The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-11
agement Of poultry is Of more vital
importance than the prevention of DIS

importance than the prevention of dfs-
ease.
Unless the birds are healthy and Wig
orous they cannot prove profitable;
generally under other conditions they
will prove a dead loss. 1t is BY no
means an uncommon sight to see a
large flock Of birds looking sick and
miserable, moping about under sheds.
and standing quite inactive all day
long.
At a glance one can tell that such
birds are improbable, and that there
is something wrong with the manage
ment. The appetite may be taken as
a certain sign of the condition of the
birds. II they eat readily there is sell
dom anything the matter with them.
whilst on the other hand, If they do
not evince any desire for their food,
1t will be generally found that thew
require attention.
Immediately a bird shows any signs
of illness it should be isolated, placed
quite apart from the other fowls. as
many of the diseases from which fowls
suffer are infections, and unless this
simple precaution is taken the COM
plant may spread to the other birds.
Moreover, when any fresh birds are
introduced into the yard, they should
not be Immediately placed with the
other birds, but should be kept for
few days In coop by themselves, in
order to see that they are thoroughly
free from sickness. have come
across several cases In which fresh
bird has been bought and put with the
other fowls, but which has come from
a yard where an infection disease
was prevalent, with the result that It
has been caught by the other birds,
perhaps seriously affecting the whole
flock. Too much care cannot be ex-
ercised when importing fresh birds.
and these should always be isolated
Tor about week.
Disease can generally be traced to
one OF the following causes: Badly
ventilated, damp, or draughty houses.
too much or too rich food; in and in
breeding; tainted ground; the use
OF immature stock birds; want of
exercise; or infection. l have dealt,
and other writer's have dealt, with
these points SO often that very little
need be said concerning them. Per-
haps there is no more common cause
of sickness than overlooking especial
~ when fowls are kept in confine-
ment Nearly all the stock birds
that one sees on farms and elsewhere
are in much too fat a condition. and
not only are such birds more liable to
disease, but they are less profitable;
the male birds fail to fertilize the eggs
in proper manner, and the hens pro.
duce fewer eggs with a larger percent
age of infertility Closely allied to
this question is that of want of exer-
else. A sign indicative of good health
is activity and vigor; whilst on the
other hand, idleness is frequently the
forerunner of disease. If nothing
worse than feather picking and egg
eating occur this is quite bad enough.
The birds should be encouraged to
take as much exercise as possible;
hanging up cabbage or turnip just
out of their reach affords them exer-
else and amusement. Birds with a
free range are, generally speaking,
healthier and more vigorous than those
in runs, and the former method should
be adopted whenever possible.
The breeding birds should not be
too closely related to one another, as
in such case the offspring are liable
to be weakly and ultimately stunted
in growth. Considerably greater diff
ficulty will be experienced in rearing
them successfully, and they will never
prove thoroughly satisfactory. Imma-
ture stock birds should be avoided as