Imperial Valley press., 1917-04-25
BUTTERM|LK GOOD IN
CASE Of SICK CHICKS

Buttermilk has been proved a cure
for one Of the two most fatal dis
cases of young chicks in California
coccidiosis. Since one of the II.
practical ways of increasing the food
supply in the present great national
emergency is to prevent needless dis
ease among domestic animals, there
IS particular timcliness in this an
nouncement, just made by the Uni
versity in a paper by DR.. J. B. Beach,
assistant in veterinary science at the
University Farm at Davis, obtainable
free by writing to the College of Ag-
riculture at Bel kelley.
How this buttermilk treatment may
be used to free flock Of young chick
ems from the infectious disease known
as "coccidiosis" or "coccidial enteritis''
may also be investigated by the farm
day, April 28. to the University Farm
at Davis, where demonstrations will
be given Of how two thousand chick
ems are kept healthy and productive.
This costly disease of coccidiosis is
caused by the tiny protozoon organ
isms known as "coccidia." Usually the
chicks thrive until they are a few
weeks old, and then begin to droop,
and often whole flocks of chicks die
within a month or six weeks after the
appearance of the disease.
An outbreak may be controlled,
however, says the University, by sani-
tary measures and by proper feed
ing. The sickest of the chicks should
be isolated from the others or killed
and burned. The chicken house should
be cleaned with strong, hot disin
fecting solution. The floors should
be covered with a thin litter of shaw
ings, chopped alfalfa hay or straw.
ard this should be swept out and
burned daily. Feeding and drinking
vessels should be kept scrupulously
clean.
The method Of feeding is very i'm
pcrtant. The infected flocks of chick:
should be fed small amount of grain
night and morning end mash during
the middle of the day, btu this mash
not offered for more than two hours
daily. Buttermilk should be kept con.
stantly before the chicks. This re-
striction of the grain ration will keel
the chicks hungry, and they will con
sumo large quantities of butter milk
The result will be the constant pres
ence of acid and healty condition O.
the mucous membrane of the intes
tines, which will prevent the multipli
cation of the coecidis which caus,
the disease.
The University last January had a,
outbreak of this disease in a flocl
Of 73O two months old chicks. Alread,
TO per cent of the chicks were Wis
IDLY sick when the disease was dis
covered. The infection was unusual
ly severe. Use of this buttermilE
r.ethod brought about immediate i'm
provement. In less than three week:
al evidence of the disease had dis
appeared, with only per cent death
rate. In spite of limiting the grail
ration, the chicks made normal growth
cn diet primarily Of buttermilk.
Means of fighting the other most
serious disease of chicks, "bacillary
white diarrhoe" or fatal septicemia,
which, once started, seldom kills les!
than half the flock, are also set forti
in this same University publication
There is no really satisfactory meth
cd of treating chicks thus affected
so the great thing to attempt is pre-
vention of the spread of infection, by
separating all sick chicks from tbs
rest of the flock, scrupulous sanitary
precautions, and the use for Matching
Of eggs from flocks known to be free
from infection.