The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-30

BY MRS. JOHN C. MOSES.
Demon disease is difficult to control
among flocks of poultry because fowls
are housed together in relatively large
numbers and when disease develops the
comparatively low value of each bird
does not justify special care and atten-
ton for each individual hen. Hence. it
is essential to protect the flock against
the entrance of disease. UAsess main
tanned in healthy condition chicks will
not grow properly while mature fowls
will rapidly lose their vigor and vitality
and become unproductive and unproft-
able. Prevention against disease is SIM
pie, attempt to cure a bird after it be-
comes sick is difficult. Safety first for
the flock necessitates scrupulous care
not to expose the birds needlessly and to
practice all precautions which make for
hen health.
Gapes, roup, chicken pox snd scaly leg
are the "big four among poultry dis
eases. Annually these pestilences invade
flocks and exact heavy mortality. Gapes
is the "ker-choo" or sneeze diseases of
chickens, which always may be recog
nized by the fact that it incites the fowls
to continuous coughing and generally
affects young chicks and young turkeys
in the first few weeks of their lives.
Gapes is caused by little worm which
dlJdtnbS llSStl TO The lHSlQe Ol TIE WlHu-
pipe, where it multipGes and ultimately
obstructs the passage so that breathing
| is made difficult and ultimately prohib-
| tied to the extent that the bird chokes
and dies. The female worm. while re-
siding in the windpipe of the fowl pro-
duces many eggs which are distributed
widely as the chicks sneeza or are
| swallowed and scattered about through
the intestinal tract. The young worms
yxr1o toh thoca live n the
earth for a long time and ultimately
are picked up and swallowed by young
| chicks. thereby completing the cycle of
the disease. This explains how infection
| is carried over from one year to an
other and why it is important that the
same ground should not be used year
after year for chicken raising operations.
OF course, the best control is to keep
the chicks on fresh clean soil at all times
| IF they develop the disease, move them
] Immediately to fresh pasture where the
grass is plentiful. Spread lime heavily
over infested areas and pillow expediously
| in order to destroy any worms present.
! Expert 'lariat work" a reminder of the
| western range variety, is necessary to
rid the chicks gullet of these worms.
This is accomplished by taking q long
| hair from a horses tail, twisting the
| two ends together to form a loop and in
| sorting it down the chicks windpipe
about one inch, giving it two or three
| turns and then withdrawing it with the
| struggling worms which it encircles. This
should be repeated until all the invaders
are captured and destroyed by scald-
ing or burning.
! Roup is the hay fever ailment of poul-
| try, as it induces profuse watery dis
charges from the eyes and nostrils. which
ultimately interfere with the bird s
breathing Eyelids so swollen that they
stick together and loss of appetite are
also evidences of this complaint. The
| silment is very CONTAGIOUS and is dis
| tributed by the saliva discharge from the
mouth and nostrils. being scattered
br cadcast when poultry feeding utensils
are used community fashion. Prevention
consists in keeping the house clean, well
ventilated and disinfected while the
| fowls should not be exposed to draughts
which induce colds. Purchased birds
should be isolated for two or three weeks
and watched closely for signs of this
disease before being liberated in the gen.
| eral flock.
/ If roup enters the flock. isolate sick
birds in warm dry places where there Is
| plenty of fresh air and no draughts
| Wash the eyes and mouth of each bird
| with warm salt water and massage the
| nostrils and the eyelids in order to lessen
! the watery discharge accumulated there
| Then wash or dip the birds heads in a
| solution composed of two heaping tea
spoons of boracic acid or a half teaspoon
| of permanganate of potash in one pint