Feed'nuj. 
;5:)7 
be  still  further  reduced  when  they  are  able  to  forage  for 
themselves.  Feeding  is,  however,  always  a matter  of  judg- 
ment, for  so  much  depends  upon  the  season  and  conditions. 
No  hard  and  fast  rule  can  be  laid  down.  During  the  chicken- 
hood  stage  meat  in  one  form  or  another  is  essential  to  rapitl 
development  and  strong  frame.  Mutton  or  mutton  greaves 
are  the  best,  but  where  rabbits  are  plentiful,  they  form  an 
excellent  and  cheap  substitute.  They  miist  be  boiled  and 
mixed  with  the  soft  food. 
Lettuce,  dandelion,  onions,  dock  leaves,  nettles,  mustard 
and  cress,  are  all  valuable  as  green  food.  During  the  growing 
stage  water  or  sweet  milk  should  be  given  at  feeding  times, 
but  must  never  be  allowed  to  stale  or  soiir.  It  cannot  be  too 
strongly  emphasised  that  during  the  entire  period  of  growth 
there  must  be  always  at  hand  a plentiful  supplj"  of  grit. 
Summer  feeding  will  vary  considerably.  In  a variable 
season,  when  grass  and  other  green  stuff  is  abundant  and  full 
of  nutrition,  the  turkeys  will  obtain  the  greater  part  of  their 
food  from  that  source.  A little  grain  in  the  morning,  and  a 
moi’e  substantial  feed  of  mixed  meal  in  the  evening  will  be 
sufficient.  But  in  a dry  year,  when  everything  is  burnt  up 
and  the  ground  is  hot  and  hard,  then  the  birds  should  be 
placed  as  near  cool  woods  as  possible,  and  will  require  much 
more  food.  In  poultry,  as  larger  stock,  methods  must  be 
adapted  to  circumstances. 
Upon  arable  farms  the  turkeys  should  be  placed  upon  the 
stubbles  as  soon  as  the  corn  is  carted.  They  are  splendid 
gleaners.  At  that  time  one  feed  a day,  a mixture  of  meal  and 
milk  at  night,  should  be  sufficient.  During  the  summer  and 
autumn  it  is  necessary  to  keep  a boy  with  the  flock,  or  they 
will  scatter  too  widely  and  may  do  a great  amount  of  damage. 
In  September  and  October,  with  a view  of  bringing  them  into 
good  condition  for  fattening,  the  birds  maj*  have  plenty  of 
turnips  and  swedes,  either  pulled  and  given  near  their  roosts,  or 
they  may  be  put  out  within  hurdles  on  the  growing  roots. 
It  is  important  to  remember  that  in  the  late  summer  careful 
selection  should  be  made  of  the  birds  which  are  intended  for 
use  or  sale  as  breeding  stock,  separating  them  from  those  which 
are  intended  to  be  marketed  as  Christmas  turkeys,  and  feeding 
them  on  the  plain  diet  as  previously  recommended.  Not  only 
would  there  be  a great  waste  of  food  if  they  were  fattened,  but 
the  process  would  be  injurious.  I need  hardly  say  that  the  birds 
selected  for  stock  purposes  should  be  the  best  of  the  flock.  ‘ 
* One  of  the  chief  turkey  breeders  in  East  Anglia  estimates  the  cost  of 
raising  young  turkeys  to  be  from  Is.  to  8.J.  per  head,  not  counting  the  run  of 
the  stubbles,  and  says  that  turkeys  hatched  about  the  first  week  in  April,  if 
reared  well,  should  weigh  by  the  first  week  in  October : cocks  about  20  lb.,  hens 
about  13  lb. ; and  by  December  12  : cocks  25  or  26  lb.,  and  hens  16  or  17  lb. 
