w. cook's turkey, goose, and pheasant book. 13 



The great secret in rearing young turkeys is keeping them 

 dry. They ought never to be let out when the grass is wet 

 with dew or rain in the morning, that is, the first six weeks 

 of their existence. 



The best way to manage is to have a covered run attached 

 to the coop where they sleep at night, and have dry dust of 

 some kind at the bottom. In this way the young turkeys 

 are not only kept dry under foot, but the cover shelters 

 them from the cold winds. 



The run should always be set back to the wind. 



'\^'hen the young turkeys are hatched the hen should not 

 be allowed out of the coop till they are a week old, if so, 

 she takes them too far and they usually become exhausted. 



When a farmer rears turkeys they should be taken out 

 where sheep are grazing, if possible, after they get fairly 

 strong, as the sheep keep the grass down close, and should 

 it rain, or if they are let out before the dew is well off the 

 grass, it only wets their feet, and not the fluff or 

 feather. 



Hemp seed and French buckwheat are the best grains 

 for young turkeys. The former is very stimulating and 

 warmth-giving, and they ought to have a little hemp seed 

 until they are fairly well feathered, that will be when they 

 are about six weeks old, but after that age these grains are 

 not really necessary. 



They can, of course, be fed on barley, wheat, and maize, 

 just the same as any other poultry, but in all cases meal 

 should be given them at least twice a day for- at least three 

 months, that is, if the owner wishes them to grow fast and 

 do well. 



