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Show - THERE IS PLACE ON MOST FARMS FOR TURKEYS, DUCKS OR GEESE (Prepared by (he United States Department of Agriculture ) Farmers give much attention to various va-rious combinations and rotations of crops, endeavoring to secure an arrangement ar-rangement that is most profitable for each individual farm. They do the same in selecting the kinds and numbers num-bers of live stock. But not so much attention Is paid to the selection of poultry to suit the peculiar conditions of farms and neighborhoods. The hen will always be the leader among farm poultry, says the United States Department De-partment of Agriculture, but she requires re-quires the aid of turkeys, guineas, geese and ducks. Just as on a dairy farm the cow often requires the aid of pigs and sheep to make the farm business most profitable. Ducks Gather Food From Streams. Where grain fields of neighboring farms are in proximity to the barn and dooryard It would, perhaps, be better not to keep turkeys. The farm through which no streams run, and which has no large pond, would probably prob-ably be better without ducks. But the circumscribed farm, on which turkeys tur-keys would be a disadvantage, may be supplied with a small poo! so located lo-cated that ducks would be profitable, and the farm that has no streams and Ceese, in a larger measure than chickens, or any other kind of poultry, are grazing- stock, taking their living in large part from the ordinary grasses of the pastures. When the facts are taken into consideration that the demand de-mand for geese is strong, steady, and extended practically over the entire year, not confined to the holiday seasons sea-sons as the demand for turkeys, that geese excel all other kinds of poultry as producers of fat, the Importance of an adequate number of geese In the poultry scheme becomes apparent On farms where ponds or streams are available, ducks will convert Into meat and eggs great quantities of water insects and various nnuatlc forms that would not be utilized by any other kind of poultry. Ducks, while they consume large quantities of grass and other green stuff, are more partial to animal feeds and are very energetic In patrolling the branches, branch-es, creeks, and ponds as sources of feed supply. Pigeons of Questionable Value. The one kind of poultry of questionable question-able economic value on farms Is the pigeon. Almost exclusively a grain eater, the pigeon renders no Important service as a conserver of waste, ex- Hen Will Always Be the Leader Among Farm Poultry. cept, perhaps, in the case of shattered grain In the fields, and that in v a large measure would be taken up by other poultry and by pigs. The pigeon pig-eon has its place In the towns and cities, but, except in Isolated Instances where conditions are peculiarly favorable, favor-able, its production Is not often desirable de-sirable on farms. The hack-yard poultry keeper can hardly hope for success with turkeys, geese, ducks, or guineas, but for those who have lofts over garage, stable or coal shed the opportunity for squab growing is worth considering. ponds may nave large range for turkeys. tur-keys. Turkeys, ranging further afield, prey upon the insects that escape the hens. From the time the poults are old enough to forage until near frost, they take the bulk of their feed from field insects, devouring millions of grasshoppers and other Injurious worms that feed on crops. In regions where wooded areas are still fairly extensive mast is an important Item In the diet of the turkey. When the supply of insects begins to fail the mast larder begins filling up. Feeding Feed-ing on acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts and the like, turkeys will go a long way toward fattening themselves for the Thanksgiving or Christmas market, mar-ket, and will not require much feeding feed-ing of corn or other grain to finish them. Generally speaking, turkeys will require a larger feeding of grain than chickens to finish them for market, mar-ket, but as they utilize forms of waste that hens and their broods would not reach, the keeping of a few turkeys is good economy. The finishing period is short. ' Guinea fowls use still other kinds of waste that would escape both hens and turkeys. Taking a wider range than chickens, and yet not quite so wide as turkeys, keeping largely to the thickets and weed patches, and committing fewer depredations against field and garden than either chickens or turkeys, requiring little feeding at any time, being good layers during their season of eggs that are thought by many to have a richer and finer flavor even than hen eggs, the guinea Is a good fowl to keep on any farm where a serious effort Is made to convert con-vert all waste Into meat or eggs. |