238 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Gape worms may be killed by placing the chicks in a closed barrel 

 or some other convenient receptacle and forced to inhale strong tobacco 

 fumes, or those of a similar nature. This method is not recommended 

 very highly, as it is extremely dangerous. The treatment will of 

 course kill the chicks if continued too long and thus an inexperienced 

 operator finds it difficult to use. 



In combatting this disease, as well as all others, healthy, growing 

 chicks are much more likely to overcome the trouble than weak, neg- 

 lected ones. 



DIARUIIOEA. 



Another common disease of chicks is diarrhoea; they are affected with 

 both the white and black forms of this trouble. A lack of heat and an 

 excess of the same are prolific causes of diarrhoea in small chicks, but 

 sometimes improper feeding is the cause. Too much heating food, as 

 corn meal, sloppy, or decaying food, or in fact anything that may 

 cause a derangement of the digestive tract is likely to produce this 

 trouble. Chicks properly hatched from strong, vigorous stock are much 

 more likely to resist the disease, as their organs of digestion are 

 stronger. 



LEG WEAKNESS AND CROOKED BREASTS. 



This trouble is especially prevalent when chicks are brooded indoors 

 during the cold months. It is often caused by improper feeding. The 

 chicks when thus affected are not getting a proper amount of bone and 

 muscle-forming material and the ration is particularly lacking in ash. 

 This must be supplied in some form to make it palatable. The best 

 way of doing this, so far as known to the writer, is to add fine ground 

 bone either raw or cooked, animal meal, and milk in some form. Milk 

 has been found especially good in supplying this lack of ash in poulti-y 

 supplies. Feed a mixture of grains as recommended heretofore, and 

 add fine ground bone, animal meal, milk, vegetables, clover or alfalfa, 

 and furnish a plentiful supply of good clean sand or grit. In some cases 

 the ration may have been right and the chicks suffered from a lack of 

 exercise. Without sufficient exercise there will not be a normal develop- 

 ment of the digestive organs, bones and muscle. A good, clean range 

 out-of-doors will usually correct this trouble, although if they have 

 started to get crooked breast bones they never can be cured. Crooked 

 breasts are occasionally caused by chicks roosting too early in life, but 

 the trouble is generally caused by improper handling in the early develop- 

 ment. Brooder chicks at two weeks of age are sometimes crooked 

 breasted, the result of improper feeding and lack of exercise. Correct 

 the ration as suggested for leg weakness. The digestive organs in birds 

 thus affected are found to be out of proportion to their body weight. 

 This development is probably due to the chick eating too much food, 

 lacking in ask, in the attempt to secure the mineral elements which 

 should be fed in a more concentrated form. 



If the chicks are not taking enough exercise and a range is impossible 

 on account of severe weather or other conditions, increase the amount of 

 litter and force the youngsters to spend more time scratching for their 

 food, but do not make the mistake of requiring them to work too much at 

 first, as a chick with muscles and bones already weak, must be built 



