CHAPTER X. 



TURKEYS, DUCKS AND GEESE. 



THE KING OF THE POULTRY YARD. 



HOW WE HATCH, FEED AND REAR TURKEYS. 



Often we hear "Turkeys are so hard to raise," but my experi- 

 ence of twelve years is that under favorable weather conditions they 

 are much less care than chickens, and of much greater value. 



To begin with, first, we must have strong, healthy, vigorous 

 parent stock. My preference is a well marked brilliant colored cock- 

 eral of medium size, mated to one and two-year old females of large 

 frame, strong shank and toes, with as strong markings in all sections 



as I can get, at the same time not 

 discarding strong shape and size for 

 color. 



I do not set the turkey hen for 

 two reasons; first, if she stays four 

 long weeks on the nest (and they 

 are very attentive to business, 

 scarcely leaving the nest to eat or 

 drink), they are tired and worn. 

 They must give some attention to 

 themselves in order to recuperate, 

 and they are large and are more apt 

 to break the eggs, especially so if 

 bothered in the least. 



About April 15th I set all eggs on 

 hand, under chicken hens, nine or 

 ten eggs to the hen, first filling the 

 bottom of the nest with soil, with 

 light covering of straw or leaves, 

 having dusted the hen with insect powder to rid her of lice. These 

 hens are placed in a house away from other chickens. A few days be- 

 fore time to hatch, I renew the dirt and straw and redust the hen, 

 leaving her to shake the powder from her feathers. Seldom ever is an 

 egg broken, and often each egg hatches. Meanwhile, I have broken 

 some of the turkey hens from sitting and they are laying, but I man- 

 age to have enough hens sitting to mother the poults. Perhaps they 

 have set only two or three days. (They have no idea of time.) At 

 night I slip a pipped egg or two under them and leave them alone the 

 next day, and the following day I thoroughly dust the hen with the 

 insect powder, leaving her to shake it off, and place her in the pen 

 prepared. 



(196) 



Mammoth Bronze Turkey. 



