The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-02-21

The First Bulletin OF Experiment station
Is ISSUED by smith and
Sedswick.

came an unusually MllNN NlANAf WA'Nf
lott its imprint on the flock in unWis-
taxable signs. They began sncezing,
and the eyoilds and face were much ia
famed They were treated with nconite.
But in a few days there came the ia
miliar marks OF the head disease,
which at it's first appearance was treat
ed for chicken pOX with remedy iiof
that disease in chickons) obtained from
California poultry raiser-Rhus toXis
codendron and hepar sulphurls QiNer
of sulphur) In the drink. and chloro-
rapthoieum on the affected parts-and
the whole flock confined to insure reg
iilar treatment. Five of the flock died
before the scabs had developed ON
them, apparently from exhaustion.
Some died long before the scabs began
to close their eyes; others held on sew
eral days after their eyes were closed.
A few had canker in their mouths,
and nearly all had watery eyes. Treat
ment awaited but little-even the vine
gar, soda and salt failed. Out of the
10 ~ died of their cold, or chicken
pox, or both. or the remaining . 4
seemed to have passed lightly through
the chicken poX, only to succumb to
the cold which accompanied it, and
which had by that time developed into
roupy stage, there being sSick.
colorless fluid discharge from eyes and
nostrils which kept them shaking their
heads to rid the eyes Of the accumula-
ton, then wiping their faces on back
and wings. Three of the chicks sur
vved. one passed through the siege
with but the slightest touch of the
disease apparent; suffered no check in
growth, and developed into fine pull
let. Another came safely through the
pox, but continued snuffling for three
months, and was somewhat stunted.
The third came slowly through both
pox and cold, and was severely stunt
ed.
A single healthy chick of another
brood two weeks younger, was placed
with the affected flock, and in about
week developed the fatal symptoms. In
the third week 1t died of the head dis
ease and without any symptoms of
cold In this chick the first symptom
observed was n lump on the beak, at
it's juncture with the face, which soon
turned to a scab as in the others.
The last hatch OF the season, in Au-
gust, showed no sign Of the disease and
matured rapidly.
In the adult fowl the experienced
poultryman has his first warning of
internal disorder by the condition and
color of the comb, which in health is
a bright red, but in disease this red
may become pale to whitish, or deeper
to blackish. In chicken pox the comb
becomes the apparent seat of the
disease, II typical case of which was
tHcOunltTtN III TIE DlIu VI Al u w
that had been cooped in a crate 30
inches square for thirteen days en-
route from San Francisco to this port
(HonoluD. The two females We're in
bad condition with cankered mouths on
arrival. The male showed but a slight
touch of canker, and seemed well for
about two weeks. when gradually his
comb, wattles, and ear lobes became
dotted with eruptions, which increased
in size and finally covered the whole
surface of each part, closing his eyes
and facilitating him generally. He
would not eat, so had to be fed Treat
ment was by dipping his head, at
night, into a pint of lukewarm water
in which was q tablespoonful of pro-
prietary poultry remedy, drying care
fully, and placing him where he would
he warm and out of a draft. Four
days attention brought him out safely
and he soon regained perfect health
The hens showed no sign of poX, but
their mouths were wedged with canker.
While this trio We're Cooped and con-
tinuously forced to breathe an atmos-
phere tainted with their own drop
pings, whether Of several nights accu-
mutation or of n single night, their
blood must have. been severely tainted
and called for a reckoning. A subse-
quent importation, being a week in
transit, soon developed the same symp-
toms, but in much less aggravated
form.
1t is not uncommon for halfgrown
chicks, at the age of four and five
months, to show eruptions on comb
and wattles, which develop quickly in
to scabs (trinng in size and number,
but none the less a reality, turn black,
and in few days drop off, or, if lifted
off show the same inner surface of
roots as found in the smaller chicks
with head disease, and in the adults
with chicken pox. While passing
through the slight attack the half
grown fowls seem listless for a few
days, but rally rapidly with a little
tonic in their drink. This indisposition
is said to be due to the feathering
process-"the putting on of the final
feathers, the freedom suit. so to speak"
quoting from Mr.. !. X. Felch in his
Poultry Culture"
In the writer's experience there seems
but little needed to establish the iden-
tity of the head disease in chicks as
the same affecting adult fowls. The
head is evidently the point of attack.
On the fowl there is a full coat OF
feathers to keep the body warm
through the course of the disease. But
the chick is only haif-clad, and more
liable to add cold to the fever ac-
companying the disorder, unless COM
pletely protected against the cold night
air. The head disease by itself has not
proven serious in the writer's flock,
needing only simple precautions; but
with a cold the result is probably no
less serious than would be the case
of child having the same complica-
ton.
Precautions and safeguards are more
to be relied upon than medical treat
ment, less fatiguing, and more salts
factory in results The first precaution
must be to house the chicks, wher
weaned in a comfortably warm brood
IL 1T Oh hon IA n
flock cannot all be lowered at once by
the hen, when nearing the weaving
age, they can, when cold, crowd them
selves in and out often enough to avoid
n complete chill. While without the
hen, If exposed to cold air, they must
endure it all night by budding into a
corner, those on the outside steaming
In the warmth of their own hodiaS until