The wild turkey is a native of America. It was taken to Europe by sailors and explorers and early brought into a domestic state. One hundred years ago there were villages in France where turkeys were kept at the public expense. The birds were individually owned, but the care of the village flock was in the charge of a paid employee, who took them to the open fields in the morning and returned them to their homes at night. Wild turkeys still exist in America, but their numbers are few. At one time flocks of 50 or 100 were common, but the constant spread of housing and the continuous hunting expeditions have scattered these beautiful wild birds, depleting their ranks and destroying their haunts, until their glory has become a thing of the past.
Breeds of Turkey:
- Unquestionably the best known variety of turkeys is the Bronze or Mammoth Bronze. This is not only the most striking in appearance, but also the largest. The adult torn has a standard weight of 36 pounds and the hen 20 pounds. Much greater weights than these are often reached. Usually, however, these heavy weights are not for sale by fanciers. One objection to the Bronze variety is that the hens are considered poorer layers than hens of the other kinds. In color the sexes are alike, except that in males it is more vivid. The feathers are bronze or dull black with bands of white across. The bronze tints give pleasing color effects. This variety is the domesticated type of the wild turkey. Through selection and breeding the color tones and markings have been made more vivid and brilliant. In size the domesticated variety is also larger.
- Narragansett turkeys are a close second to the Bronze in size and popularity. Its standard weights are 30 pounds for the males and 18 pounds for the females. In general, the color is gray, mixed with black. They get their name from the bay near which their development as a breed occurred.
- Black or Sologne turkeys are very popular, and there it is considered unsurpassed by any variety. It is a superb animal of brilliant black color and often reaches a weight of 30 to 40 pounds. Turkeys of this variety in this country are known as Norfolk turkeys.
- White or Holland turkeys are the smallest variety of turkey. Standard weights are 26 pounds for toms and 16 pounds for hens. Locally, in many places they surpass the Bronze variety in popularity. They are reputed to be better layers and more home loving than some of the other breeds.
- Buff and red turkeys are uniformly colored, as their names imply. They weigh 27 and 18 pounds respectively for cock and hen. Though fairly well distributed throughout the country they are by no means as popular as either the Bronze or Narragansett.
- The Bronze turkey is everywhere recognized as altogether the best existing type. Considering its qualities collectively, it may be doubted whether the type can be improved upon. It is a rugged race, growing sometimes to great size, but on the average not up to the standards for exhibition weights for other varieties.
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| From The Birds of America by John James Audubon, depicting a wild turkey See lesson plan about Audubon here. |
During the laying season, many turkey raisers confine their flocks to comparatively small yards, at least until the hens have decided upon a place to lay. After the first two or three days of laying, the hen turkey will rarely desert her nest, so that when the whole flock has begun to lay it may be allowed full freedom. As a modification of this plan, breeders keep the flock confined until about noon each day, until the hens are laying. This practice saves much time which otherwise would be needlessly wasted in watching turkeys to find out their nesting places and then walking daily from nest to nest to collect the eggs. A score of hens may be kept without difficulty in a yard 75 feet square. This enclosure need not be fenced very high. Few turkeys will attempt to fly over a woven wire fence 5 feet high.
For best results turkey hens should be two years old and cocks three years old or more. They will prove useful for eight or 10 years, or even longer. The customary size of a flock is 10 to 12 hens to one torn, though often as many as 18 or even 20 hens are used.
None but the very choicest, quickest growing, and best birds in every respect should be selected from each year's young flock to replace the old ones that have survived their usefulness. In this way the flock can be steadily improved in size of birds, in precocity of development and in stamina.
It is usual for turkey eggs to be fertile. On this account eggs are not often tested out when set. Ordinarily the only test is made about the twenty-sixth day. Then the eggs are placed in warm water and the infertile ones removed. Live ones can be recognized from the fact that they move in the water.
It is generally necessary to let turkey hens sit where they wish. They choose their own nests and object to being moved. If it becomes necessary to change the nest, night is the best time. Supplied with nest eggs for a day or two, the hens may be tried out and if satisfied the regular clutch may be given her. Small turkey hens will cover 13 to 15 eggs ; large ones 18 or 20. Hatching usually commences on the twenty-eighth day, though it may last or even not start until the thirtieth day. It is just as important to remove the hatchlings as little chicks. They should be placed in a box lined with flannel or woolen goods and kept in a warm room.
During the first day or two the turkeys do not need any food. The mother hen must, however, be fed liberally. It is a decided advantage to place the coop over the nest if possible so the turkey will feel at home and contented. Where this is not possible the brood and mother should be moved to desirable quarters; a coop with a board bottom should be given preference. After the first three days, when the young ones are beginning to run around, a small yard should be provided. A convenient yard may be made of three boards 14 inches wide set up on edge in the form of a triangle, with a coop in one corner, and the mother turkey allowed her freedom. She will not go far from her brood. The little ones may be kept in this kind of enclosure until they are large enough to jump up and make their escape.
Where the coop cannot be placed upon short grass, ample green feed should be supplied daily. It is also important to give plenty of grit and charcoal and especially necessary to fight lice from the very start. It is not safe to use kerosene on turkeys. Insect powder is satisfactory and harmless. Pens should always be situated on dry soil. Nothing is so important as to maintain cleanliness and to keep the little ones dry until after their heads have become red. Up to this time of "shooting the red" is a trying period for poults. After they have passed it they are much more hardy. During the development of the red itself more animal feed than usual should be given.
Perhaps the most general favored food of turkeys a day old is hard-boiled eggs and stale bread soaked in milk but squeezed comparatively dry. Generally the egg is fed a day or two before the bread. When a weak or ten days old, clabber is often used. When about two weeks old, many breeders give a mixture of equal parts of milk and corn meal, middlings or some other meal. This is allowed to swell for several hours before being fed, so as to prevent any possible danger of swelling after being eaten. About this time cracked corn and wheat are often given in the evening.
Three times a day seems to be enough to feed little turkeys until they are well grown, especially if allowed more or less range and given an opportunity to pick grass and insects. In fact, it is almost essential that they have something to pick at all the time. For this reason a grass yard should be given the preference to all other quarters. Milk may be given instead of drinking water if desired, but it seems best to have ample pure water before the brood at all times, whether milk is fed or not. It is also essential to have grit. Some turkey raisers, especially those who do not have grass runs, consider it necessary to feed every two or three hours until the birds are ten days or two weeks old. No more should be fed at a time than the poultry will eat without waste.
Many poultrymen feed johnnycake made of cheap flour, preferably of the whole grain and corn meal mixed with milk and infertile eggs from the incubator, but without soda or baking powder. The ingredients may be of almost any ratio, but preferably about equal parts. After mixing to a rather soft batter, the cake is thoroughly baked and allowed to become rather dry. It is then allowed to become .stale before being crumbled for feeding. This practice eliminates the danger of swelling after being eaten. The swelling takes place in the oven.
Gradually after the first week small seeds, such as millet, cracked wheat and corn, may be added to the daily ration according as the poults grow in size. A good mixture of grains for fattening consists of one bushel each of whole and cracked corn and one-half bushel each of kafir corn and oats. Some raisers prefer to feed whole corn exclusively three times a day. When fed liberally on corn they do not forage as much as usual. In fattening they may be confined or not, as the owner prefers.
Since it has been discovered that the guinea fowl has a game flavor and can be sold as various kinds of more valuable flesh, it has been used in the large city restaurants as a substitute for various kinds of game, as well as being sold under its own name. This fact has encouraged the growing of guinea fowls to supply the demand. Broiler size guinea fowls are often sold as quail on toast, and larger ones for prairie chickens, pheasants or grouse. Like the turkey, the guinea fowls thrive best where there is ample free range, and are probably even more exacting in their demands than turkeys. The familiar varieties are the Pearl and the White Guinea. They are natives of Africa.
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