Experiments in Fattening Turkeys. 



[OCT., 



shows how the birds progressed under the different treatments 

 and the final results represented by increase in weights : — 



Lot No. 



Number of 



turkey 

 cockerels. 



Weight 

 on 



Nov. 24th. 



Weight 



on 

 Dec. 5th. 



Weight 

 on 



Dec. 15th. 



Total 

 increase in 

 21 days. 



Average 

 increase in 

 21 days. 



i. 



IO 



lb. oz. 

 170 0 



lb. oz. 

 189 8 



lb. oz. 

 198 0 



lb. oz. 

 28 0 



lb. oz. 

 2 12 



2. 



IO 



171 0 



191 0 



205 0 



34 0 



3 6 



3- 



IO 



170 0 



190 0 



212 8 



42 8 



4 4 



As may be observed by an examination of the above table> 

 there is a very great variation between the results of the different 

 methods of feeding adopted and tried in Lots 1, 2 and 3, and 

 I now proceed to give a detailed description of the foods used 

 and the methods of feeding practised throughout the trials. 



During the first half of the fattening period, or, to be more 

 accurate, during the first ten days, the three lots of turkeys 

 were fed alike and in the following manner : — A mash consisting 

 of the following food-stuffs was made up at night and allowed to 

 stand over for use on the following morning : Two parts boiled 

 potatoes, two parts boiled turnips, two parts barley-meal, two 

 parts maize-meal, two parts ground oats, and one part linseed 

 meal containing 12 per cent, of oil. Having been thoroughly 

 mixed and mashed, these constituents were wetted with as much 

 skim milk as would make the whole into a rather stiff mash. 

 In the morning at eight o'clock the mash was placed in V-shaped 

 troughs in the small yards attached to the house, and the 

 turkeys were allowed out in the yard for an hour to eat it. At 

 the same time they were provided with both milk and water in 

 separate vessels and with grit and charcoal mixed together and 

 piled in a dry corner of the yard. Within the hour they had 

 ample time to eat their morning meal, to partake of grit, 

 charcoal, water or milk, and to take as much exercise as they 

 required at this stage of their career. 



They were then turned into the houses, which are situated in 

 a quiet place unfrequented by other poultry, and which were 

 kept semi-dark while occupied by the turkeys. In these stalls 

 they quietly passed the day until evening came, when they were 

 ready for their second and last meal of the day, for during the 



