CATCHING, HANDLING AND SHIPPING TURKEYS. 



Building a Trapping Pen for Separation of the Flock— Using the Catching Net— Training for Exhibition— Coops for 



Local and Foreign Shipments. 



By ti. A. Nourse, Associate Editor Reliable Poultry Journal. 



1 — p T IS wise to separate from the flock in the fail the 



birds intended for sale, as constant raiding of the 



V flock for birds to ship not only keeps the breeders 



' wild and suspicious, but makes it extremely difficult 



_ to make an intelligent selection. 



The best device for "rounding up" that I have seen is a 

 covered yard or trap about thirty feet long and twenty wide. 

 Sometimes this may be built between two of the farm build- 

 ings, using the buildings for the two sides, thus avoiding 

 the necessity of setting posts and erecting sides of the en- 

 closure. The poultry netting which forms the top and one 

 end of the trap may be stretched between the 'buildings and 

 fastened to them, supported by several pieces of heavy sin- 

 gle wire drawn tightly from one building to the other. The 

 other end, which is the entrance to the trap, is left open 

 and provided with a drop which will be described later. The 

 turkeys will not distrust the farm buildings and will more 

 readily enter a trap between them than one separace from 

 them. A wing should be constructed of poultry netting five 

 feet high to extend from one corner of the entrance to a dis- 

 tance of fifty feet outward or away from the trap, to form 

 an extension of the side, unless one of the buildings happens 

 to be so extended. The turkeys may be driven gently along 

 the side of the building towards the entrance and wing, and 

 an occasional handful of corn may be thrown down to occu- 

 py their attention until they are at the entrance to the trap. 

 Here the wing on Ihe far side of the entrance prevents them 

 going beyond and they may be quickly turned into the en- 

 closure. 



Constructing a trap in an open lot with no building is 

 quite different. Four strong posts should be set up to form 

 the corners of a space say thirty feet long and twenty wide 

 and no other wood should be used. The posts may well be 

 old ones, or those not carefully trimmed, and with the bark 

 left on, so that there will be little about them to attract at- 

 tention and arouse the turkeys' suspicions. It is not best 

 to use bright wire or to turn up much earth for the 

 same reason. The posts should stand five feet above ground 

 and have a heavy single wire like stock fence wire stretched 

 around their tops and also diagonally across the tops from 

 corner to corner to support the wire netting which is 

 stretched over it in forming the top of the trap. More net- 

 ting is stretched around the sides and one end. This is 

 tightly wired to the top and its lower edge is firmly 

 pegged to the ground. One end is left open to serve as an 

 entrance and is rigged with a drop. A piece of netting large 

 enough to cover the open end is loosely wired to the strand 

 of heavy stock fence at the top of the entrance. At the op- 

 posite side of this netting, which reaches to the ground, a 

 heavy cord is attached, put through pulleys at the base of 

 the entrance posts and carried to a distance of sixty or sev- 

 enty-five feet directly in front of the entrance. By pulling 

 these cords the drop will be hauled from a position on top 

 of the trap down over the front, closing the entrance. Two 

 wings will be required for this trap, for there is no building 



to assist in guiding the turkeys in. These wings, or leaders, 

 as fishermen would call them, should extend one from each 

 side of the entrance, spreading laterally to form a sort of 

 funnel into the large end of which the turkeys may be toled 

 and then driven into the trap. 



The posts supporting the structure must be set deeply in 

 the ground and all the wire stretched very tightly or it will 

 be pressed out of shape by the flock running against it when 

 trying to get out. Sometimes the trap may be built in a 

 grove of trees and the trunks of trees used in place of posts, 

 at the same time securing the benefit of the branches and 

 possible low brush as a screen to partially hide the trap. If 

 it is convenient the turkeys should be given their daily al- 

 lowance of grain in this pen and when it is necessary to 

 handle them the drop can be closed and the flock confined, 

 thus avoiding the necessity of driving them in; but if they 

 are trapped too often they will not go in, and cannot be 

 driven or coaxed. Three times in a season should be enough 

 to do all the selecting necessary. 



CATCHING THE BIRDS. 



For the actual capture a net of heavy twine eighteen 

 inches deep hung on a stout iron ring eighteen inches in 

 diameter, which is attached to a handle seven or eight feet 

 long, is the best contrivance I know of. This if put sud- 

 denly over the head of the bird and quickly drawn back will 

 hold it so securely that it cannot struggle and damage its 

 feathers. Always grasp the turkey by the shanks. If by 

 mistake you take hold of the thigh almost every feather 

 will be stripped off. After obtaining a firm hold, quickly 

 remove the net and swing the bird clear of all objects until 

 it stops struggling; then, retaining the hold on the shanks, 

 take the turkey under one arm in such a way that its wings 

 will be held tightly against its sides. This has no applica- 

 tion when the bird is tame enough to be easily handled, 

 which, however, is not often the case with turkeys on wide 

 range. 



PREPARING FOR EXHIBITION. 



The preparation of the turkey for the show room con- 

 sists principally in taming and training the subject to ap- 

 pear to the best advantage in the coop. If the birds are wild 

 it requires some days to teach them to pose. For this pur- 

 pose large coops covered with canvas, or in some manner 

 constructed so that the bird cannot cut or bruise its head 

 trying to get out, should be provided in a light, well venti- 

 lated room, without drafts, where the temperature ranges 

 but few degrees higher than outside. 



Fronts of strong slats or rods having no sharp edges or 

 rough surfaces, with doors of generous size, are better than 

 those of wire because they offer more chance to make friends 

 of the birds confined and less opportunity for the occupants 

 to injure themselves by dashing against it, as they frequent- 

 ly do when introduced. A little patient work with the birds 

 will win their confidence, but the attendant should be care- 

 ful not to frighten them when feeding or when cleaning the 



