SUCCESS WITH POULTRl 



91 



tentedly enough until hunger again sent them forth. Last 

 summer seven or eight of my hens found a large brush .pile 

 wonderfully .well suited to them, but as it afforded scant 

 protection from the sun or j-ain, I was obliged to change 

 their location as each was ready to sit, and I experienced 

 as little trouble as I .do in moving my domestic hens to 

 the "hatching house." 



Fortunately we had an unused barn withuut partitions 

 and with an earth floor, which was readily converted into 

 a "turkey house." In one of the corners of this barn was 

 placed a barrel, on its side, in which was plenty of cut straw 

 and a nest-egg. Over the opening 1 hung a blanket, and at 

 dark had the broody turkey brought to the nest. Aftei" 

 dusting ner thoroughly with insect powder she was carefully 

 put into the barrel, and as soon as she became quiet the 

 blanket was removed. In the meantitoe the true nest was 

 jnade in a large and rather shallow box (1 used soap boxes), 

 with the date on which the eggs were due to hatch marked 

 with crayon in large figures, so that they need not be un- 

 necessarily disturbed. When the hen came out of the bar- 

 rel, which was. usually the next morning, she soon found 

 the nest full of eggs, which she at once appropriated. The 

 barrel served as a "trap" for the whole season,, as only 

 one or two hens had nests outside that were in safe and 

 comfortable places. Sometimes there were nests all around 

 the room, but I had no trouble about their crowding each 

 other on the nests or trying to exchange. It was necessary 

 to keep feed, fresh water and grit constantly supplied, but 

 although the ground was spaded up for them there was no 

 evidence of their taking a "dust bath," as they do when 

 sitting out. This made it necessary to use insect powder 

 plentifully. As it was difficult to remove them from the 

 nests without endangering the eggs, I sprinkled it liberally 

 on and around the eggs whenever I found a hen off her nest. 

 I also dusted the hens as they were sitting. Each time that 

 I set a turkey I ajso put turkey eggs under a domestic hen 

 and gave all the poults to the tiirkey. I find twenty-five a 

 good number for a turkey hen, as she can keep them dry, 

 when a larger number would be more or less exposed to damp- 

 ness in case of rain or heavy dew. Before giving the poults 

 to the mother, it is well to dust her thoroughly along the 

 back and on the outside of the wings, but not on the inside, 

 as the powder is too strong to be inhaled by the newly hatch- 

 ed poults. It seems to me the most important thing in the 

 care of young turkeys is to put them at once on grass, and 

 for that reason very early hatching is not desirable. 



When I began raising them I was advised to give each 

 poult a grain or berry of black pepper as its first meal, to 

 insure its future welfare, biit it seemed so unnatural that 1 

 declined to follow that instruction. Since then as I have 

 watched them, when less than forty-eight hours old, care- 

 fully selecting the seed pods from "pepper grass," in prefer- 

 ence to- blue grass or any other green food, I have wondered 

 if there was not a good reason for what seemed to me only 

 a "notion." For many years I have selected a sunny spot 

 and had a triangular yard, made (by using three wide. boards) 

 in which to keep the flock for a few days, or until the poults 

 were strong enough to run well, but this was not satisfac- 

 tory. The grass soon lost its freshness and the mother 

 would almost invariably refuse to go under the shelter pro- 

 vided for her. In case of rain her feathers -^ould be wet 

 and the little ones would become draggled, a condition fatal 

 to young 'poults. Of late years I have found it much more 

 satisfactory to provide a large coop in which the mother can 

 walk about comfortably and give the little ones free range. 

 For this purpose I selected a spot under a large tree where 



there will be partial protection from sun and rain. It is 

 surprising to see how soon the poults wander some distance 

 from the coop in search of food, always, however, reniaining 

 within call of the mother's voice and quickly responding to 

 her warning of danger. When she gives this particular note 

 every poult will drop where it is and reniain until released 

 by her assurance of safety. 



The first food for poults, which should not be given un-' 

 til they are twenty-four hours old, has been a matter of con- 

 siaerable experiment with me, but I have no success in feed- 

 ing hard boiled eggs, though highly recommended by many. 

 I have tried them for both chicks and poults but always 

 with unsatisfactory results. I have found that the best feed 

 for two or three weeks is stale bread soaked in sweet milk 

 and then squeezed dry, alternating with curd or cheese made 

 from sour milk. 



To the cheese, whicti should not be cooked hard, but, 

 should be well drained, I add salt and a little, black pepper. 

 It is well to give occasionally a little coarse corn meal 

 slightly dampened, and onion tops and dandelion stems or 

 pepper grass cut fine, but never give sloppy food. After two 

 or three weeks I add well-boiled wheat to the cheese, but 

 great care should be taken that it is not allowed to sour, 

 which it does quickly in very warm weather. I place the 

 moist food on a clean board and from the first I frequently 

 scatter a spoonful of rolled oats near the coop for them to 

 find. Water should be given in shallow dishes, and, it is a 

 good plan to lay a float or board in the dishes, two inches , 

 smaller in diameter than the top of the dish, to prevent the 

 poults standing in the water. The mother should be, sup- 

 plied with water, corn, wheat and grit, and the coop should 

 be moved every day to fresh, clean sod. The, danger just at 

 this point is from indigestion, since poults are voracious ^ 

 eaters, and here on the prairie we have no natural grit. This 

 danger oain now be reduced to a minimum, since grit is man- 

 ufactured in sizes suitable for poults and chicles as well as 

 adult fowls. Fowls eat it greedily, proving that nature is 

 ever true to her wants. Probably indigestion and lice cause 

 a greater mortality among turkeys, old and young, th^n all 

 other causes combined. Perhaps in, places where the soil is 

 sandy or gravelly the former trouble would not be so seri-' 

 ous, but here where some sharp, grinding power has ;to ^e 

 provided for them, they often suffer for lack of it. ' 



I always keep a pile of sand and gravel in my chicken 

 yard, but it is surprising how soon the little pebbles disap- 

 pear, leaving a smooth surface ef sand. Great care should, 

 be taken not to feed young turkeys too much at a time. This .: 

 is the rock on which the frail bark of thousands of poults- 

 has struck and gone down together with the hopes 'and plans 

 of their zealous but misguided owners. The patural habit- 

 or turkeys is to hunt for food and this they' do ,slowJiy and 

 deliberately all day long, thus the process ,of eating and di-.^ 

 gesting is simultaneous, but when fed abundantly th^y gorge, 

 themselves and in a few weeks fall a prey to their^ own 

 greed. 



KEXIP MOTHEK TURKEY CONFINED FIKST WEEK. 



With very early hatched turkeys it is, better to keep the 

 mother confined in ^ large coop for several weeks, but when ■ 

 the weather is warm and dry she can- be liberated, at the end 

 of a week. Never, save once, have I known her to return 'to;, 

 the coop at night; neither do they seek the shelter of bushes 

 or boards where enemies might lurk. , They usually select, 

 an open spot for t,he night where they can see th«. approach 

 of foes. Although -this situation is exposed to dew and rain 

 they can be depended on to sit close and. keep their young . 



