226 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



encouraging. the hen to remain on the nest until the last 

 hatched poults gain strength, rather than to start off with 

 the first hatched, leaving the weaker ones behind. The 

 poults removed may be placed under the hen at night, when 

 she will own them without difficulty. The hens should be 

 dusted three times with insect powder while setting, the 

 last time on the twenty-fourth day. 



Nesting of Turkeys. — ^Turkeys mate the first clutch of eggs 

 from the first of March until the first of April, and commence 

 laying during the latter part of March or in April. These dates 

 are subject to variation, due to climatic conditions. The breed- 

 ing fowls should have been selected not later than the first of 

 the year and only those birds held over which are to be used 

 as breeders or sold on the holiday market. It is natural for 

 a hen turkey to steal her nest, therefore many breeders 

 place boxes and barrels tipped on their side and a nest made 

 therein about the farm, in order to entice the turkeys to 

 lay in them, where the eggs may be easily gathered. Other 

 breeders yard their turkeys until about four o'clock in the 

 afternoon, when all eggs have been laid, thus compelling the 

 hens to lay in nests provided for the purpose. Either method 

 is good, and better than allowing the hen to steal her own 

 nest, where it is subject to the raids of foxes, weasels, hawks, 

 and skunks. 



A hen turkey will lay from twelve to twenty eggs in the 

 first clutch before evincing a desire to set. If broken up 

 at this point she may begin laying a second clutch after an 

 interval of ten days. As soon as the hens begin to lay, the 

 eggs should be gathered daily and kept in a cool place of 

 even temperature and turned gently at least every two days. 

 One egg of some kind should be left in the nest as a nest 

 egg. More eggs will be laid when the eggs are gathered daily 

 than when allowed to accumulate in the nest, because the 

 large number of eggs in the nest seems to induce the hen to 

 set sooner. 



Incubation of Duck Eggs. — The desire to incubate their own 

 eggs has been bred out of many strains of ducks, especiallj' 

 the Pekin. For this reason the incubator or broody hens are 

 necessary. The eggs should be gathered daily, kept in a 



