Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-04-02
WHITE DIARRHOEA.

WHITE DIARRHOEA.
A few years ago white diarrhoea
was carrying off millions of chicks
every spring. Today there is less
than half as many lost in this way.
although there are still enough cas-
ualities from this cause to reduce the
poultry profits of the nation by hun
dreds of thousands of dollars. The
main difficulty has been overcome
the causes, or at least part of them,
have been discovered. AS is usually
the case an understanding of the
causes has robbed white diarrhoea of
many of its terrors. Leaving out
the medical terms and stating the
case in plain English, white dar-
rhoea is the result of diseased parent
stock or unsanitary conditions in the
lncubators, brooder or poultry yard.
Dr. Selman states that there are four
kinds of bacteria which may cause
the disease and all of them easily
transmitted through unclean incuba-
tors, brooders, drinking vessels, the
outside of the eggs, and sometimes
the microbes are contained within
the egg, where the hen that pro-
duced the egg was infected with one
or more forms of the disease germs.
Overheating, chilling or the use of
unclean food may also cause the dis.
ease to appear.
The uusal symptoms of the dis
ease are a tendency to huddle to-
gether, desire to remain under the
hover or under the hen more than
young chicks should. Soon the
chicks appear listless, Indifferent to
what is going on about them, stupid
and sleepy. They stand in one posi-
ton with eyes partly closed, their
plumage becomes rough and dull,
wings droop and soon the diarrhoea
appears. The droppings may be
white and creamy or may be mixed
with brownish material. They are
very sticky and often the vent be-
comes pasted up" The chicks
chirp or peep" almost constantly
and gradually becomes weaker and
weaker until death results. Chicks
from a day to three or four weeks
old may be carried away with the
disease, but infection takes place be-
| fore they are Matched or within a
very few days after. In fact, most
authorities agree that after about ave
days the young chicks are entirely
unsusceptible to infection. ~s
Medical Treatment Impractical.
Medical treatment of infected
chicks is impracticable. as 1t is too
expensive and usually has very little
effect on the course of the disease.
There are dozens Of "curealls" on
the market, but most of them are of
little or no value. Sour milk or but
termilk seems to be of more value
than most of the so-called "reme-
dies"
Preventive measures are the best
cure and should begin with the eggs
used for Matching. II these are pur-
chased they should be accepted only
from flocks that are known to be
healthy and vigorous. Eggs should
be kept in a cool. well-ventilated
place and not allowed to come in
contact with moldy or unclean hay
or straw. We recommend wiping the
eggs with alcohol diluted with
about ona-third water) before set
ting. This destroys any germs that
may be on the surface of the shell.
If hens are used for Matching they
should be given clean nests and
should be clean and free from lice
themselves. II incubators are used
they should be first thoroughly
cleaned with a good disinfectant,
such as per cent cresol solution
or zenoleum. The brooder should be
treated in the same way.
After the chicks are placed in the
brooders or in the colony coops they
should be kept scrupulously clean and
the ground not permitted to become
sour or filthy. A little precaution Is
worth more than all the remedies on
the market. White diarrhoea is
really not such "bugbear" as 1t
sounds. Many poultrymen have been
| in the business for quarter OF
century and never had it in their
fiocks--the reason is plain: they
gave their focks proper attention
and care, kept things clean and never
introduced new blood from unknown
focks that were already infected.
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