TURKEYS— THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



An American Wild Fowl that In Domestication has been Brought to an Advanced Standard of Excellence and Serves 



Highly Practical Purposes— Standard Requirements of Different Sections— Mating to Produce 



Exhibition Specimens — General Advice on Care of Flock. 



By S. B. Johnston. 



HERE are a number of turkeys bred in this part 

 of the state, so that we are generally well ac- 

 quainted with the different varieties, although 

 our work has been confined to the Bronze 

 variety. There are five varieties besides the 

 Bronze in the standard, namely the Narragah- 

 sett, Buff, Slate, Black and White Holland. Then there is a 

 white sport from the Bronze that is nearly as large as that 

 variety and that has more desirable features than the White 

 Holland, which is the smallest variety in the standard. The 

 White Holland is a good bird, but is too small and will not 

 bring the marketman as profitable returns as the Bronze or 

 Narragansett. I believe fewer people raise the Black 

 Turkey than any other variety, as it is not liked by shippers 

 on account of black pin feathers. Bronze, White Holland or 

 Buff Turkeys are easier dressed and pin feathers are not 

 evident. 



The Bronze Turkey is the largest of all varieties. It 

 matures quickly, and by the holiday season will attain its 

 full weight It is docile and easily kept at home. It is said 

 by some that the Bronze Turkey is not easily kept at home, 

 but I have found that turkeys of any variety not having 

 proper care will stray away. In hardiness and vigor chere is 

 no variety that can surpass the Bronze when properly bred. 

 The wild turkey is so near in color to the Bronze that by 

 carefully introducing new blood by wild hens the breeder 

 can get hardiness and vigor unequaled. Turkeys that are 

 hatched in April, May and June will begin laying the latter 

 part of March or the first of April the next year. I believe 

 that all varieties of turkeys in the same latitude begin laying 

 a'bout the same time. In this latitude they begin about the 

 first of April more generally than in March. There seems 

 to be always a good demand for turkeys of all varieties. It 

 takes the Bronze variety about three years to get its full 

 weight— in other words, to get its heaviest weight, while 

 most other varieties attain their full weight by the second 

 ^ear. There are more Bronze Turkeys raised than all other 

 varieties combined, which fact is proof enough that the 

 Bronze has more good qualities than any other variety. 

 RANGE AND HOUSING. 

 Turkeys do not do well in small and crowded quarters. 

 They can be raised to some extent on a small range, but'such 

 specimens generally are stunted in size and of poor color, 

 just as is any other stock that is ill-kept. When the turkey 

 was first found it ran wild in the forest, hence the love of 

 range is about its first instinct and it will attain nearer per- 

 fection in size and color when it has freedom. Some writers 

 advocate the housing of turkeys, hut in my experience I 

 have not found this best. I have learned that a turkey hen 

 can take care of its young better than either a domestic hen 

 or myself, as the turkey mother seems to understand the 

 little poults' chirpings and knows what they need. I have 

 tried raising turkeys in coops and pens, keeping them close 

 to the house, but with poor success. When the season is not 

 too severe, turkeys can be given the run of the place, and 



if they have good quarters in which to roost at night, under 

 bushes or something of that kind, and are looked after dur- 

 ing the day for a few weeks, they will not need much food, 

 but will do better and grow faster than those kept close to 

 the house and fed from five to six times a day. Turkeys 

 raised in this way are less trouble, have better plumage and 

 are more vigorous, and in the fall when the corn is being 

 gathered they can be toled to the house to roost. Turkeys 

 kept close to the house and not extra well fed will stray off, 

 hence the advantage is all with the one who raises his tur- 

 keys away from the house. 



I have found that a roost built close to the ground is of 

 great advantage to young birds that are growing fast, as it 

 often happens that promising youngsters are injured in 

 flying from high roosts. I believe that a shed open to the 

 south and closed to the north, east and west is of great 

 advantage in severe weather in keeping turkeys dry and 

 free from drafts. Such a shed makes a good feeding place 

 when there is snow or mud, and would make a good roost- 

 ing place if the turkeys could be induced to roost in it. The 

 great trouble is to keep them from roosting on top of the 

 shed, but this can be prevented by running a two-foot wire 

 netting around the top. I should not attempt to raise tur- 

 keys on one or two acres of ground, but with proper care 

 a forty-acre farm will give ample forage for five hundred 

 birds. In these days it is a large flock that contains more 

 than one hundred turkeys. They do best when divided into 

 flocks of about fifty. 



STANDARD REQUIREMENTS OF DIFFERENT SECTIONS. 



In order to mate breeding pens correctly and to do jus- 

 tice by his customers the breeder should understand the 

 judging of fowls. To make this matter plain I shall take 

 the bird, section by section, and cut for defects as would 

 a judge when scoring in the show room. 



Symmetry — Symmetry, or typical carriage, is first in the 

 scale of points and to be perfect in this respect a fowl must 

 have perfect shape in every section. I prefer the term sym- 

 metry to typical carriage. Symmetry means a perfect join- 

 ing together of all parts, thus making a symmetrical whole, 

 while typical carriage may mean any pose the specimen 

 might take regardless of symmetry. Symmetry is valued at 

 eight points. So far as typical shape is concerned, if a bird 

 loses one poimt in this section he is one-eighth bad; two 

 points, one- fourth; one-half point one-sixteenth. If the 

 bird is too narrow and fails to round out in breast, back and 

 body, with the tail too short, as is usually the case with 

 narrow birds, the cut should be from two to three points, 

 according to degree. The standard calls for a deep, long 

 body, handsomely rounded. When the legs are too long or 

 too short and stand too close together the cut should be 

 from one-half to one and one-half points. The weight clause 

 is valued at fifteen points. Standard weights are: Adult 

 cock, 36 pounds; yearling cock, 33 pounds; cockerel 25 

 pounds; hen, 20 pounds; pullet, 16 pounds. 



Condition— Condition is valued at eight points and all 



