400 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



Dr. Hadley tentatively suggests the following routine for 

 feeding to avoid blackhead. He points out that "it does 

 not make so much difference what young turkeys are fed as 

 it does how, and how much, they are fed. Particular atten- 

 tion should therefore be given to his method. 



" After collection from the nests, hatch the turkey eggs in 

 incubators, in the meantime having ordinary hens set on 

 china eggs in nest boxes or brooders on the permanent range. 

 Remove the poults from the incubator about twenty-four 

 hours after hatching, and distribute at night among the hens, 

 giving from twelve to fourteen to each hen. Be sure that the 

 hen accepts them before they are left. Give no feed before 

 the poults are two days old. Each family may then receive 

 two teaspoonfuls of egg chopped fine with some green food 

 such as nettles, dandelion, onion tops or lettuce. A little 

 cracker may be added to take up surplus moisture so that 

 the mixture will not be pasty. This ration may be repeated 

 for the remainder of the feedings upon this day, or bread 

 soaked up in sweet milk may be substituted for one meal. 



"During the first three or four days of feeding, the poults 

 receive four meals each day, at about eight o'clock, eleven, 

 two and five; after this but three meals are given. On the 

 second day of feeding about the same rations are given, but 

 one of the meals may be of chick grain, and some rolled oats 

 may be added to the chopped-egg mixture. The third day 

 of feeding is like the second. The poults are allowed to run 

 in their enclosure. On the fourth or fifth day of feeding, 

 the number of meals may be reduced to three, at eight 

 o'clock, twelve and four-thirty, respectively. The amounts 

 are slightly increased and a little grit may be added. 



"When the poults are about a week old they may be 

 allowed to run free with the old hen on the range on pleasant 

 days when the grass is dry. Chopped egg in the ration is 

 reduced and omitted by the seventh day of feeding. On the 

 sixth day of feeding the feeding is put on a time basis. 

 Several spoonfuls of food are put on the tray and well dis- 

 tributed, but the poults are not allowed to eat for more than 

 about three minutes at any one meal. By the end of the 

 second week, the time limit is reduced to two and one-half 



