POULTRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20716, 8 November 1930, Page 20

POULTRY INDUSTRY.

BY UTILITY.

SPRING TROUBLES. DISEASE IN THE FLOCK. I MEANS OF PREVENTION.

It is unfortunate that during the spring, when all animal life is at its most active state, trouble should enter the poultry yard, but birds seem to be moro susceptible at the change of seasonß, both spring and autumn being periods of danger. This emphasises the need for sound constitution. No subsequent treatment can make up for any deficiency in this respect. The next necessity is a full variety of food to prevent the wastage and weakening that would otherwise be brought about by the modern development of the great egg-laying type. Breeders must aim at keeping close to nature, any alteration being in the direction of improving on natural conditions. For it must always be borne in mind that the food and general conditions that sufficed for birds in their wild state will not do for those that are expected to lay for ten months in the year. A number of second-year hens havo been lost by " during tho past three months, after laying well. His description of their general treatment reads well, and they ought to havo thrived, but several have died after moping round for a month or two. They first go lame in one leg, and they gradually weaken, although they eat well for the first two or three weeks. During their last day or two their combs go very dark. The Usual Symptoms. Although the symptoms are not exactly of the usual type, they are near enough to suggest tuberculosis, and all that can be done is to destroy the birds affected. Usually the first symptoms are a gradual wasting, most noticeable in a shrinkage of the breast, soon making the breastbone stick out with a sharp edge. When a bird begins limping it will generally be found that there is a swelling in the leg affected, sometimes discharging pus. Later on, a pale-coloured diarrhoea generally develops.

Internally the trouble is a small organism called the tubercle bacillus, -which spreads in the intestines, and is usually seen in white lumps, most likely in the liver. 'ihis causes the disease to be commonly known as '* spotted liver," and when once a bird dies, or is killed for examination if it shows any of the external symptoms described, a careful watch should be kept on the rest of the flock, to detect tho first signs of trouble.

There is no known cure for this terrible disease, so tho only reasonable course is to kill and burn at once any birds that show the fatal signs. Tho droppings from affected birds are full of theso tubercle bacilli, which will very quickly infect other birds. Those that still look well must be put into fresh pens, or into a disinfected place when previously the whole flock have been on free range. All the droppings in this new place must bo regularly buried with lime, and lime must be put under the perches, while tho drinking vessels should be regularly cleaned and disinfected. Naturally the old quarters must be treated in a drastic fashion. Clean out the house and spray with strong sheepdip. The run is better if it is dug deeply and well limed. Prevention Better Than Cure, If the flock is a small one, it will usually be found best in ths long run to clear out the whole lot. Kill and burn all the birds, or bury them deeply, and start again in the autumn with a fresh flock, after treating the house and run in the meantime, in order to get rid of the infection. This seems severe, but when a disease gets hold of a bird it is not usually a paying proposition to spend much time and money on it, especially when it is such a dreadful malady as tuberculosis. ' The best course is prevention, and _to escape this disease tho chief precaution is to keep only birds of sound constitution. In tho case under consideration the most likely weakness in an otherwise well-ordered establishment is a stuffy fowl-house, for fowls aro like humans in being able to resist tuberculosis more readily if they get plenty of fresh air. This cost 3 nothing, and yet it is quite a rare thing to find a fowl-house ventilated well enough. People are terribly frightened of fresh air, overlooking the fact that those who sleep on open verandahs, rarely, if ever, catch cold, and many seem to think that fowls require to bo shut in, whereas it is not too much to have the whole of one side of the fowlhose made of wire netting.

Chicks of Wrong Colour. Doubt is expressed by " A.G.8.," regarding tho colour of somo of his Light Sussex chicks, there being five of a bluish colour, one from a setting procured, and tho others from a pen that was headed by a cockerel purchased this year from a breeder of repute. However, there is probably no cause for anxiety, as they will most likely feather out the correct colour, although smoky in colour while young. Thi3 i 3 always likely to happen in a comparatively new breed like Light Sussex, where tho typo is not yet absolutely fixed. Thero is probably a good deal of Light Brahma and White Plymouth Bock in Light Sussex, and one can never bo suro of their offspring to tho extent that ono can in old breeds like Games and Brown Leghorns. It must bo remembered that somo breeds aro merely " sports" from others that are comparatively new, probably tho most noticeable in modern times being tho tendency for Silver Wyandottes to throw a small proportion of Whites, and that is really tho origin of tho latter breed. Similarly tho popular White Indian Runner ducks were originally sports from tho older Fawn and White, whereas one never saw sports thrown by such old and well-established breeds as Bovers or Aylesburys.