Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-02
POULTRY YARD NOTES.

Every poultry grower must nave
.on,e idea of fowl health" No matter
how careful we may be in the care Oh
our birds, sickness is likely to present
itself. AS with the human spee,.s'
fowls are subject to a great many all
ments. Fortunately. most OF them arc
more or less trifiing. providing tney
are taken in time. and will RESPOND
quickly to simple treatment. The point
is for the pou1tryman to be able to DE-
tect the sick bird at glance, dias nose
the ailment and prescribe lof IL
The diagnosis may be made from e1.
ternal symptoms, or 1t may necessita.e
killing the bird and performing
autopsy. The examination may reveal
some slight irregularity which can pc
attributed to Encouragement In feed
ing or housing, in which case the error
should be corrected; or 1t may snow
that germs of some virulent oiseese
have gained a foothold: ana , SGc 10
safeeuard the rest Of the flock. Do not
be afraid to sacrifice a bird or two In
order to ascertain the cause OF a maj
ady or to prevent the spreaa .. TO-
necessary for the safety of the rest OF
the flock, which Is the chief considera-
ton.
Indications Of Sickness.
Experienced poultrymen make 1t a
practice to note the condition OF every
bird every day. Where fowis are IT. ea u
gigantic task, but 1t is not SO dimcuit
as 1t seems. Any one accustomed 70
being around poultry can oistinguisn1
at a glance the fowl that Is out OF
sorts. <..s,,.
times and when the birds go to roost "
is a simple matter to detect the Iowi
that is out of condition. II a pro re-
after all the other birds have leit. or II
n fails to return to the roost at night.
and. instead, stands IN some corner OF
the building. there is something wrong
II II mopes around with rufhed feathers
and head drawn close to Its BODY. II II
is sluggish in any respect. especially II
it moves away slowly when approacneo,
n is not in normal health. A fowl IN
good condition is anxious to leave the
perch in the morning, alert and active.
keen for its food, and moves ABOUT Win
n free gait It's movements and conduct
are in such sharp contrast to the sick
bird that the latter is almost always
conspicuous.
It should be borne in mind. however.
that while the foregoing manifestations
are indications Of illness they 90 n ths
complaint To ascertain the exact ma
ture of the trouble the bird must be
caught and closely examined. Hence
the advice-to isolate the sick bird at
once.
Ailments Told at a Glance.
Tn this article we will take up some
of the ills that can be told at glance.
No attempt will be made to furnish
technical description Of them. merely to
outline the general symptoms. their
causes and simple treatments
RumbIe foot is one of the minor all
-nents, and a common one where nara
floors are used A callous or corn forms
on the bottom of the foot and between
the toes. which later becomes a palniu =.
cansed by the birds jumping from
nerches that are too high, or from
bruises and irritations by sp!inters;
fowl so afflicted will limp ana stano on
Painting with tincture Of Iodine viii
,;s.inate the callous il taken in the
oarlv stages; but II 1t mas ulceraeeu,
open the ulcer, remove any pus, Siesns
Ne wound with an antiseptic. and then
bind the foot In an appiiea'ion VI ~
Con hound is a hard and swollen
condition of the Group caused py an Oh
<truction to the gullet from the crop.
81 Nv eoreing large quantities of grain
Dy ss,reii and ferment. The fowl is
,roonv. the comb and head are purplish
~ caIor. and a sour-smelling liquid runs
from the mouth. Give castor OIL or
nth the fingers until 1t becomes sort
'r5er the effects Of the oil, and then
,oId the bird head downward and try TO
empty the contents of the crop.
Timber neck is partial. loss OF con-
troll of the muscles of the neck, and is
generally caused by eating putrid AM.
nal natter A fowl so afflicted cannot
hold its head upright. but twists II
around from side to side and staggers
about drunkenly. The disease is NOT
stubhorn to cure. The point to rer1ern-
Sa- is this, the condition that gave IT to
one fowl are likely to give 1t to the rest
IT the flock, so be careful to ascertain
the cause and remove 1t at once.
Treatment for Timber Neck.
mill Of asafetida night and morning
for a couple Of days 10 a good remedy.
also borax in water. a tablespoonful to
a mint. pouring a large dose OF the So
,ution down the fowls throat three or
four times a day. Castor oil or turpen-
tine and warm water are two otner
highly recommended remedies;
cloaca, which causes frequent passages
Of white. offensive discharge that
collects on the skin and feathers around
he vent. 1t rs very dtficult to cure
and such specimens are better on dead.
Though not contagious. the trouble IL
transmissible. especially by the male
birds. consequently such specimens
should be removed from the flock.
Scaly leg is an irritated condition OF
POULTRY, PETS & LIVESTOCK. |