Baby Turkeys

It was the first of April and they arrived in boxes with pin holes on top to let air in for the baby turkeys.Their were 1200 of them and they had just hatched out of the egg the day before now having completed a days' trip by truck from the Hatchery in Zanesville, Ohio. Mom had the pens prepared and ready for the little ones. The floor was covered with a straw like material called Stays Dry. In the middle was a small coal fed stove to keep the area warm. Small dishes with ground grain feed were carefully positioned in the pen area as well as water dishes. Interestingly, colorful marbles were placed in the dishes so the turkeys would pick at them, get food or water on their mouth and learn to eat. Thus began an annual process of raising turkeys which would provide Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the residents of Middletown, Pennsylvania and surrounding communities.