St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-03-17
AEOUT LEG-WEAkNESS.
An Affection Which Frequently Attacks
WeIi-Fed Fowls,

An Affection Which frequently Attacks
WeIl-Fed Fowls.
"What is the cause of chickens get
ting lame? They lose the use of their
Joints, and walk down on their elbows
They eat well, and seem to be as we'll
as any Of the others, but their legs
seem paralyzed. | had some that way
a year ago, and last fall; now another
rooster is going that way"
If the rooster belongs to one of tho
larger breeds, Brahma. Cochin, Lang
shan or Plymouth Rock, is young, L. e.,
less than year old, and his hook
Joints have not been injured by Jump
ing from high perch, the lameness is
probably due to lcg-weakness, and was
caused by rapid growth which in
creased the weight of the body out of
proportion to the strength of the legs.
This ailment is confined almost wholly
to the large breeds, and attacks more
,ockerels than pullets 1t usually be-
gins when the chicken is between four
and five months old. but some times
earlier and some times later. The
largest cockerels are genel ally the ones
attacked. and when there is any lack
of the bone -formin@ element in their
food, this tendency to fail up
"a the LEGS is greatly increased.
Tie iirst symptoms OF weakness is a
>naIn- OF he Ices when the chicken
stands or walks. If not treated then,
the shaking grows worse, until. in a
short time, the chicken squatS down a
good part of the time, an finally q It's
unable to stand at all, and walks on its
"'elbows' or hock-jonts. In cases of
this kind, the chicken seems we'll 9th
erwise, and the appetite usually re-
mains good. If treated as soon as the
first symptoms of weakness are shown
the majority of eases can be cured, and
cure is possible at any time before
the patient gets unable to walk on his
feet; but after he once fairly gets
down on his hook joints, no amount of
doctoring will set him up on his feet
again, and the sooner he is killed the
better; for if killed when his appetite
| and general health are good, he is just
as good for the table as a chicken that
| walks naturally.
The first thing to be done by way OF
| treatment is to put the patient some
| where away from the rest Of the flock,
! for the stronger fowls will drive him
around, abuse him. prevent him from
getting his share of food, and thereby
| lessen his chances of recovery. Give
| the Douglas mixture. half teaspoon
full daily in food or drink, and half
grain quinine pill twice u day Feed
on bran, shorts, oats and whole wheat,
and in the morning feed give half a
raw egg and a teaspoonfuI of bone
meal Give milk to drink, and keep
crushed oyster shells and gravel where
he can eat as much as he wants. Old
| plaster will do as well as the oyster
shells. AS soon as he begins to show
signs of improv ement, give only one
| pill day; and when the shaking has
entirely ceased. leave off the pills and
raw egg and only give the bone meal
and Doug as mixture twice week. Ii
after week Of steady treatment he gets
no better, it will hardly pay to fuss
with him longer. This have written
on the supposition that the rooster is a
young one afflicted with true leg weak
ness: but it may be he is an old one,
and is breaking down because he is Sc
fat and heavy that his legs are unable
to support such a weight; such cases
do occur, but old hens are more liable
than cocks to break down from an ac.
emulation of fat. The only remedy
for this kind of break down is the
Ratchet.
Heavy fowls, either young or old, Of
sither sex, are liable to injure their
hook joints by jumping from high
oerches. To prevent it, put the roosts
nearer the floor, or else provide steps
sor the fowls to come down on. Tc
cure, shut the fowls away from the
others in a coop that has no perch.
Give it bed of hay or straw, feed and
water regularly, and nature will do
the rest.-Prairie Farmer.