THE TURKEY. 
153 
THE TURKEY. 
The domestic turkey can scarcely be said to 
be divided, like the common fowl, into distinct 
breeds ; although there is considerable variation 
in color, as well as in size, but no Bantam, or 
dwarf race, exists, unless we except the small, 
delicate-fleshed turkeys of Hempstead Plains, 
near New York, which often weigh, when 
dressed, not more than 4 or 5 lbs. The finest 
and strongest birds are those of a bronzed black, 
resembling, as closely as possible, the original 
stock. These are not only reared the most 
easily, but are generally the largest, and fatten 
the most rapidly. Some turkeys are of a cop¬ 
pery tint, some of a delicate fawn-color, while 
others are parti-colored, grey, and white, and 
some few of a pure 
snow-white. All 
of the latter are 
regarded as infe¬ 
rior to the black, 
their color indicat¬ 
ing something like 
degeneracy of con¬ 
stitution, if not ac¬ 
tual disease. A va¬ 
riety is said to 
exist in the aviary 
of Madam Backer, 
at the Hague, with 
a topknot spring¬ 
ing from the crown 
of the head, re¬ 
sembling that of 
the plumed Poland 
fowls. 
Incubation .—The 
turkey hen is a 
steady sitter, and 
in this respect re¬ 
sembles the wild 
bird—nothing will 
induce her to leave 
the nest; indeed, 
she often requires 
to be removed to 
her food, so over¬ 
powering is her 
instinctive affec¬ 
tion ; she must be 
well supplied with 
water within her 
reach; should she 
the domestic turkey hen, if her nest be placed 
(and it might in a certain degree,) as it is in na¬ 
ture ; this we know, that turkeys which have 
laid their eggs in out-of-the-way places, and 
have been allowed to incubate there, have 
brought their troop of downy younglings into 
the farmyard with evident pleasure and satisfac¬ 
tion—no extra attention having been paid to 
them. It is usual, however, in Europe and the 
northern parts of the United States, to remove 
the young chicks, one by one, as they make 
their exit, and place them in a basket of warm 
flannel, tow, or feathers, until all are out, and 
then restore them to the hen; this is done as a 
precautionary measure, lest any accident should 
happen to them. 
The Domestic Turkey.— Fig. 48. 
lay any eggs after she has commenced incuba¬ 
tion, these should be removed—it is proper, 
therefore, to mark those which were given to 
her to sit upon. The hen should on no account 
be rashly disturbed; no one except the person 
to whom she is accustomed, and from whom she 
receives her food, should be allowed to go near 
her, and the eggs, unless circumstances impera¬ 
tively require it, should not be meddled with. 
On or about the thirty-first day, the chicks 
leave the eggs. Now, in a state of nature, the 
wild hen always manages far better than she 
would do if interfered with by man, were his 
interference possible, and so we believe with 
In a state of nature, the turkey only rears one 
brood during the season, unless her eggs have 
been destroyed or removed, nor will the domes¬ 
tic hen incubate twice, if allowed to rear her 
own brood; some, however, which like, as the 
common phrase is, “ to work a free horse to 
death,” recommend that the turkey be induced 
to hatch a second time in the season. This is 
effected by taking her young brood from her as 
soon as possible, and mixing it with another 
brood of the same age, as nearly as may be; 
her cares being no longer required for her 
young, and her instincts unsatisfied ; she seeks 
the company of the male, and in about three 
