The Republican journal., 1913-05-29
WHERE MANY POULTRYMEN ARE
WRONG.


BY V. c. Aubry, Instructor IN Animal In
dustry at the University OF Maine.
Many poultrymen are wrong in will
fully being ignorant Of the more common
and disastrous poultry diseases. have
heard many farmers say that most poul
try diseases have no prac teal treatment
This point is very true. but it does not
mean that nothing can be done, nor that
this is all man should know about these
troubles: it means that he should know
about these diseases; it means that some
thing ;. ust be done; it means that if
there is no cure for these diseases they
must be prevented.
A large majority of pcultymen know
nothing whatsoever of the anatomy of
the animals with which they are work
ing; thing which they should know.
Every poultryman should at least have
limited knowledge of the makeup of the
birds internally; more especially that of
the digestive, reproductive. and respira-
tory systems He should know how to
distinguish one organ from another, also
know how these organs look when nor
NAL and to a certain extent the function
of these parts. If he does not know the
way those organs look when normal
there is no way for him to know when
they are abnormal; he could not tell
whether the sick bird was suffering from
some trouble of the crop or the..ovaries.
The chances are he will look to every
| thing else before coming to the right
point, while the real cause is disastrously
working in his flock. He might hap
hazardly discover a preventive after
many trials which he would have come
to Immediately had he known with what
he was dealing, This man is working at
disadvantage, since he can neither get
help from others nor himself come to
the source of the trouble. To bring this
| fact home one has only to look at the
| inquiries and questions on poultry which
come to the State Colleges and Expert
ment Stations. Over half these Ques-
tons are on some disease or ailments of
the birds; the farmer has sick chicken
and wants to know what to do. A great
many of these questions cannot be
answered so that the farmer can be help
ed because the symptoms and eXpana-
ZION of the troubles are usually SO vague
and many times so inaccurate that moth
ing can be done. If these people, on the
other hand, had a knowledge of the
anatomy Of the birds so they could more
specifically give symptoms and descrip-
tions Of their troubles they could be help
ed very materially.
There are several very good reasons
Why ii does not pay to doctor poultry:
First. The individual bird is of too
small value to allow a man spending
nurh time in treating it.
St cond. The supposedly cured bird is
constantly coming IN contact with the
resi- OF the flock, which IN most cases is d
menace to the spreading OF the trouble
and 20 the outbreaks of new epidemcs
Third. A bird which has been serious
ly i'll never gets back to its former cond-
ton, which fact is shown by the low per
centage of fertility n the eggs and even
at the show it never has the glaze and
finish that it formerly had.
Fourth. Since the identity of the once
sick bird and especially its otfsprings, is
very likely 70 be overlooked and lost
more so with poultry than with other
harder to stamp out.
1t seems reasonable to give treatment
only when it can be applied to a flock con-
venlently, and treatment to individuals
when treatment is simple, easy, and
times. In dealing with poultry diseases
the first step is to diagnose the case,
ascertain the disease, if the bird is alive
to find out where it is suffering, if dead
make a post mortem of the organs for
any abnormalities; second, ascertain the
cause; third, counterfeit the conditions
leading to the disease, remove the con-
dition, and finally, if practical, attempt to
cure.
The old saying that an ounce of pre-
ventlon is worth a ton of remedy is es-
peclally true of poultry Prevention is
practically the only way we have of fight
ing the disease. Find out what to pre-
vent by knowing the diseases and when
your birds have them. Let him who has
no knowledge of these diseases and the
more simple anatomy of his birds ac-
quire it by studying his birds more close
~ and also by data which he can get
from the College of Agriculture in his
state, 50 that he not only can help him
self but can help and be helped by others