COCCIDIOSIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 19, 23 January 1937, Page 15

COCCIDIOSIS

We hear quite a little about this poultry disease, but many poultrykeepers are still rather vague about its symptoms and cure. In the first place it is not the type of disease which fowls "catch" and die from quickly, except perhaps in most peculiar circumstances. Recent studies have shown that there are at least six species of coccidia which affect poultry, and infection may be mild or severe, depending upon the type and upon management conditions. This disease is spread by contamination of the feed, water, and soil with the droppings of fowls which harbour the parasites. The coccidia pass through certain stages of their lives in the outside world, and conditions can be favourable or unfavourable to their development. The chief curse of coccidiosis is that once one bird is infected others will become infected very easily. At one time it was thought that the disease was peculiar to certain farms, but a valuable survey i taken by the Poultry Department at Massey College showed that nearly every poultry farm, including quite small sideline farms, carried infection in some degree. Thus we find that preventive steps are best taken to control infection. Of these the severe culling of weakling stock is by far one of the most important, since such birds usually carry infection and will continue to pass it on to others just as long as they are left running with them. The symptoms are rather vague. If a batch of chicks are infected, their wings will droop and they will become unthrifty. Laboratory post-mortem is the best method of finding out the real cause of any sicknesses that occur, particularly when anything of an epidemical nature is experienced. Since infection passes through the fowl's droppings, the immediate disposal of litter and cleanings from the sheds is most important. Far too often heaps of poultry dung are left in the yards for fowls to peck over, and such heaps constitute a decided menace to the general health of the flock. Both warmth and moisture are necessary for the incubation of the coccidia "egg," and these heaps are ideal. Disinfectants are not of much help, but boiling water is very eft'ec- ! tive. Avoidance of crowding is most important, and stale, bare runs are a decided spreading ground for infection. There is reason to believe that fowls develop a form of tolerance or immunity to infection. One experiment showed that chicks reared absolutely free from infection until almost mature suffered very severely from infection when allowed access to inI fected soil; in fact, over 50 per cent, of i these eventually died or wore killed as ! useless. Infection is usually more I severe in warm, moist weather, and infection can be carried in so many ways that complete immunity is next I to impossible. The feeding of sour | milk and of buttermilk powder is said to act as a preventive to some degree, and certainly under-nourished .chicks or fowls will suffer more severely than, those that are well fed and well

accommodated. Dry sheds and dry litter are most important, and on free range those bare, dirty spots well covered with manure must be fenced off and thoroughly freshened up. Free range fowls in small, movable units are usually almost free from infection, but this system is not practical to large producers. Care in feeding the mash and grain will assist in avoiding infection. - Always feed all the mash in clean troughs, and the grain should be fed there also, or else partly spread over clean ground or clean litter. Wirenetting screened dropping boards are excellent, since the fowls cannot gain access to their own droppings. Blood in the droppings or a pinkish colour often indicates infection. Thorough cleanliness and general good management make the best preventives. ISOLATE NEW STOCK. When new birds are imported to the , home farm they should always be iso-! lated for observation and treatment if any internal parasitical infection is suspected. Poqltrymen are notoriously careless in this respect, and those that are handling many birds from other farms must expect every kind of infection that is about. Diseases are so easily spread by feeding buckets, boots, egg crates, flies, and wild birds that panic methods are useless. At' the same time reasonable precautions should be taken. Intestinal worms and coccidiosis are perhaps the two most easily contracted diseases from this source, and ten days' isolation and treatment will usually effect a "cure." Transport of stock in dirty crates is another c6mmon causc of infection. Disease infection is always far more serious on large plants than it is with small flocks, and the experienced poultryman soon learns the importance of proper sanitation. EGG-LAYING CONTEST The following are the forty-third week's results in the egg-laying contest conducted at Massey college:— SINGLE PENS. Section A.—E. M. Smith, No. 1 (5), 227; A. G. Mumby, No. 1 ttij, 22; Kangiuru Egg Ranch, No. 3 (5), 220; G. £. Moody (.5), 218; Miss H. Keddell, No. (5), 215; Miss H. Keddell, No. 2 (4), 211; A. G. Mumby, No. 4 (6), 209; Mrs. C. A. Stratford (4), 197; J. Reilly, No. 2 (5), 192: A. E, Salisbury, No. 1 (5), 186; C. L. W. Urquhart (5), 183; J. A. Annan (5), 182; A. E. Salisbury, No. 3 (5), 181; J. Reilly, No. 1 (6), 172; Mrs. B! B. Andrews (0), 162; A. G. Mumby, No. 3 (4), 157; A. A. Hoare No. 2 (0), 155; Moreland Bros. (4), 151; J. Mold (.5), 146; Rangiuru Egg Ranch, No. 2 (0), 143; E. B. Wainscott (4), 140; M. Stephenson (3), 138; A. A. Hoare, No. 1 (0), 135; R. M. Smith, No. 2 (0), 120; Miss E. Ladd (5), 114; C. H. Barker. (0), 112; Rangiuru Egg Ranch, No. 1 (0), 111; A. G. Mumby, No. 2, 82; A. E. Salisbury, No. 2, 22; H. Poison, 12. Section B. —J. H. Sutton (5), 234; A. E. Salisbury, No. 3 (6), 231; T. Dowthwaite, No. 3 (4), 218; R. Feist, No. 2 (5), 214; T. Dowthwaite, No. 2 (0), 201; John Walker (4), 2CI; A. E. Salisbury, No. 2 (5), 199; A. E. Salisbury, No. 1 (5), 196; T. Dowthwaite, No. 1 (4), 190; R. Feist, No. 1 (6), 184; W. A. Larsen (5), 183; J. D. Rowlands (5), 165; G. A. Edge (0), 156; F. Seymour (2), 148; Mrs. Norman Ross (2), 147; R. M. Smith (5), 147; Norman Ross, 143. TEAMS RESULTS. Section C. —F. Ecob, No. 2, 178, 155, 150', 128, 193, 167 (24), 977; F. Ecob, No. 1, 195, 94, 134, 152,. 147, 195 (14J, 917; C. L. W. Urquhart, 142, 138, 155, 164, 146, 162 (23), 907; M. Stephenson, 142, 178, 130, 145, 157, 152 (32), 904; S. G. Batten, 143, 135, 142, 173, 134, 163 (31), 890; Mrs. G. E. Sewell, 141, 146, 165, 167, 134, 135 (31), 888; Argyle P.F., 181,. 150, 121, 151, 110, 131 (17), 844; Mrs. B. B. Andrews, 136, 155; 140, 123, 117»| 130 (24), 801; S. D. Morris, 153, 96, 97,J 181, 129, 133 (18), 789; J. Graham, 165, 96, 110, 135, 152, 115 (11), 773; E. W.| Thompson, 105, 136, 181, 121, 121, 96 (201), 760; Ralph Forlong, 16, 127, 157, 101, 174, 139 (17), 714; J. T. Hazelwood, 140, 139, 86, 77, 55, 152 (22), 689; A. J. Dudson, 125, 155, 105, 53, 127, 109 (22), 674; Cotswold P.F., 34, 128, 49, 183, 138, 121 (7), 653; J. Wilson, 85. 35, 125, 119, 137, 110 (19), 611; A. E. Salisbury, 90, 54 152 106, 22, 179 (14), 603; D. M. Peek, 9, 134, 72, 63, 133, 178 (15), 589; Miss H. Keddell, 106. 142, 120, 35, 50, 132 (22), 585; Penrose P.F., 74, 161, 30, 80, 122, 57 (6), 524; J. J. Faulkner, 172, 60 87, 74, 85, 42 (16), 520; H. Poison, 64, 116, 62, 139, 111, 0 (i 6), 492. Section D.—Mrs. D. M. Waddell, 224, 210, 168, 165, 140, 150 (17), 1057; W. A. Larsen, 172, 186, 177, 115, 154, 155 (25), 959; Cotswold P.F., 179, 160, 185,142,195, 17 (20), 878; J. B. Duthie, No. 1, 147, 164, 140, 87, 123,. 185 (25), 846; F. A. Dewhurst, 128, 189, 171, 91, 161, 96 (22), 836; Luke Fletcher, 186,129, 75, 13u, 137, 168 (15), 828; A. E. Salisbury, 144, 208, 155, 149, 18, 147 (28), 821; Mrs. R. Willers, 119, 108, 158, 184, 130. 122 (9), 821; Bliss Bros., 145,115, 79,124, 157 177 (27), 797; J. B. Duthie, 144, 136, 121, 119, 95 169 (7), 784; J. B. Duthie, No. 2, 161, 106, 124, 80, 165, 96 (25), 732; G. A. Edge, 107, 99, 130, 171, 57, 115 (17), 679; W. Fletcher, 94, 120, 135, 26, 137, 166 (20), 678; A. Thomson, 200, 30, 125, 131, 129, 61 (16), 676; I. J. Grose, 124, 109, 98, 60, 95, 141 (19), 627.