The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-02-16
Diseases Of Fowls,

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
off the mature fowls as we'll as large
number of chicks. These two dis
leases call for remark at this time,
when they are most prevalent. Gapes
is the disorder which causes the
Young chicks to open their mouths to
gasp for breath. 1t is caused by the
presence in the throat and air pas.
sages of many very small worms
usually found united in pairs and i'm
bedded in fruth and mucuS in the air
passages. Later the disease becomes
associated with fever, throat becomes
dry, and the membranes are covered
with dry scales OF mucous, and at
times diphtheria interyenes and adds
it's fatal procliyities 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 affacts lambs. calves, and other
young animals. Its origin and nat.
ural history are we'll known. 1t in
habits the intestinps as well as the
lungs of the Old fowls, and at times
causes trouble with them. nOtWith-
standing their greater power of re-
siStance. The parasites in the old
folws mature and become charged
with eggs, which are discharged
| through the bowels. 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 the cOOps where the
brOOding hen is confined, 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 membranes
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
little chick is considered. Clean
ground is an essential requisite for
/ exemption 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 manure is used in the garden or
upon fields where the hens are not
permitted to run, this source of dam
der is removed, and in course of the
winter the supply of eggs and worms
will be exhausted. One other means
of security remains. which is to pillow
under the surface of the poultry ward
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 voided
will be buried and got rid of.
The most danger is when an infes-
ted 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-slacked lime. If, after all
precautions are taken the disease still
appears in some of the broods the
young chicks should be fed once a
day with cornmeal stepped in kero-
sene 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 suffi-
GENTLY strong to kill the young
worms when they first appear in the
throat. Turpentine is equally as
effective as kerosene oil, and may be
used in the same manner.
Cholera is a very common disease
and carries off more fowls than all
other diseases together. 1t is viru-
leatlY 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 newly Matched chick
which closes the bowels and quickly
destroys the young animal, This dis
ease is caused or accompanied by