TURN THE TURKEYS OUT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 57

TURN THE TURKEYS OUT.

As soon as the turkeys are old enough to shift- for themselves, it is best to allow them to roost in the trees, if they will. This being their natural, state, it is by all odds best for them, providing that they can have such shelter to go to. If they canbe, induoed to roost near the house or barn, this is much better for them, as they are tamer and more domestic in their habits when~~raised in this way. As soon as they are old enough to go about and shift for themselves, it is not necessary to feed them oftener than once a day. This might be better at night, to encourage them to come home and roost regularly in the same trees. Provide then a little wheat and corn, if you will, for the morning meal, but give them the largest or heaviest meal of same at night. Where the turkeys can have care of" this kind, they will always do well. We find- that the most successful turkeygrowers hatch the- first clutch of eggs that the turkey- hens lay under chicken hens. In this way the turkey bens are induced to lay the second clutch of eggs, which they may hatch* themselves. In this way you ere able to secure a larger number of young turkeys from your hens, and when the poults that are with the turkey hens are large ~ enough to wander away with the mother turkey hens, the ipoults that have been grown with the chicken hens will go with them, and in this way the -flock of turkeys will'\eare for all the poults that have been^ raised or hatched. Some of those- whom we have visited have followed this plan, for several years, and have averaged about 25 turkeys grown to maturity from each turkey hen that they had to produce the eggs. The hens have not averaged them more than 35 eggs from the two clutches, and the average of 25 full-grown turkeys is very good from this average number- of eggs. — The Feather. ■