Milford chronicle., 1917-03-09
The Cause Of Mortality
Among Young Chicks
By J. H. MeFAUL, Jr.
CdH Rights RSsS,Ved1

With the coming Of spring, it is almost certain
! that the same old cry that OF chick mortality. viii
again be heard from many breeders
| In times gone BY many breeders who have been
| apparently successful 10 that they hRtched large
| numbers Of perfectly healthy looking youngsters.
| soon had old Man Mortality sneak in and rob
them Of the greater portion If indeed not all. OF
their broods
, This condition is almost general although when
hatehed the chicks seemed 70 be in the best Of
health and vigOr. yet later without any apparent
cause. lay down and turning up their toes bid
farewell 70 mother earth. This indeed mortality
There are. of course. many Of the little fellows
that die a. the result of white dsrrhoea. which is
by far the most deadly disease known 70 the poul-
try industry. There 10 q reason, however. for the
death Of the chicks whether il be from white
/ diarrhoea or from the other cause.
1 When foCks are entirely free from the presence
Of white diarrhoea. or what 10 commonly called
bowel trouble. and still large numbers Of appar-
emily perfectly healthy chicks lay down and give
up the ghost don't console yourself that this s
/ a natural course Of events Such is not the case.
There is reason for this IS well as for other
causes, and in order 70 prevent the Wholesale
dropping of Of the little fellows you must eradi-
| Whenever YOU see the chicks begin to drop off.
look for the presence Of lice on them | firmly
believe that more chicks are carried of annually
| by the Parasite Route" than any other cause.
and in practically nine cases out of every ten
| where the chicks lay down and turn up their toes.
! il is due to their being eaten up with lice.
This disease, for il certainly can be claassed as
a disease is purely an external one and one for
the existance Of which there is no earthly excuse.
This disease does not exist in the yards Of the at
/ tentive poultryman and should il be the trouble
with your birds you can conclude that you are not
! an attentive breeder.
| II is absolutely impossible for the little chicks
themselves to rid their bodies Of these parasites
and thus be successful in their battles with life
but on the other hand. they are compelled 70 rely
/ almost entire upon the breeder TO chase the lice
/ thus giving them an even chance in their fight
against the elements.
/ The inattentve poultryman or breeder Of fowls
! loses q considerable portion Of what would be
profit BY not giving the chicks his careful and IN
divided attention at time when they most need
| Il and when it means dollars and cents to him
The parasite or louee, If allowed 70 remain on
the little chicks. will sap out their very life blood
and the wholesale mortality in chick life can be
almost invariably traced 70 this cause More
chicks die each year as a result Of being lousy
than from any other cause. white diarrhOea or
bowel trouble included.
There are many different species Of lice. but the
ones which the average poultryman is called upon
70 deal with are body and head lice. These prove
more disastrous 70 the fowls than any other kind.
and II not checked, will mean the loss OF many
beauti ful and promising specimens. Il takes them
but q little while 20 get start. and the fact that
they multiply rapidly. makes them extremely hard
stanty Fight of the lice they will kill off the
ehicks-this is a mighty good phase to remember
in the conduct Of your plant.
To the two forms Of parasits mentioned above
might add another which causes the poultroman
no end Of trouble. and while It does not lurke on
the bodies Of the fowls and cause them discomfort
andd seOmfort during the daylight hours It is
equally harmful through its night pranka
This is the little red mite which secretes itself
during the day but pays nightly visits 70 the
bodies Of the fowls and at a time when they
are being worried by the presence Of these insects
which sap out what blood the body lice have failed
10 get.
lice BY constant and careful attention. yet all the
efforts in this direction will avail nothing in so-far
as the little red mites are concerned These must