lib THE GAME BREEDER 



to continue her laying until thirty to tisement; and if the latter, even though 

 forty, or in some cases even from fifty the young creature is alive in the morn- 

 to sixty, eggs have been laid. The last ing and is at once transferred to another 

 litter may in some cases be left to the hen, the sense of fear seems to persist^ 

 mother turkey to incubate durmg the sometime for several days. In such cases 

 latter part of June or early July. Ihe even the most endearing clucks will not 

 eggs collected earlier should be set, in draw it under the mother's wings, and 

 successive lots, at intervals of not more chilling, either by day or night, is almost 

 than fourteen days, either in an incu- certain to occur. It is thus of the first 

 bator or under ordinary hens. If many importance to ascertain that the young 

 are to be hatched the tormer is prefer- poults are accepted without compunc- 

 abie, while, if only a few are to be set, a tion on the part of the mother hen. 

 broody hen accommodatmg eight to ten If, after placing the first poult under 

 eggs, depending upon her size, will be the hen, the situation seems favorable, 

 found more satisfactory. In case the a second and third may be transferred 

 incubator method is employed, ordinary from the basket. If then, after a few 

 hens should be set on china eggs in nest moments, still no remonstrance is heard, 

 boxes on the permanent range about two the full number may be put in place. But 

 weeks before the turkey eggs are due to they should not be left until it has been 

 hatch. learned by careful feeling about the hen 

 After hatching the young poults should and in the nest corners that they have re- 

 left in the incubator a short time to dry mamed beneath the feathers. Then the 

 off. They are then carried in a covered "est box door, or a frame of wire, should 

 basket at night and placed in groups of ^e braced against the opening and the 

 twelve to fourteen under the sitting hens, family left while the balance of the' 

 The china eggs are at the same time re- poults are distributed among the remain- 

 moved with as little disturbance as possi- ^^S mothers in the other boxes, 

 ble. If a lantern is being employed it Brooding. 

 should be kept behind the nest box where The care and management of turkeys 

 the light will not excite the sitting hen. up to the stage of hatching and brooding 

 It is a wise precaution to place not more the young poults presents few difficulties, 

 than one poult under a hen at first. One But within the first six or eight weeks of 

 then waits quietly by for three to five the life of the young bird the real prob- 

 minutes to ascertain whether the hen will lems of turkey raising begin and the 

 accept the change. This can usually be success or failure of the enterprise is 

 learned by listening to the hen. After determined. During this period, as will 

 a little experience one easily learns to be pointed out later, methods of feeding 

 recognize the faint satisfied clucks which constitute the most important single f ac- 

 signify the full acceptance of the new tor and this phase of the subject will be 

 situation and the slight muscular efforts treated with the subject of brooding, 

 on the part of the wings and legs to tuck But, without minimizing the importance 

 the young poult safely beneath the of this factor, it is certain that methods 

 feathers. In case the hen clucks loudly, of management at this stage are also of 

 half rises from the nest and remains in importance in determining the result and 

 this attitude, one may as well leave her must be well considered if the attempt 

 and pass on to the next nest. If the to rear even a moderate percentage of 

 young poults were given such a mother the young poults to maturity is to be suc- 

 they would most likely be found in the cessful. 



morning pecked to death, or huddled and Rearing the young poults may be ac- 



chilled in the corner of the nest box as complished by any one of three chief 



far as possible from the ugly parent. A methods: (1) by artificial brooding; (2) 



young poult learns within a few hours by the employment of turkey mothers; 



whether this strange bunch of feathers (3) by the employment of ordinary hens 



means warmth and protection or chas- as mothers. Although, for reasons that 



