. Our domestic birds; . heir house to the limits of their usual rangeand return many times in the course of a day. A flock ofturkeys, if allowed to do so, leaves its roosting place in themorning and makes a wide circuit, often returning home inthe afternoon from a direction nearly opposite to the directionthey took in the morning. On their circuit, which is likelyto follow the same course day after day, turkeys have theirfavorite feeding and resting places. Persons familiar with theroute of a flock can tell where they are likely to be found at anyhour of the day. If food becomes scarce on thei
. Our domestic birds; . heir house to the limits of their usual rangeand return many times in the course of a day. A flock ofturkeys, if allowed to do so, leaves its roosting place in themorning and makes a wide circuit, often returning home inthe afternoon from a direction nearly opposite to the directionthey took in the morning. On their circuit, which is likelyto follow the same course day after day, turkeys have theirfavorite feeding and resting places. Persons familiar with theroute of a flock can tell where they are likely to be found at anyhour of the day. If food becomes scarce on their circuit, the 194 OUR DOMESTIC BIRDS turkeys extend it, or go on an exploring expedition which takesthem a long way from home. If night overtakes them at adistance from home, they look for a convenient roosting placeand remain there. The feeding habits of the turkey make it especially valuablefor destroying grasshoppers and other insects that damage fieldcrops. To get an adequate idea of the great quantities of insects. Fig. 160. Turkey roost in shelter of barn on a Rhode Island farm destroyed by a flock of turkeys, and of the waste food that theysave and turn to profit by eating it, one should take carefulnote of the amount of food consumed when the turkeys arefed all that they can eat at one time (as when they are be-ing fattened), and from this compute the amount that a flockmust pick in order to live, as many flocks do, from springuntil fall almost wholly upon what they get by foraging. Tur-keys are much more systematic foragers than fowls, workingmore in concert. A flock advances in an irregular yet orderly MANAGEMENT OF TURKEYS 195 formation, taking all the choice food in its way, but not oftentempted to side excursions which would disperse the flock. Many people who keep turkeys make a practice of feeding alittle grain, usually corn, in the evening as an inducement tothem to come home. When they require more food, they maybe given whatever is fed to the fowls. Indeed, u
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