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Raising Turkey Chicks

Turkeys can be a profitable sideline for-panic homesteader, particularly if he can grow the green feed on which the birds thrive,and if he can sell them at retail. If not, turkeysstill make good eating, and a homqteader canraise a few to dress for table use for the family.

Stand warned, however, that these birdsare difficult to raise. Turkeys are highly proneto disease and they are unintelligent. Whenyoung, they often starve to death without dis-covering their feed is right next to them. Ma-ture hens are no smarter. They lay their eggsstanding up, killing their unhatched young. Theleast scare sends turkeys piling into cornerswhere they often suffocate.

Some of the most popular breeds are theWhite Holland, Bronze, Bourbon Red, andNarragansett. The new, smaller Beltsville tur-keys, developed by the Department of Agricul-ture Research Center at Beltsville, Maryland,are gaining in popularity and find a goodmarket throughout the year. Always buyquality stock from a reputable hatchery orbreeder.

Housing: For retail production, startwith newly hatched turkeys or "poults." Apen approximately 20 by 20 feet in a barn orpoultry house will handle 100 to 150 poultsuntil they are put on range at ten weeks ofage. A raised wire porch the same size isnecessary to keep the poults off the ground andreduce the danger of the highly infectious,fatal blackhead disease.

A good-sized electric brooder and hop-pers for water and feed are other needs. Sandand shavings are usually used for litter in thepoultry house. After they are two weeks old,the poults can go outside on the porch in goodweather.

Care and Feeding: Grains are fed inaddition to starter mash after the birds are twomonths old. Good commercial feeds for start-ing are available. Grain rations can be homemade if grains are raised on the homestead, oryou can use a commercially made preparation.If the birds' entire lives are spent on wire, theyshould have fresh green feed, such as rape, oatsor ladino clover, brought to them. Alfalfa,lettuce, cabbage, and other greens, less expen-sive than commercial pellets, can form as muchas 25 percent of the ration. This can enablehomesteaders to compete in price with commer-cial growers.

Turkeys on range will eat great quantitiesof forage, as well as pick up waste grain, weedseed and insects. An acre of good range generally supports 100 birds until they are sixmonths old and ready to be slaughtered. Oatsand rape make fine pasture for turkeys. Forpermanent pastures, a good mixture is red,ladino and alsike clover with timothy andKentucky bluegrass. During the last five weeksbefore slaughter, the birds need plenty of wholecorn to fatten them.

An acre of good range can support about 100turkeys, provided their diet is supplemented withwhole corn, commercial feed, and milk or water.

Excess milk from goats or cows can alsobe used in turkey feed. The liquid is used tomoisten the mash. Feeders can be locatedinside the pen or outside in wooden troughs.Two inches of feeding space per bird is sug-gested.

Turkeys need water. This can be suppliedby having fountains inside the pen or by attach-ing a water pan to the outside of the pen,allowing it to be more easily filled and cleaned.

Diseases: Turkeys are susceptible tomany diseases. The most serious one is black-head which is hosted by a worm common tochickens. Symptoms are droopiness and yellowdroppings. Cage cleanliness and separation ofturkeys from chickens help combat the disease.Turkeys housed on a raised sun porch areresistant to the disease. Turkey manure is anexcellent fertilizer, so clean up and compost thedroppings weekly.

Other diseases to which turkeys are proneinclude coccidiosis, pullorum, paratyphoid, andcrop-bound. For control of these diseases,contact your county agent. In general, goodstock, ample space, proper nutrition, and cleanwater and cages usually guarantee healthy birds.

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