CHAPTER XIII.POULTRY DISEASES
It is not to be supposed that poultry, living under the artificial conditions that man has ordained for them, can be entirely free from diseases. In fact, very few poultry men can say that they have not had some kind of disease affect their flock. Most diseases are contagious, so it is important to be on the watch for any symptoms of anything out of the ordinary. Sanitation plays a very important part in keeping the flock free from diseases, and clean methods should always prevail. Do not allow the house to become filthy and foul smelling. It is always a good precaution to disinfect the poultry premises at least once a year with a good whitewash or some strong disinfectant. This is about the same as taking out a life insurance policy for the flock.
Dampness is probably about the most common cause for diseases. Disease germs always multiply more rapidly in damp, dark quarters. Therefore the advice given in an early chapter about keeping the poultry house light and well ventilated, will bear repetition. If one is accustomed to watching his birds as to their physical condition, he will be able to notice the symptoms of any on-coming disease in time to isolate the bird thus affected, before the disease has a chance to spread, if it is a contagious disease. By watching a bird thus isolated, and also looking very carefully for any further symptoms in the flock, one can do considerable in checking the disease. The old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” certainly is true in this case.
Indigestion is a very common ailment with poultry, especially with those birds that are fed heavy for egg production. Usually a little laxative material placed in the drinking water, and making more of their ration a scratching ration, in order to induce exercise, is probably as simple and effective a treatment as can be given.
Roup, chicken pox, and canker are also verycommon poultry diseases. These three diseases are all supposed to be due to a small organism which multiply very rapidly, and acts mostly on the skin of the bird. These diseases are not similar in appearance, however, despite the fact that their source is the same.
Roup attacks the mucous membrane lining of the nose, and eye. These parts become red and inflamed, and infected with a pus formation. This disease is spread largely through the drinking water, and is prevalent in the spring when it is damp. Keep the birds healthy and vigorous, provide proper ventilation, and have things as dry as possible, and little should be feared from this source.
Chicken pox makes its appearance on the comb and wattles, and also on the face of the bird, by small pockets on these parts. The remedy is the same in this case as has been stated for roup, except that if only a few birds have contracted the disease, each bird can be taken in hand and given individual treatment, by removing the crust over the sores, and applying a good disinfectant.
Canker manifests itself by pale yellow spots on the inside of the mouth. This is besttreated, as soon as discovered, by scraping off this light yellow material, and applying a good disinfectant.
All of these last three named diseases are caused by the same conditions, and by avoiding these conditions very little trouble will be experienced in this malady. Birds that have had any of the above mentioned diseases should never be used for breeding purposes, as their offspring will have a predisposition to the same ailment.
Sometimes the perches are placed too high in the chicken house, and the birds have to jump too far to reach the floor. When this happens, a hard lump often forms on the sole of the foot. This is sometimes called bumble foot, and is usually evident in the chicken’s walk. Nothing but cutting out the hard part, and washing the sore with a good disinfectant can remedy this condition.
While frosted combs could not be called a contagious disease, we will discuss this matter briefly, before closing this chapter. In severe weather, when the temperature is below zero, and there is considerable dampness in the poultry house, frozen combs are quite frequent.This is especially true of the lighter birds, which possess larger head parts than do the heavier breeds. When a bird has its comb or wattles frozen, it will stop laying for a considerable period of time, usually a month at least. If birds are found on a cold winter morning with frozen combs, they should be treated with snow or cold water, to take out the frost, and then treated daily with vaseline until cured. It is well to provide a pole up near the roof of the poultry house, upon which a curtain, made of burlap or some old cloth, is arranged so that on cold winter nights this curtain can be lowered directly in front of the front perch. This will tend to protect the birds from the excessive cold, by conserving the heat given off by their bodies during the night.