The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-02-02
TIE POULTRN-YARD.
Diseases of Fowls

There are so many diseases incident
to poultry that it is impossible to de-
scribe the symptoms of all in a brief
article. The disease most prevalent in
the fall, winter, and spring, is roup,
which kills more fowls in this country
than cholera and all other causes com
bined.
Roup is due to colds, and may be
brought into the flock by contagion, by
dampness, by exposure to winds, and by
improper shelter. There are several
forms of roup, but the signs are dis
charges from the nostrils, swelled heads
and eyes, hoarse breathing. and whitjsh
sore throat When the eyes are swelIed,
battle once a day with warm water, and
anoint with a few drops of glycerine
If the bird breathes hoarsely, give pill
composed of equal parts of quinine,
bromide of potash, and assafntida, the
size of a bean, three times day. If
sore throat results, swab the throat with
a solution of sulphate of copper. Add
teaspoonful of carbolic acid to each
gallon of drinking water.
Cholera is always known by intense
thirst, debility, an anxious expression,
and greenish droppings. The best
remedy is to add teaspoonful of liquid
cart olic acid to each half gallon of the
drln King water, and give a mixture of
ten drops of paregoric and FIVE drops of
spirits of camphor, twice day.
Gapes is the result of suffocation
caused by small, slender worm. Num-
bers of them cluster together. A drop
of spirits of turpentine on a bread
crumb, twice day, is the best remedy.
The vapOr of carbolic acid will also cure
the difficulty. Chicks only are subject
to gapes.
If rouF and cholera can be kept out of
the flock, half the battle will be won
TO avoid disease of any kind follow
these hints:
Never have your fowls too fat, and you
Will seldom have cases OF egg-bound,
double-yolk eggs, or soft-she eggs.
Hence do not feed largely of grain.
Nearly all ailments are due to a lack
of grinding material in the crop. AL
ways keep broken glass, pounded crock
cry, or sharp flint gravel within reach of
the fowls. Cold draughts of air blow
ing across them, or down on them, will
cause swelled head and eyes, and finally
lead to roup, 1t is often the case that
weak legs may be caused by high roosts,
the birds being injured by jumping
therefrom to the ground. When the
roosts are low, and hen is unable to
stand on her legs, remove her from the
male at once, as the cause may be traced
to him, especially if he is very heavy.
Feather pulling is due to idleness,
and not to a lack of something in the
food, as many suppose. Active birds, if
confined and not exercising, will pull
feathers, but the habit is easily acquired
from any one of the flock by the other
members thereof
Hens do not eat their eggs unless they
learn the habit from having eggs broken
in the nest. Never use stale eggs as
nest eggs.
A dust bath is the toilet of the hen.
II is her mode of keeping her BODY
clean. II given a dusting- place, she
viii keep the vermin off if you will keep
the poultry house CLEAN.
The great source of contagion is the
drinking water. A sick fowl should
never be allowed to drink from the same
vessels with the others.
On very cold nights a large flock will
be more comfortable than a small one, as
there will be more warmth in the poul-
try house.
crack in the wall. or a hole as large
as the head of a nail. will cause more
damage than If the hole front of the
house is open, provided the rear and
sides are tight.
Salt is necessary. Season the food
with salt whenever it can be done, but
only slightly.
Crop-bound usually results from the
bird eating long grass, old rags or rape,
or some substance that stops the pass &c
leading from the crop to the giz2ard
The best place for n sick bird is the