Evening star., 1916-06-04


poultry in America is concerned. is
| tuberculosis. While the disease has
| been ecoenized for many years in
Europe. it was not discovered in this
country until about 1900. 1t is quite
possible, however, that fowl tuhercu-
losis existed in America prior to that
time. but had never been properly
diagnosed. For years poultrymen have
been haffied with a peculiar lingering
disease. which. for want of better
name. they called going light. 1t
F., may he that the trouble was tuhercu-
loss. but not so recognized.
| Reports coming to the various ex-
pertinent stations indicate that the dls-
ease is on the increase. and that unless
/ prompt steps are taken to eradicate IT
tuberculosis may become serious
menace to the poultry industry. FOR
I this reason poultry raiserS should De
| able to recognize the symptoms ana
| should know what steps to take IN
! case it is found on the premises.
! tuberculosis is due to a specihc germ
very similar to. if not Identical WITH
the germ which causes tuberculosis IN
| cattle and consumption in human pc
! ings. 1t is transmitted from one nlrd
to another by contact onlN-tnat Is. the
germs never travel through the air, as
| is the case with the germs OF certain
other diseases. Tho most common
| method of transmission is through the
droppines. While some invest1Gators
claim that the disease can be trans
| mitted through eggs laid by injected
hens, this fact does not seem TO nave
| been definitely established.
| One reason why fowl tuberculosis is so
! hard to combat is that il works so slowly,
| 1t is possible for practically the entire mock
| to become infected before the first vlctins
begin to show outward symptoms. Ihe nrsi
! lIN- fh.lt
! is losing flesh and becoming listiess ana
| droopy The plumaee becomes ruffcd ana
loses its gloss. The comb and face gro"
pale. The eyes may appear normally or
| even abnormally bright, due 10 lever inc
| patient slowly grows weaker, perhaps be
| coming unable to walk on account OF
| wea kness. The droppings become green
and death finally ensues- Birds showing
the above symptoms before death should
be opened and carefully examined i'll fact,
| much can be learned by performing a
post -mortem on all birds that die, from
| whatever cause Fowl tuberculosis rarely
| attacks the lungs. Anrost invariably 1t Is
| the liver which becomes Infected. Small
yelloWish or Whitish spots ttubercules),
! of a cheesy consistency and varying in size
from one-SIXteenth to one-fourth inch IN
diameter. will be found scattered over the
| surface of the liver. These tuhercules are
the hatcheries for the germs which do the
deadly work, and will always be found in
birds which have died from this disease.
| No certain cure has yet been discov-
| cred. The disease only be Grad
icated by killing and burning the in
! fected birds and thoroughly cleaning
| and disinfecting the premises. If the
| flock has become badly infected the
only safe thing to do is to dispose of
the entire flock and allow the plant to
! stand d year before restocking it. The
! Yards and runs should be deeply plowed
| or spaded. and sown to some green
| crop. Commercial chloride of lime
! should be scattered q bout the houses,
| on the droppingS platforms. IN the cor
nerS of the runs. etc. The interior of
the houses should he thoroughly white
| washed. a pint of crude carbolic acid
having been added to each five gal
Ions of whitewash. 1t is best to strain
the whtewaSh and apply it while warm
by means of a spray pump. so that it
will penetrate every crack and crevice
All eating trouehs, drinking fountai inS,
etc. should be thoroughly disnfected
with any standard coal tar preparation.
Thoroughness should be the watch
word, otherwise the efforts will be in
vain.
\ correspondent asks: Can you
kindly tell me the cause of chicks pick
ing one anotherS feet? ! have sixty
five single-combed white leghorns, three
weeks old They pick at each others
! feet from the second or third day until
| their feet and toes bleed. They are
! worse when they see the blood. ] have
! them in d brooder .4x4s inches. floor
covered with litter. Have bone meal.
! charcoal and grit before them at all
times"
| This trouble is quite common among
chicks that are kept in close contine-
ment aud suffer for want of exercise
and meat food and green food If it is
possible TO provide some range for your
chicks and let them get out on the
ground, il will be advantageous in many
ways If you can't do this you must
darken the windows III the room where
, the chicks kept while they are in
the brooder, and only let hI more light
during the period when the chicks are
being fed their scratch feed and when
they are kept too busy to develop a bad
habit OF this nature. We have seen a
number of large poultry farms where
4 they frosted or painted the windows of
the brooding house sort of blue color
rms prevented the chicks from develop
ing this habit. We have seen others tie
a small piece of tough meat on a string
I and swing II in the center Of the brood
er runway and place it just high enough
\ 50 that the chicks would have to jump
to reach 1t. They were kept busy at tn 5
and did not develop this habit. / think
the trouble IN your case has resulted
I because of close confinement and be-
| cause OF the fact that the chicks evi-
\ IDENTIFY haven't been given freedom or
Compel more exercise, darken your win.
tdows, give a tiny biz Of green cut bone
or ground meat each day and give al
3 the freedom possible.
II The gray poultry mite takes on a dis
tlhcf reddish cast after the meal O.
DIoOd. IT Is commonest in da mp, dar k
dirty poultry houses. where il thrive.
\ upon NTH The logical remedies recon
q mended BY T. J. Talbert of the Missour
Agricultural College are sunshine, ven
4 tilat!on and cleanliness.
The henhouse should be constructed
Ices 20 furnish hiding places for tn
Mites feed al night, crawling from fow
Introduce them into the entire flock
2 Sunshine is one of the best disinfect
} ants well a great foe to the mite
Regular spraying with kerosene emul
ID sion, strong tobacco solutions. com
te Inercial stock dips will help great
~ | Commercial lime, sulphur and miscibl
oils put the market in such forr
| that they will mix readily with waite
for use In spraying orchards also ar
- helpful in combating the mite.
a! One application Is not enough and tn
spray should be repeated in about
tweek in order to kill the young whic
= may have developed. 1t should be az
L piled with sufficient force TO penetra,
all cracks and crevices.
= Taibert gives the following direction
for making kerosene emulsion: Di,
: solve one-half pound Of laundry soa
~ ~ or pound Of lye soap, In gallon {
~ soft water. take the solution off II
fire and add two gallons of keroser
y before cooling. Mix them thorough