Farm and Garden.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 108, 19 November 1908, Page 4

Farm and Garden.

Fowl Cholera, Affected birds become depressed, huddle themselves together and hide their heads under their wings. The feathers become ruffled, the wings and tail droop, and the birds sway from side to side or stagger. The appetite is lessened, while thirst is greatly increased. There is a discharge from the eyes, nose and beak ,and the comb wattle turns bluish red. The most marked symptom, however, is diarrhoea. The evacuations are frequent and watery, being white or yellow at first and becoming greenish and ioet:d as the disease progresses, while the feathers round the hind parts become matted together. Except in the specially 7 acute form mentioned above, the disease lasts from one to three days, though cases are on record where the illness was prolonged for a week. The birds usually die in a state of stupor or convulsions. The death rate in acute cases is very high, sometimes reaching even SO or 90 per cent. In the chronic form the more violent symptoms are not present, but the bird becomes thin and bloodless and suffers from constant diarrhoea. Sometimes there is a breaking out on one or more of the joints, and the inflammation then set up naturally retards the recovery of the sick bird. Toward the end of an epedemic, however, milder cases occur, among which there are a greater number of recoveries. Birds which get well acquire a certain amount of immunity, and if they thrive are valuable for restocking purposes. Appearance After Death. —In ordinary cases the only marks visible to the naked eye will be found in the intestinal tract, the contents of which are watery, frothy and sometimes bloodstained. In the intestinal wall, and particularly in the mucous membrane are formed patches of clotted blood, and areas of congestion ranging in colour from red to purple and black. The liver and spleen are usually enlarged, while in some cases the lungs are cosolidated. In some cases the mucous membrane may be destroyed and in others patches of yellow exudate may be found. It mnst be remembered, however, that there are other poultry diseases with which it can easily be confused by the inexpert, and that in certain cases a microscopical examination is necessary. Precautions.—l, All newly purchased birds should be isolated for a day, and the same course should be adopted in the case of birds returning from a poultry show. 2. Crates and packing material should always be disinfected, and care should be taken to secure an uncontaminated supply of food and drinking water. 3. When the disease appears all infected birds shohuld be strictly isolated and healthy ones should be moved to fresh ground. The infected runs and pens should be sprayed with a disinfectant, such as a 5 per cent, solution of carpbolic acid, or 2 per cent of commercial sulphuric acid in water. Remedy.—There is no practical medical treatment which can be advised for diseased birds. A protective serum is in use on the Continent, but the small value of poultry renders the extensive use of this remedy too costly except perhaps in the case of valuable pedirgee birs.