TURKEYS— THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



debarred from competition. This is the first duty of the 

 Judge, that birds showing symptoms of either of these dis- 

 eases should be removed from the show room, thus saving 

 other birds that are. liable to be infected. When a bird 

 shows a slight cold or symptom of canker, the cut is one- 

 half to one; if feathers are broken or the bird is in bad 

 shape from fighting, the cut is one-half to one and one-half. 

 Dirty specimens which show that no care has been given 

 them should be discounted one-half to two points. 



HEAD. 



Head is valued at Ave points, and is usually good, both 

 as to shape and color. The standard says that in shape the 

 head should be long and broad; in color a rich red change- 

 able to bluish white. About the only defect that is com- 

 monly found in the shape of head is to be noted in what is 

 called a bullet headed turkey. In other words, the head is 

 too short. It looks more like a marble and should be dis- 

 counted one-half to one and one-half, as in degree. If the 

 beak is too long or too straight, or is damaged in any way, 

 as is often the case in cocks that have been fighting, the cut 

 is one-half to one, as in degree. 



THROAT AND WATTLES. 



This section is valued at five points, and as a rule passes 

 without discount, especially so in color. However, the stan- 

 dard calls for heavy carunculations, while we sometimes 

 find a specimen that is almost smooth. In cases of this kind 

 the out is one-half to one. 



NECK. 



This section has a valuation of six points, three for 

 shape and three for color. In shape it should be long, curv- 

 ing backwards; in color, a light, rich, brilliant bronze. 

 Please note the wording, "light bronze," but it must be bril- 

 liant and show a bronze sheen. The bronze shading on the 

 neck is not so deep as in other sections, and makes a lighter 

 bronze by comparison with other parts of the body. The 

 neck seldom receives a cut either for shape or color, but we 

 sometimes find a neck that is too straight and too long, and 

 it should be discounted one-half to three-fourths. If the 

 color shades off to a brown on the back of the neck, as it 

 sometimes does, the cut is one-half to one. 



BACK. 



This section in a turkey, as in any other variety of fowl, 

 is of great importance, for without a well-balanced back the 

 specimen is of little value as a breeder. This section is 

 valued at ten points, five for shape and five for color. In 

 shape it should curve somewhat, rising from the junction of 

 the neck and the body, and extending in a gradual curve 

 toward the tail. The color from neck to center of back 

 should be a light brilliant bronze, each feather terminating 

 in a narrow black band extending across the end. From the 

 center of back to tail coverts the color should be black, each 

 feather heavily edged with bronze. In describing the shape 

 of back we think the standard should say something about 

 proper length. As I remember the revision committee's re- 

 port on this breed it read, "medium in length." As it now 

 reads no preference may be given to a long, a short or a 

 medium length, so long as the general shape conforms to the 

 general description. The committee's report (I refer to the 

 committee that met at Fisher's Island) read about like this: 

 "Back— Broad, of medium length," and then followed the 

 present description. As it now stands the most important 

 section of the bird, so far as the shape is concerned, is 

 passed Without a proper description. 



We next refer to a few defects in back that should be 

 discounted. If the back is too straight, failing to show the 

 curve above referred to, the out is one to one and one-half 

 points. If the curve is too prominent, giving the bird the 

 appearance of having a hump back, the out is one to two. If 



the back is deformed or crooked, the specimen is disquali- 

 fied. In color, if the feathers fail in the narrow black bands 

 across the end, the out is one-half to one. There is some- 

 times a shading of brown on the backs of males. It is a 

 narrow edging on the outside of the black. When this color 

 crops out it should be discounted one to two points, as in 

 degree. With the poor description of bade, as furnished by 

 the standard, I would suggest that the amateur study the 

 general shape of the back on the chart (Fig. 1) and take it 

 for his model. You will not go far wrong if you adopt this 

 as a practically ideal bird and try to breed to it. 



BREAST. 



From a commercial viewpoint this section has more real 

 value than any other section on the bird, while from the 

 fancy standpoint it is seldom good enough to pass without a 



American Poultry flssociaiion Score Cam 



Name of Association, Highland 



Owner, John Smith 



Date, /, 18, igoi 



Breed, . . . .Bronze Turkey Sex, Cockerel 



Entry No 16 Band No. 23 



Coop No 185 Weight, 24 lbs... 



Total Outs, . .£ 



Score, . . 914 . . 



Judge, Theo //ewes 



Sec'y, John Brown 



Reproduction of Score Card, Showing Sample "Cuts" for Defects. 



discount. It is valued at ten points, and like the back is 

 subdivided, five for shape and five for color. In shape it 

 should be broad, deep and full; in color, a light, rich, bril- 

 liant bronze. If the breast is too narrow or is flat, the out 

 is one-half to one and one-half. If it is too shallow or not 

 deep enough through from the shoulder to point of breast- 

 bone, the out is one-half to two, as in degree. If the color 

 fails in the narrow edge of the black, giving the surface a 

 dead sort of color, the out is one-half to one. If some of the 

 feathers on the breast show an outside edging of white, the 

 out is one-half to one and one-half, as in degree. 



BODY AND FLUFF. 



Like breast and back this section has a valuation of ten 

 points and is divided equally between shape and color. In 

 regard to shape, it has the best general description of any of 

 the sections described by the standard. The standard says, 

 "Body — Long, deep through the center and well rounded. In 

 color, body black, beautifully shaded with bronze, but not so 

 decided or so rich as that of the breast. Fluff— Black, each 

 feather ending in a wide black and bronzy band extending 



