274 
THE rOULTRY BOOK. 
frequently she has to be forced off the nest. This must bo daily attended to ; 
otherwise, from want of food, she will get much reduced. I need not insist on 
the necessity of abundant feeding. The turkey is rather an absent bird, and so 
much does she enjoy herself wdien from her nest, that she often forgets to return 
to it in due time. The poultry-keeper must see to this, and never allow her to 
remain off more than twenty minutes, unless the weather be very fine, when she 
may have the indulgence of a few extra minutes. I do not admit the desirability 
of any further interference. No one save the person in charge should be allowed 
to come near the hen whilst she is sitting. 
“ Many writers on poultry have stated that the turkey-chick leaves the shell on 
the thirty-first day of incubation. This does not agree with my experience, as I 
have not found thirty- one days necessary. On referring to my note book I find 
that one of my turkeys had twelve eggs given to her on Monday, May 7, 1849. 
On Sunday morning, June 3, eleven fine strong chicks were found beneath her; the 
weather during the time was very warm, which would, of course, have the effect of 
bringing the chicks out a little sooner. Nevertheless, I cannot agree with those 
who state that the time of incubation of the turkey is thirty-one days : instances 
of such a long time must be very rare indeed, and I should look on them as omens 
of bad success. The number of eggs laid by the turkey I have named was few ; 
but I must state that she was of a second brood, hatched the previous year, and 
consequently was very young. This fact proves the fallacy of the assertion that 
the females of a second brood should not be allov/ed to sit. 
Should some of the turkey-chicks be slower in freeing themselves from the 
shell than others, they should be left undisturbed under the hen, wdien they will do 
much better than if they or the chicks already hatched are removed. I wish to 
point out the impropriety of interference ; as the result will, in almost every 
instance, be in favour of allowing nature to have her sway. Many recommend 
the removal of the chicks from the nest as they come out — I highly disapprove of 
the plan ; however, some people are so anxious to know the issue, that no argu- 
ment is sufficient to induce them to ^ let well be well : ’ such, therefore, may 
remove the chicks and put them in some warm place, as the mother, from being so 
much disturbed, is apt, at this critical juncture, to trample them to death. 
“ The turkey-chicks should not have food forced on them, at least not in the 
manner some do, by forcing them to swallow it. A drop of milk or water is of 
great service to them, and should be given by dipping the finger into the liquid 
and then putting the drop on to the beak; this is better than dipping the beak into 
the milk or water, as it prevents the chicks from getting wet — a thing to be 
scrupulously avoided. 
The turkey-chick is much more stupid than that of the fowl : the latter soon 
pecks with facility. On this account it is very recommendable to have two or three 
of them in every brood of the former ; so that they, by force of example, learn to 
peck much sooner. This is accomplished by placing two or three fowl’s eggs 
beneath the turkey at the end of the seventh day of incubation. The food I 
