1130 Breeding and Rearing of Turkeys. [Mar., 



Turkey rearing is a suitable branch of poultry keeping for 

 many farmers and smallholders, and provided it receives the 

 careful attention which is necessary, turkeys are a most 

 profitable crop. For many years turkey breeding has been 

 practised on a considerable scale on farms in the eastern 

 counties, mainly Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, and m the bulk 

 of the finest English turkeys come from this area. With the 

 exception of Devonshire, turkey breeding and rearing cannot 

 be said to be practised generally by farmers in any other part 

 of England, and although in Devon many turkeys are reared, 

 the individual flocks are smaller. This is no doubt due to the 

 smaller area of the farms, and the different nature of the 

 general farming operations. 



Conditions Suitable. — While it can be accepted generally that 

 turkeys will thrive better under the drier climate and upon the 

 warmer more freely drained lands of East Anglia, suitable con- 

 ditions are by no means confined to the counties in which the 

 best of our English turkeys are produced. In North Devon the 

 ruling conditions are exactly the opposite, yet a large quantity 

 of very fine birds are produced here. The intelligent attention 

 which has been given, and the longer experience which has 

 been gained in the subject in the eastern counties is chiefly 

 accountable for superior results. The turkey is more Eardy 

 than is conceded generally, and while a dry soil and natural 

 protection from driving rains and cold winds are a necessary 

 condition to the most successful results, the same applies to 

 the keeping of the ordinary fowl, with this difference: Such 

 adverse conditions can be overcome to a large extent with the 

 keeping of fowls, by the adoption of more intensive measures, 

 and the provision of artificial protection. In the case of the 

 turkey this cannot be advocated, as the most essential condition 

 to turkey breeding and rearing is an unrestricted range. 



The lighter and better drained soils are a distinct advantage 

 because they are warmer and sweeten more rapidly. Natural 

 shelter is desirable, such as that afforded by woods and thick 

 hedges, but it by no means follows that valleys and low lying 

 ground are preferable, although they may be better protected, 

 since these are frequently damp, and the land at a high altitude 

 which appears to be exposed, will often lend itself better to: 

 turkey breeding. 



Turkey Breeding. — The practice of keeping a stag turkey 

 with three or four hens is to be seen frequently; this is to be 

 deprecated. The initial cost and maintenance of a stag for this 



