Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1928-03-02
GROW HEALTHY CHICKS
Chick Losses Ave- To0 HeaYY

of age an average of 2O.79o Of thei
chicks died. The best record showed
: a loss of 51%o and the poorest rec
ord showed a loss Of 34.590. Will
such a mortality on nine better
farms it is safe to assume that thu
+ average loss in the state ran IS t.
4O96. Instances of so to 1000 losses
f were known. Apparently the most Of
/ these losses were caused by weak
= chicks, coccidiosis, and worms. Be
cause of weather conditions cocci-
diosis and worms were much worse
- than usual.
Poultrymen from northern states
tell us that we are just beginning to
experience some of the troubles that
always occur sooner or later in Sec
lions where poultry is reared in
large numbers. They say that if we
! expect to stay in the poultry bust
ness we will have to give more at
tention to the prevention of diseases
by sanitary practices. These people
are speaking from experience and
Delaware poultrymen should profit
by their advice.
"GrOw Healthy Chicks" DemOnstra-
lions
The poultry specialist at the Uni
versity of Delaware and the County
Agricultural Agents in each county
are arranging to conduct a number
of Grow Healthy Chicks Demonstra-
lions in Delaware this year. They
will find rs or 80 poultrymen who
are interested enough to keep COM
plete records on their growing stock
and follow a special Grow Healthy
Chick Program. They will practice
the following eight points that have
helped the poultrymen in Connectl-
cut to cut their losses in half during
the last two seasons.
The Grow Healthy Chicks Program
/. CLEAN CHICKS.
Start with chicks that are free
from disease. Kill all weak and iun-
I ty chicks at the start.
There appears to be only one dis
ease that can be passed down
through the egg from the hen to the
chick-and that disease is Bacillary
White Diarrhea. Hens that produce
White Diarrhea infected chicks can
be detected by means of blood test
called the Agglutination test. Test
ing the flocks and removing the re-
actors helps to produce chicks that
are free from the disease when they
are Matched. Several pOultrymen IN
Delaware have had their fiocks OIL
cially tested by the State Board OF
Agriculture for several years.
few flocks have passed two succeed
ing free tests. Chicks from these
iocks are almost certain to be free
from disease-Clean!
Clean chicks-chicks that do not
have a disease when Matched can be
kept free from contagious diseases
and parasites if the proper pTecau-
tions are taken. In other words, be
fore a chick can become sick with
any contagious disease or parasite 1t
must first get hold of the germ or
other living thing that causes the
trouble.
Contagious diseases do NOT just
spring up voluntarily. They must be
carried in some way from sick bird
10 the well birds. Sometimes diseases
are carried in very peculiar ways.
For instance, certain mosquitoes
carry malaria fever from one person
to another, and house flies carry
tape worms from one chicken to an
other.
Even filth does not create diseases.
Birds may remain perfectly healthy
in filthy houses if no germs are
there to attack them. But filth offers
a good breeding place for disease
germs and increases the chances for
them to spread when they have |
been carried in. For this :eason 1t
is much safer to keep things very
clean.
The object of the eight point pro
gram in this Grow Healthy Chick
Campaign is to start with clean
chicks and keep them clean by keep
ing disease germs away from them
2. CLEAN INCUBATORS.
Chick diseases may be spread in
the incubator. Between each hatch,
scrape all manure from machine and
trays. Scrub the machine and trays
with soapy hot water. Then spray
them with a strong solution OF
permitted disinfectant.
Use clean burlap or canvas in nur-
sery trays.
3. CLEAN BROODER HOUSES.
Clean the diseases out before put
ting the chicks in. Before each new
hatch of chicks, the brooder house
should be cleaned as follows:
Scrape every particle of manure
loose from the floor and fixtures in
the house.
Sweep the walls and ceiling and
floor.
Scrub the walls, floor and fixtures
with a strong solution of hot I've
water. Il pound of concentrated I've
to 8 gallons of water will clean 10
< u room.)
Spray the inside of the house with
4 strong solution of one of the
Government Permitted Disinfectants.
Ask your druggist how to prepare
he spray mixture. Spraying the
house without first cleaning it will
10 very little good.
Brooder houses having dirt floors
should have about to inches of
he top surface removed and replac-
ID with sand or dirt from a field
where chickens have never run. This {
must be done in time for the dirt 20 ,,
Try before putting the chicks in. !
/. CLEAN GROUND.
Many poultry diseases and para t