Turkey Management

Everything About Turkeys, Free-Range and Otherwise

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Sixth Edition
by J. Holmes Martin and Stanley J. Marsden

Illustrated. 1008 pages.
Suggested retail price, $59.95. ISBN 1938099052.

Marsden and Martin’s Turkey Management was an instant hit when it first came out, and it rapidly went through six editions. The sixth edition is the one we’ve reprinted.

 

This Sixth Edition of Turkey Management is by far the most detailed and practical book on turkeys ever written. Weighing in at 1,008 pages and containing hundreds of tables, photos, and illustrations, it has everything you need. It’s written with the full range of turkey raisers in mind.

This book is from the Golden Age of American poultrykeeping (roughly 1910-1960), when there were millions of family farms and practically all of them raised poultry, using simple, effective methods.

This was also the Golden Age of American Poultry Science, with close cooperation between farmers, fanciers, and scientists. One happy result of this is that many books written by eminent poultry researchers could be understood by ordinary farmers, fanciers, backyarders, or 4-H’ers.

Though published in 1955, the fundamentals haven’t changed. The biggest change is the amazing increase in the rate of growth of modern hybrid turkeys. The other breeds are much the same as ever. 1955 is recent enough to be modern in most respects: brooding, rearing, feeding, breeding, and incubating are all things you can cut out and paste down, as are construction methods. (Just think twice before following any advice about which chemicals to use.)

Why does it take 1,008 pages to cover turkey management? Because raising turkeys can be tricky, and Marsden and Martin figured that people  deserve a comprehensive reference guide to ensure their success. And the book covers the full range of turkey husbandry, including relatively uncommon activities, as you can tell from the Table of Contents.

Table of Contents

  1. Starting with Turkeys
  2. Rearing Problems
  3. Feeding Practice
  4. The Feeding Stuffs
  5. Nutrient Requirements
  6. Preparation for Market
  7. Marketing Data and Practices
  8. Turkey Shows and Showing
  9. Classification, Origin, and History
  10. Varieties
  11. Breeding Principles and Practices
  12. Management of Breeding Stock
  13. Trapnesting, Pedigreeing, Sexing and Caponizing
  14. Incubation
  15. Disease Prevention and Sanitation
  16. Deformities, Injuries, and Vices
  17. Diagnosis and Control of Diseases and Parasites

 

A Norton Creek Classic

This book is part of the Norton Creek Classics series; books from our past with an important part to play in our future.

Ordering

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About the Cover

A flock of heritage Bourbon Red turkeys smiles for the camera at Norton Creek Farm.