Milford chronicle., 1926-08-20
POULTRY INDUSTRY
DOUBLES In VALUE
In PAST FIVE YEARS
(continued from first pageJ


being constructed throughout the
state, l assume that this will nearly
he doubled again within the next five
years. 1t is not difficult, therefore, TO
understand the necessity of safe
guarding properly an industry of
such great value.
Fighting Disease
at might well be asked, then,
what is the greatest hindrance to
this industry? And the answer would
be. disease. There is no form of ami
NAL life that suffers more from the
ravages of disease than fowls. Loss
es from the general maladies are
heavy, and those from the infectious
ones are sometimes appalling. Entire
focks are frequently decimated. A
great deal of attention was focused
on the poultry industry the past year
by the quarantine existing in some
of the Eastern markets upon Loul-
try coming from the West, because
of the presence of the disease known
as fowl pest. Fowl pest was reported
within this State, the past year, for
the first time. Prompt destruction OF
the flock was ordered, thereby avert
ing a quarantine on poultry and
poultry products coming from the
State, which would have wrought
untold hardships upon the poultry
men. The rapidity with which lntec-
tious diseases travel through t1ocks
closely housed causes their control
to be exceedingly difficult
"AlI improvements in husbandry
must be based upon the health and
yigor of the foundation stock. Dis
eases resulting in either death or
disability mean loss. There are some
diseases that are more devastating
than others. One of these is known
as bacillary white diarrhea. 1t is
probably the greatest menace to the
poultry industry. 1t attacks particu-
larly baby chicks, and therefore
strikes at the root of the industry.
This disease has become such SER
ious menace, to the purchasers or
baby chicks, and to the hatcherymen,
that steps have been taken IN var
ious states to eradicate or limit as
far as possible the spread, and dis
SemlQaLlOu Ol lulS uAoSdoO'
Diarrhea Worst Menace
"Bacillary white diarrhea is unus-
ual, distinct from most diseases, IN
that it is transmitted as a usual
thing through the egg. The baby
chick is born with the disease, and
it usually destroys the chick within
the first ten days or two weeks of its
life. We probably know more about
bacillary white diarrhea, its life
cycle. than we do about other dis
eases, due to the fact that much re-
search has been done upon this prob
lem. It has been found that hens
known as Carriers" of the germ can
be detected by a blood test. These
hens. when eliminated from flock,
tend to diminish, and eventually
eliminate the possibilities of the dis
ease being present in baby chicks
from that flock.
"This is one of the principal duties
of this laboratory. In testing hocks
for white diarrhea, we tend not
only to eliminate this dangerous dis
ease. but to strengthen the conh-
dence of the buying public in baby
chicks purchased in the State OF
Delaware. During the past Matching
season there were probably 3OO,OOO
baby chicks batched and sold from
certified hatcheries alone in this
state. These chicks, if sold at an
average price of ten cents a piece,
would bring $4,000. Indications for
+he coming year promise that this
number will be increased one-half
or thereabouts. There were probably
750. 900 more chicks sold from non
certified hatcheries. 1t is one of the
stems in the Standardization OF mar
ket products, which is in accordance
with the present national plan.
Tested $4,000 Birds
"a great many states are rapidly
taking I'D this work, and in order to
keep pace with their neighbors, to
cause Delaware products to be equal
ly as popular in the open market
this plan was instituted in this state.
We have in that connection tested
36. 400 birds contained in 124 fiocks,
distributed well over the State, but
for the most part being in Sussex
county. Flocks meeting the require
ments of the State Board Of Agr1-
culture were accredited, and hatch
cries meeting this requirement were
certified. This tended to put prem
ium on their products. The work
was new, the standards set for nock
owners were not as rigid as they will
he in the course of five or six years.
However, people were enlightened as
to the object of the work, and they
Lave responded most unusually.
1--WE have at the present time, re-
quests to test between $4,000 and 9O,-
900 birds annually in this state. 1t
can readily be seen that unless our
capacity is increased, there will be
a large per cent O. ock owners that
cannot receive tn benefits OF THIS
work. A charge Of five cents was
made to cover the cost of collecting
the blood samples.
eve have taken in S1,823.9O. Our
original appropriation was $4,000 a
wear. making a total of $6,823.90. 1t
has cost us 18 cents to test each
sample. The amount of work done
on the appropriation available COM
pares very favorably with previous
work here and in neignboring states.
we have i'll addition to this work
made 145 visits to farms in various
parts of the State for purpose Of as
sisting in disease control.
"The services of the laboratory
have been at the command not only
of poultrymen, but other live stock
men and veterinarians as well.
There were 4O4 specimens, compris-
ing SS1 chickens, 6 horses, 3 dogs, 2
cows. 9 turkeys and 9 hogs, that
= ...,.;,,ad II, tho IahOra-