover when two and one-half 

 weeks old, and subsequently even earlier. 



Turkeys are said to die from eating ants, but ants are not 

 necessary. They will die of blackhead where there are no ants. 



"Sting nettle" is said to be a preventive of blackhead, yet 

 this disease occurs in places where it abounds. 



Some put great faith in various drugs and profess cures even 

 for such diseases as blackliead. All attempts in the laboratory 

 to influence this disease by using drugs of recognized value in 

 the treatment of similar diseases of man and animals have 

 failed entirely. It is possible that the administration of castor 

 oil may at times tend to cause the loosening and discharge of 

 the "core" from the diseased caecum. This, however, will not 

 affect the lesions of the liver, which are, after all, of primary 

 importance. Recovery occurs without treatment in a small 

 proportion of cases, and it is questionable whether any treat- 

 ment, beyond placing the turkey where it is quiet and has 

 access to clean food and water, causes any favorable effect. 

 Whether the occasional administration of an effective vermifuge 

 will serve as a preventive measure remains to be demonstrated. 



Turkeys are supposed to require a wide range, but they 

 develop perfectly well if kept in a cage 8 by 4 by 2 feet until 

 they weigh several pounds. This should be placed on grass 

 and moved at least once each day to furnish new forage. In 

 fact, there are advantages in this method of confining young 

 turkeys, in that their movements are controlled, and they do 

 not have opportunity to wander to the hen yard or into other 

 trouble. They are also safe from cats, foxes, etc., in these cages. 

 If turkeys are kept confined in cages or small yards, their diet 

 will lack the proteid that they would obtain in the wild state, 

 and this may be supplied in the form of sour skim milk. The 



