266 MAKING POULTRY PAY 



the largest in the flock, but rather the brightest. Pick 

 the one that flaunts his plumage most proudly and is 

 quickest to resent a strange noise with the loudest 

 gobble, and be sure he is a greedy eater. The one 

 that meets you at the barn door when you come out 

 with the corn is the one you want. 



Now go to some other breeder for your hens. 

 Here again you must exercise judgment in selection, 

 looking carefully that you choose none with crooked 

 backs or breast bones. Don't take fat birds, but get 

 large bodied, bright plumaged, gentle acting ones. 

 Mind that you see them eat and make careful inquiry 

 as to whether they are related to your torn. No stock 

 will show the evil effects of inbreeding so quickly as 

 the turkey. 



Turkeys are much healthier and hardier when 

 kept out of doors. Charles IMcClave of Ohio, one of 

 the largest turkey breeders in America, says: ''My 

 turkeys are wintered in the timber, which is nature's 

 place, and I find after many years' experience in this 

 line that they are much healthier than when kept 

 around the buildings in the ordinary way ; in fact, with 

 the number that I carry over the winter for breeders, 

 it would be impossible to keep them ^.round the farm 

 buildings. For more than ten years I have kept my 

 large flocks of turkeys in this manner. The track of 

 timber in which I winter them covers some forty acres 

 and is inclosed by a woven wire fence. Near the 

 center of the tract is a roosting pen covering one acre, 

 also inclosed by high wire fence. The turkeys all 

 roost in this pen at night for protection, and during 

 the day roam about the timber at will." 



Where thieves are apt to help themselves to 

 turkeys it is not safe to let them roost in the trees all 

 winter. An open shed, the front of which is closed 

 with wire netting or fencing, as shown in Figure 107, 



