Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-06-07
DISEASES oE FOWLS.
The Nature and Proper Treatment at
Gapes and Chicken Cholera.

The Nature and Proper Treatment ID
Gapes and Chicken Cholera.
The prevailing disease among fowls
is that known as gapes. which de-
stroys at least one half of the young
chicks that are Matched. The next
disease in respect of destructiveness
is known as cholera. which carries of
the mature fowls as we'll as large
number of chicks. Gapes is the dis
order which causes the young chicks
to open their mouths to gasp for
breath. 1t is caused by the presence
in the throat and air passages of many
very small worms usually found united
in pairs and imbedded in froth and
mucus in the air passages. Later the
disease becomes associated with fever,
the throat becomes dry. and the men,
branes are covered with dry scales of
mucus. and at times diphtheria inter-
venes and adds it's fatal procliviies to
the original disease. Thus the fatal
disorder often grows out Of the minor
one. and if this had been prevented
the chicks would have escaped the
other.
This parasitic thread worm is
closely related to the similar one
which affects lambs, calves, and other
young animals. Its origin and nat
ural history are we'll known. 1t in
habits the intestines as we'll as she
lungs of the old fowls. aud at times
causes trouble with them, notwith-
standing their greater power of re-
sistance. The parasites in the old
fowls mature and become charged
with eggs. which are discharged
through the bowls. The soil where
the fowls run soon becomes infested
with myriads of eggs. which are
picked up by the young chicks. The
writer has found the eggs abundantly
in the soil under coors where the
brooding hen is con fined. and in the
droppings of the hen. 1t is thus
plainly shown how the worms gain
access to the chicks, for these eggs,
being picked up. hatch into worms
which crawl into the throat, where
they find subsistence upon the exuda-
ton of the sensitive me nj ranes which
are irritated by their presence.
The question, then, is how to pre-
vent the presence of these worms in
the soil, for prevention is much easier
than cure when the trifling value of a
little chick is considered. Clean
ground is an essential requisite for ex-
emption from this pest. If the house
is we'll cleaned all through the winter
and fresh air-slacked lime is literally
scattered upon the floor and the ma
nure is used in the garden, or upon
fields where the hens are not permitted
moved and in the course of the winter
the supply of eggs and worms will be
exhausted. One other means of Sc
curity remains. which is to plow I'M
der the surface of the poultry yard
and sow it with some green crop
which will afford very desirable food
for the fowls. as oats. peas. turnips.
rape. etc. Thus all the eggs voiled
will be buried and got rid of.
The most danger is when an infested
hen is cooped with her brood, and this
is avoided by moving the coop daily
and covering the ground where it has
stood for twenty -four hours with air.
Stacked lime. If after all precautions
are taken the disease still appears in
some of the broods. the young chicks
should be fed once day with corn
meal stepped in kerosene oil and
mixed with a larger quantity of clean
meal. in proportion of one part of the
oiled meal to ten of the dry meal
This will be sufficiently strong to kill
the young worms when they first ap-
pear in the throat Turpentine is
equally as effective as kerosene oil.
aud may be used in the same manner.
Cholera is II very common disease.
aud carries off more fowls than all
other diseases together. 1t is viru-
lently contagious, and, which is still
worse. the eggs of diseased hens when
Matched will produce diseased chicks.
This is the cause of the yellow dis
charge of the ewly-hatched chick
which closes the bowels and quickly
destroys the young animal. This dis
ease is caused OF accompanied by
specific germ existing in the blood,
and wherever this germ appears the
disease exists. 1t is the existence of
this germ in the eggs of dis
eased hens and in the young
chicks. which proves that the
disease is Inherited The disease is
seated in The liver at first and this or
gan becomes enlarged and very soft.
! he intestines are then attacked,
and become inflamed. liberated or
gangrened These symptoms closely
resemble those of the fatal swine
cholera. The most conspicuous symp-
tom is dis charge of yellow and
green excrement The fowl lies in a
sleepy condition, and dies without a
IS if still asleep. There is no
doubt that the disease is first con-
traeted by overlooking and disturb
ance of the alimentary functions. the
liver being first disturb ID, and the
blood rendered unfit for it's vital
functions. The means of prevention
Ire obvious. Frequent doses of a tea
spoonful of saturated solution OF hypo-
,ulphite of soda and a piece of ''blue
pill' as Large as sweet pea have
cured every ease in the writer's flock
when taken in the early stages Ii
neglected until the intestines are af-
ected, cure is hopeless. and the sick
owl should be killed and buried deep
y or burned as quickly as possible
l.. Il IL