Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1914-06-11


antee your eggs to be free
from white diarrhea? VIII you give
me a signed statement to that effect?
These are the questions which the
prospective purchaser OF eggs or
breeding stock will be asking the
breeder before long. And he has a
right to, for the breeder is now in po-
,sition to make such a guarantee.
Any OF three methods may be used
to test breeding stock. In the first
method, the body cavity OF the laying
hen Is opened exactly as in the
-caponizing Of cockerels, and an exam
tnation OF the ovary is made, In the
case OF hens whose ovaries are In
fected, the ova or undeveloped eggs
will be found to have peculiar APP
pearance. Little or no change will
be noted In the small infected ova.
The larger infected ova, however, Of
ten present striking variations in
shape and texture. They are fire.
quently decidedly angular, and vary
in their consistency from soft and
liquid to firm and cheesy. There are
various degrees Of discolorations. At
times some Of the ova are found to
be of a peculiar bright yellow. again
they may be dark, almost black, and
occasionally more or less notified.
No matter how badly infected the
'ovary may be. large number OF the
ova are apparently normal. Hens
having abnormal oyaries should be
discarded at once.
With the second method the breed
1ng hens may all be trap nested, the
eggs marked and incubated in pedi-
gree trays. The chicks should be
banded and a record kept OF the band
numbers Of both the chicks and their
parents. When any chick shows signs
of the disease, he should be removed
at once and burned. His mother
should be removed from the breeding
flock. The brother and sister chicks
should be isolated and carefully
watched. The floor OF the pen where
the healthy chicks are kept should
he thoroughly cleaned and disinfect-
ed to prevent the contamination OF
the other chicks through the drop.
pings.
The third means Of testing the
breeding stock for white diarrhea is
the surest. The trouble with 1t is
that 1t can be done only in the labor
atory by the trained bacteriologist.
This is the direct meteorological test |
of a large number Of eggs from each /
breeding hen. Even the general prac-
-tltioner of veterinary medicine is not
at present qualified to do this, but
the time is not far distant when he
will be. When he Is. the purchasing |
public will demand that certificate
of soundness with reference to white
diarrhea be furnished by poultry
breeders just as the breeders of dairy
cattle now are compelled to show
such a certificate with reference to
tuberculosis.
If you have white diarrhea in your
mock, the earliest deaths may occur
within q very short time after hatch.
ing without any prominent symptoms,
excepting, perhaps weakness and lack
OF vitality. The characteristic whit
.ish discharge from the vent soon
makes its appearance in the flock,
the time depending, without doubt.
upon the virulence Of the organism
and the mode OF infection. The dis
charge may be slight or profuse, IN
color white or creamy, sometimes
mixed with brown. The vOided mat
ter has q more or less sticky or glairy
character. It may simply streak the
down below the vent or may cling to
the down in sufficiest quantity to seal
alp the vent. The latter condition,
however, is not necessarily Indicative
OF white diarrhea.
The chicks soon become listless and
sleepy and inclined to huddle togeth'
er, and remain under the hover much
OF the time. They seem to lose ap'
petite. Frequently when they attempt
70 take food their action Is more or
less mechanical. The wings begin to
.droop or project slightly from the
body, with feathers ruffled. In acute
cases the eyes are closed and the
chicks become Indifferent to every
thing that goes on about them. Many
of them peep or chirp constantly, the
sound being shrill or weak according
to the strength Of the individual.
Frequently. when endeavoring to void
the excreta, the chicks utter a shrill
twitter, apparently a cry OF pain.
The breathing may be labored, the
abdomen heaving with each breath.
Occasionally one may note a certain
amount of gasping or gaping.
During the progress OF the disease
the chick may die suddenly while still
fairly strong. When the disease is
prolonged the chicks gradually waste
away, becoming weaker and weaker
until they are scarcely able to sup
port their own weight. In this stage
they will often be seen to rest against
foreign objects for support, standing
with legs braced apart. squatting or