EARLY DEATHS IN CHICKENS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 25 September 1909, Page 1

EARLY DEATHS IN CHICKENS.

Plenty of incubator chickens hatch out apparently full of vigour, but lade away from the fifth to the tenth day. Some defect in the hatching or insufficient vitality in the parent stock has- resulted in non-absorption of the yolk. The yolk is Nature's method of sustaining life until the chicks are able to get food. A chick- will live six to j tight ■'days without food. If the chick ' is" not normally hatched, it is unable to absorb this yolk. ! The following notes on this rouble of . early chickenhood have been issued in j a bulletin by the Pennsylvania Experi- '■ mental Station : — The trobule generally begins about the fifth day. An affected chick will have a thin white discharge from the vent, it is not active, it has a sleepy look, and i the head appear.; to settle back towards , the body. j One would think that the chick was cold or in great pain. Some of the chickt stay, closely under the ihovfer, while others have intense thirst. The white discharge is not always present. The chicks may die in large numbers between the fifth and the tenth day, or there may be a gradual dropping off each day until they are perhaps five or six weeks old. To the ordinary observer a post-mov-tem examination will reveal the following conditions: The lungs will usually show small white spots in them. These are generally seen on the side next to the ribs. The white spots aro usually hard and cheesy. These spots are riot always present/but from examination they appear to be in 50 per cent, of the cases. Some lungs have no white spots, but are red and fleshy. These usually are not common unless the chicks get chillThe yolk is often hard and cheesy. It varies greatly. Some yolks are of gelatinous nature; others are hard and cheesy, and very yellow in colour. Sometimes these are greatly inflamed. Other yolks appear like a custard that has curdled, and they have usually a very offensive odour. Th coeca, or blind ; .

intestine is frequently filled with a cheesy substance. ' A few chicks undoubtedly recover, but ssld'j-n makd gcou birds. They are sn;i'.:l, iinthnh-v, -..nd are good subjects^ tor r.Jiip or any other epidemic.