156 THE TURKEY. 



event by a peculiar cry, by strutting about with an 

 air of self-satisfaction, and often by prying into out-of- 

 the-way places, evidently in quest of a secret spot of 

 incubation — for her instinctive dread of the male is 

 not removed by domestication, nor has the male lost 

 his antipathy to the eggs. She should now be closely 

 watched, and some management is required to induce 

 her to lay in the nest assigned her. The nest should 

 be prepared of straw and dried leaves ; it should be se- 

 cluded, and to excite her to adopt it, an egg, or a piece 

 of chalk cut into the form of an egg, should be placed 

 in it. When her uneasiness to lay is evident, and 

 symptoms prove that she is ready, she should be con- 

 fined in the shed, barn, or place in which her nest, (in 

 a large wicker basket,) is prepared, and let out as soon 

 as it is deposited. It is generally in the morning that 

 the turkey hen lays, and mostly every other day ; 

 though some lay daily, until the number amounts to 

 from fifteen to twenty. As the eggs are laid, it is as 

 well to remove them, (leaving the decoy egg or piece 

 of chalk,) until the number is complete, as they are 

 liable to be broken, or sucked by rats, weasles, minks, 

 or skunks. They may then be "restored to her for in- 

 cubation. 



Some persons are in the habit of giving turkeys 

 stimulating food at the laying period, in order to pro- 

 mote their fecundity, particularly oats and hemp seed ; 

 but this is quite superfluous, and may even, perhaps, 

 be injurious, by tending to produce "clear" or in- 

 fertile eggs. By proper food and shelter, during win- 

 ter, indeed, turkeys may be brought to pair and lay 

 earlier than they otherwise would do ; but, though this 

 might have the advantage of procuring an earlier 

 brood, it must render it more difficult, on account of 

 the cold weather, in spring, to rear it with success. 



The habit of laying in the morning may be usefully 

 taken advantage of, where several turkey hens are 

 kept. Their nests may be examined, individually 

 before they go out, and keep back those "which 



