322 TURKEYS, DUCKS, AND GEESE 



feed can be fed to turkeys. Grit, shell, and water are 

 necessary, as with other poultry. 



Turkeys do best if they can roost in the open air, another 

 reason for giving them the range of the farm. 



Nesting Provisions. — The turkey hen usually begins to 

 lay in the latter part of March or early in April. If the eggs 

 are likely to be chilled, they should be gathered in order to 

 protect them from the cold. If it is necessary to gather 

 the eggs they should be replaced with some other sort of egg 

 until the turkey becomes broody. If all eggs are removed, 

 she will change her nest. 



It is well to provide an old barrel or a box, which may be 

 entered freely by the turkey hen, to protect the nest from 

 the weather. Soft straw or hay is the best nest material, 

 though if these are not at hand clean, dry leaves make an 

 excellent nest. On account of the fact that the turkey 

 hens produce such a very small number of eggs, it is best 

 not to attempt to hatch the eggs with domestic hens or 

 incubators, though of the two substitute methods the hen 

 is to be preferred. 



Incubation of Turkey Eggs. — The period of incubation 

 is from twenty-seven to twenty-nine days. The fresher 

 eggs will hatch a few hours sooner than the older ones. The 

 best success attends the hatch when not more than nineteen 

 eggs are given to a turkey hen and not more than ten eggs 

 to a domestic hen. A turkey hen when sitting should be 

 suppKed with food and water near by, so that these will 

 be available just as soon as she comes from the nest. 

 Wheat and corn are the best food at this time. 



Brooding Young Turkeys. — It is a practice of most 

 breeders to set a turkey hen and a domestic hen at the same 

 time, both on turkey eggs, and then to give all of the poults 



