The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-06-27
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: White D'arrhaa
il Young Chicks,
BY D. j. LANE. Poultryrnan,
Minnesota College Of Agri-
CUTIE
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One Of the greatest barriers to sue
cessful poultry keeping today is d
disease, or d number Of diseases.
classed under the head Of white diar
rhea, This trouble has only come in
TO prominent notice since the incu-
bator has been so extensively used.
The question may then he asked, Has
the incubator brought il? 1t would
hardly be reasonable to say that with
the modern incubator came this par
ticular germ; but one might say that
the incubator, especially where it has
been used Continually, has lowered
the vitality of the growing chick so
that it has not enough strength to
throw off the disease. The following
paragraph was taken from letter
by Mr.. J. 1. Nix, manufacturer of the
Prairie State incubator, published in
Bulletin No. so, Storrs' Experiment
Station. Mr.. NiX's line of work has
led him to study incubation exhaus-
lively. He says:
hundred miles in Pennsylvania, New
York, New Jersey and the province
-, "a .ntar;o - t""1.. --.-s.-A 80,
out exception, where they had incu-
o.. tors. had white diarrhea, with a
mortality Of 10 to e. per cent. t.
those who have not made an investi-
cation Of the matter the loss of young
chicks from white diarrhea surpasses
belief"
Such a statement from such man
would indicate that probably the in
eubator was at fault. It>is an undis-
puted fact that no machine can hatch
as strong chick as the old hen, Sin
Natures way" Very often, however,
the chicks will seem to do almost as
well. 1t has been stated that the
death of 40 to so per cent of all chicks
Matched, the country over, is largely
due to this disease.
White diarrhea usually appears, and
is most noticeable, from the seventh
to eighteenth day after Matching. 1t
may even be affecting the flock be-
fore, and not show the symptoms
which are shown at the time stated
above. 1t may be virulent in form,
or it may slowly decimate the flock
until birds are six weeks old or older,
cutting into their numbers one by one.
or stunning any survivors.
Outward symptoms are: The chick
becomes sleepy and listless. 1t mopes
around the pen, often too lazy to come
out from under the house; and if 1t
does come it is the last to start It
lacks appetite, although i tries to
eat, it Would seem, more more from force
OF habit snan from desire. When the
cs.lck is handled, there S ! soft,
fiabby feeling to it's body, and very
little resistance. The muscles are not
rigid, while in healthy. strong chick
the body is filed out sad plump; it
makes a squirming endeav6r to get
away, and every time il moves the
muscles of its solid little body can
be felt. The affected bird, on the con-
trary, stands crouching around; has a
short body, and does not seem to grow
CT Al out in the least. The wings
usually droop. The discharge is usu-
ally of whi..;;sh color, and may cling
to the down. and ve.".v often will seal
up the vent. The little Chick will
utter short, chipping SOUND when at
tempting to void droppings, as though
in great pain. Chicks found with
such symptoms are better off dead,
and should be removed or killed.
There are remedies on the market
which may be of some value from a
preventive standpoint; but, so far as
IS known Here, there is no cure for
his disease.
Free range, with plenty Of fresh air
Ind sunshine, are probably the best
oreventives. Even if you have an
Incubator, it is best to use the hen to
latch part of your eggs each year.
This is the method some OF our large
are using throughout the
ountry.
Look well to the condition of the
aren't stock; for good, solid flaw
rec foundation is necessary for fur
hor succocc