The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-07-05
rPrepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture.)

tPrepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agricultural
"T B." in the flock does not stand
for talented breadwinners." 1t slgnl-
6es that the fowl are afflicted WITH
tuberculosis, which means that the
flock as a unit must Ego west" HAIR
Way measures are futile in tlghtlng
tuberculosis, as there is no treatment
of any avail against the disease IN
poultry. The one practical course Is
TO kill off the whole flock with maxi
mum expedition and Immediately
thereafter to disinfect thoroughly all
the houses and runs.
tuberculosis of fowls is a chronic
contagious disease, characterized by
the development of nodules called tu-
bercles in various organs of the body
but most frequently in the liver, spleen
and intestines. T. B. of fowls is read
lly communicated to most species OF
birds and to several species of man.
mails, but 1t is almost impossible TO
communicate the tuberculosis Of man
and cattle to fowls. Parrots and the
smaller Gagged birds are very suscep-
tihle to human tuberculosis, however,
and are often affected by it.
r. q, Introduced by Purchase.
tuberculosis is generally introduced
into the poultry yard by fowls pur-
chased from infected fiocks, or by eggs
of diseased birds that are obtained for
Matching. If the disease exists in
neighboring focks the contagion may
be carried by small birds or animals
passing from one yard to another. A
regularity of tuberculosis of birds is
that the liver and intestines are nearly
always very severely affected. anc
that as a consequence the bacilli are
very numerous in the intestinal con
tents and are scattered with the drop
pings everywhere that the fowl 60
The introduction of single diseased
bird, therefore, may cause the lntec
ton of the greater part of the flock Il
a few weeks. In the same way whel
wild birds contract the disease the ba
cilli are carried and deposited in al
{ the yards which they visit.
The eggs of diseased birds frequent
: " contain the bacilli, as has bee
y proved by the incubation OF materif
+ from such eggs into susceptible expe
mental animals. The young chick
Matched from such infected eggs al
n diseased when they leave the shel
e and of course soon infect the poultl
with which they run. Moreover. sint
the infertile incubated eggs are otte
fed to chickens, it is evident tn
!, even the eggs which do not hatch me
introduce the contagion unless tn
= are cooked before feeding. Pigs, Cal
- rats and mice are especially liable
be infested with fowl tuberculos
;, from eating the carcasses OF Dir
- which have died, to the extent tn
these animals transmit the contagi
=. to other fowls. Even calves anu CO..
are sometimes found suffering frt
this form of tuberculosis.
No Early External Evidences.
;. For the most part there are no
ia ternal symptoms Of 7. B. In the no
ne until the disease has reached an
70 yanced stage Of development. In
70 the birds begin to show gradual X
in of weight, wasting of muscles, pa
to ness Of the comb. and toward the g
on dullness and sleepiness. Very OH
Id there is at the same time q tuber
" lous Inflammation Of the joints and
the sheaths Of tendons, which is
vealed by lameness, swelling OF
Joints and legs, and sometimes by
formation Of hard external tumors
- considerable size. Occasionally
=, skin over the swollen joints brea
o. the interior of the joint is ulcerat
~ and q small quantity OF pt1s contain
a. large numbers of tubercle bacllli
SUI discharged. Swellings and bony
lso largements of the joints Of fowl
ay, invariably suspicious and their nat
OF should always be investigated by
DER ing the bird and examining the IL
IND spIeen and intestines to detern
Sed whether these have on their surft
any whitish or yellowlsh spots wi
when cut into prove to be tubercul
masses.
the AS was previously mentioned
iiv- vention by the rapid exterminatiol
of the diseased flock is the only effec
on control when T. B. goes on RAM
not among the fowl. II any birds slig
affected are retained the chances
they will be subsequent carriers
distributors OF the disease. Hent
49, 49,. is not advisable to keep any I
'S s that have been exposed to the
w tagion, no matter how valuable
~ may be. The birds that have
20 or are killed, as well as all the