DEATH AMONGST THE PULLETS AND HENS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2692, 18 October 1905, Page 36

DEATH AMONGST THE PULLETS AND HENS.

There are a good many deaths amongst hens and pullets owing to inflammation I of the oviduct— due to the skins of broken 1 eggs therein, and quite a number of these lo. c 3cs would be avoided if poultry keepers j understood how to treat their birds when the first symptoms are observed. As a i-ule, the excrements are noticed to b& unusually soft, and, when examined, egg matter is seen. The appearance of I the fluff at the vent of- the birds which are in this condition loads the uninitiated to believe that the birds have diarrhoea, but the discharge will be found to be glutinous, as the yolk is generally passed away by (ihe bird, and some of the albumen remains on the feathers — and the -condition is not difficult to understand after one or two birds suffering from broken eggs have been examined. As the skin 3 generally <>et up acute inflammation within 24 hours — followed by the death of the bird, it is most essential that no time be lost in giving the bird the necessary treatment, which consists of a <J<?ssertsnoon£ul of warmed castor oil, followed .half an hour afterwards by a dessertspoonful of salad oil. This will cause the skins to pa°s, and fo avert the danger. There are several causes for broken eggs in the oviduct. Over-pressure from the male bird is one: another is allowing the hens and pullets to roost on perches which are too high from the floor, and jumping . down from which causes them to jerk themselves ; another, and very frequent cause, is the occasional presence of a strange dog in the poultry run when the birds are in full lay. As can readily be understood by those who take any time to consider the matter —the skins of the eggs are nofrat all thick, and birds which arc in full lay usually have two or three eggs, which are nearly perfect (with the exception of the shell), and anything which causes the hen or pullet to jump up will break these frail skins, and unless ths" fluid is noticed, birds die from no apparent cp.use, and not infrequently the poultryke-eper Is apt to think that his losses are due to an epidemic. Now and then they are caused entirely by an over-active male bird. Close ob- , wrvation should be kept over the birds so that if a cock or ccpkerel is over-active he I may be allow-ed to run a less time with the hens than would otherwise be the case. Some young pullets die before they pass their first eggs, on account of overfatness in the region of the egg organs. As a jule. an experienced poultrykeeper is able to tell by the look of the birds that this is the case, and inexperienced ones can do so if they, afte-r seeing their gullets go to the nest several times without laying — catch their bird, and find the egg near the vent. As soon aa this is noticed to be the case the bird should be held over a jug of very hot water, so that the steam can permeate the back passage. This causes the muscles to relax, and, as a rule, the bird is able to pass the egg in an hour : or two. A good many young pullets lose the use

of their legs whoa they are laying the first few eggs of their batch. This can be remedied by holding the bird's legs in hot water for a few minutes, then wioing thorn diy and rubbing well with embrocation. Shell-forming material must be given in abundance to bird* from which eggs are required. Ground oyster shells and flint dust answer well for this purpose.