The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-06-12

antee your eggs 10 Dc Tree
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.
Amy 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
nation Of the ovary Is made. In the
case of hens whose ovaries are in
rected, the ova or undeveloped eggs
will be found to have a peculiar ap-
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 mottled.
No matter how badly infected the
ovary may be, large number Of the
ova are apparently normal. Hens
having abnormal ovaries should be
discarded at once.
With the second method the breed
ing hens may all be trap nested, the
eggs marked and incubated in pedi-
gree trays. The chicks should be
banded and 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
be 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 it can be done only in the labor
atory by the trained bacteriologist
This Is the direct psychological test
of large number of eggs from each
breeding hen. Even the general prac'
titioner 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 a 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.
II you have white diarrhea in your
flock, the earliest deaths may occur
within a 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 a more or less sticky or glairy
character. 1t may simply streak the
down below the vent or may cling tt
the down in sufficiest quantity to sea
up the vent. The latter condition
however, is not necessarily indicative
of white diarrhea.
The chicks soon become listless ant
sleepy and inclined to huddle togeth
er, and remain under the hover mucl
Of the time. They seem to lose ap
petite. FREQ gently when they attemp
to take food their action is more o
less mechanical. The wings begin t,
droop or project slightly from tn
body, with feathers ruffled, In acut
, cases the eyes are closed and tn
chicks become Indifferent to every
thing that goes on about them. Man
of them peep or chirp constantly, tn
3 sound being shrill or weak accordin
r to the strength Of the individual
: frequently, when endeavoring to vol
3 the excreta, the chicks utter a shri
= twitter, apparently a cry OF pail
: The breathing may be labored, tn
g abdomen heaving with each breatl
n Occasionally one may note a certai
amount Of gasping or gaping.
During the progress of the diseas
u the chick may die suddenly while sti
. fairly strong. When the disease
= prolonged the chicks gradually was
u away, becoming weaker and weak
until they are scarcely able to su
port their own weight. In this stat
they will often be seen to rest again
y foreign objects for support, standiI
10 with legs braced apart, squatting
m lying utterly helpless.
t, Frequently the chicks take on Z
III onnearanca which poultrymen c;