Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-20
Watch for Roup.


people having the care of them. They
allow diseases to get into the hocks
and spread, when, by proper obserVa-
ton, the trouble would be stopped ere
1t had obtained good start. A rev
days ago the writer Of this had oc-
casion to purchase dozen laying
hens from a farmer. The latter was
asked il he had roup in his flock. He
was at once very indignant and re-
piled that when fowl in his yards
fell sick the axe was the remedy. None
Of his fowls had the rOup or any other
disease. So the would-be purchaser
thought he would be safe in purchas-
ing few fowls "unsight and unseen.
But he will never do that again.
The fowls were promptly delivered.
At night the purchaser went out to
take a look at his fowls for the first
time. What a sound greeted his ad-
vent in the poultry house. He recog-
nized its cause at once. The fowls
were all safely ranked on the roosts,
but from their midst came mingled
snorings, sneezings, coughings and
half-crowings.
Roup, roup, roup, spoke from every
corner. He examined two Of the
worst ones. They were old hens, but
mere skin and bones. They both had
apparently had the roup for months
and become emaciated by 1t, for the
roup affects the digestive organs more
often than the head. Not one OF the
fowls was worth keeping. Not one
of them would lay an egg all winter,
and 1t is doubtful if they would ever
lay. They were returned to the farm
er, who was duly indignant that his
fowls were considered sick, but insist
ed that they were in perfect health.
He evidently thought his fowls were
not sick because they did not have the
sWelled head. The mere fact of their
mouths being full of stringy mucus
told him nothing. The fact that they
ate but little should have convinced
him that something was wrong. This
is one Of the worst features Of fowls
troubled with roup; they eat but lit
tie, as their digestion Is slow, due to
the inflamed condition Of the mucous
membrane. A healthy fowl will pack
the crop full Of grain. Feel Of their
crops when they have retired to rest
after full supper and it will be found
distended by the food. But a fowl
that is only slightly affected by roup
is not so. If the crop be felt Of at
that time 1t will be found only quar-
ter or half full, and frequently the
pressure Of the hand induces the bird
to stretch its neck and gasp as If for
air. This probably is due to the in
famed condition Of the air tube.
The farmer that had these fowls
made a big show of producing eggs for
sale at fancy prices. 1t was supposed
that he was getting many eggs, as he
kept a large number of hens. Acct
dentally it was learned that he was
getting about one egg per day. The
reason his flock did not lay was doubt
less the fact that roup was widely
prevalent among them. He said that
he had left the care Of his fowls to the
hired man, to whom he had given in
structions to notify him when any
thing was the matter with the hens.
1t is altogether probable that the hired
man did not know. II he noticed them
at all he merely said to himself that
the birds had slight cold, not worth
reporting, Of course. The roup will
eat up the profits from the best flock
of fowls that ever lived. 1t must be
watched for and fought. When 1t ap-
pears it must be eradlcated. 1t is ex-
tremely contagious and we do not be-
lieve there is any cure for it. This
year it seems to be more than usually
prevalent. Probably it is more to be
feared than any other disease. It may
be considered more dangerous to the
profits Of the poultry raiser than even
cholera. When the latter disease
comes its makes its presence known
by its work Of death. The keeper at
once takes measures to combat it. But
1t is not so with the roup. It creeps
into the flock and develops very grad
ually. Most farmers do not suspect its
presence. 1t does not swell the head
except in some cases. The fowls run
about and often their combs remain
bright and healthy looking for months.
We have seen fowls that had 1t so bad
that canker sores formed in their
mouths and yet they did not appear
sick, their combs showing all the in
dications of health. So the farmer sus-
poets nothing, while the disease is
spreading from fowl to fowl till all are
infected. After awhile one or two fall
suddenly sick with diarrhea or their
heads swell up. The farmer inquiries
and is told that the trouble is roup
and that he can cure it by using such |
and such means. He goes to work |
and very likely reduces the swelled |
heads, and thinks he has cured his |
bird. Very likely he writes to the farm
paper telling of his success in curing
roup. But he has not cured it. He |
may have separated the bird from the |
rest to prevent further infection, but |
be did not prevent further infection for |
the reason that the flock has been al
ready infected. His battle with roup
will have only begun, as fowl after
FOWL will ultimately fall sick. It is
probable that some fowls have enouph