Homestead Turkey Production
(Page 8 of 9)
Turkeys are the most sensitive of all the members of the
home barnyard concerning sanitary conditions, and success
or failure with turkeys is often in direct relationship to
sanitary living and feeding arrangements. If
"pullorum-clean" poults have been purchased, there is
little danger from this disease. However, there are many
diseases that must be controlled if one is to be
successful. Coccidiosis has been a troublemaker for turkey
breeders for generations and is best combated by
maintaining strict sanitation in the brooder house. Litter
must be kept dry and changed at least once each week, and
feeders and water containers must be kept sterile.
Clabbered skim milk has been found to be an excellent
preventative for coccidiosis, yet if sour milk is fed,
feeders must be sterilized daily so that the leavings from
this milk will not remain in the troughs, thus spreading
disease.
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Blackhead is perhaps the most dangerous of the long list of
turkey diseases. This sickness, which causes a black
appearance of the head as the name implies, is often
carried by chickens although they do not always show
symptoms of the disease. It is for this reason that many
contend that turkeys and chickens should never be produced
on the same farm . . . however, if care is taken there is
no logical reason why turkeys and chickens cannot be
produced on the same property. Of course, it goes without
saying that these two birds should never be permit ted to
run together, that turkeys never be permitted to range on
land that has previously ranged chickens and that the
turkey fancier never walk from his chicken pen into turkey
pens without first slipping on a pair of rubbers that are
kept for that purpose. This is the great advantage of the
sun-porch method of turkey raising, for if this porch is
constructed so that the birds may be fed from the outside,
then there is no necessity for the breeder to walk into the
turkey pen... thus eliminating all chance of blackhead
contamination.
THE FINISHED PRODUCT Turkeys are usually
fed so that that they will reach their maximum weight
during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season and the entire
flock (less those that we may wish to keep for breeding
stock) should be butchered at that time. Feed costs mount
steadily as the turkeys grow to maturity and there little
to be gained by keeping the birds after they have reached
their prime.
Turkeys freeze very well and may be stored from eight to
ten months at zero degrees Fahrenheit without losing any of
their original quality, especially if packed in cellophane
bags. Turkeys may be stuffed before freezing if this is
desired and are thus ready for the oven directly after
being taken from the deepfreeze and permitted to thaw.
Turkeys may also be smoked, canned or used as broilers . .
. however, the use of broilers is not economical and few
turkeys are butchered at this early age.
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