DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



607 



distended with fluid so as almost to touch the 

 ground. The bird may often be apparently 

 relieved by tapping the fluid and giving 5 grains 

 iodide of potassium daily. But it is worthless all 

 the same, and if exhibited and claimed by some- 

 one else, the proceeding can scarcely be deemed 

 honest. 



Egg-bound. — Inability to pass the matured 

 igg IS of frequent occurrence. The bird either 

 goes often to the nest or remains long there, but 

 without laying. Neither of these is any proof; 

 but if such a biid, when off, walks with evident 

 distress, perhaps with wings nearly touching the 

 ground, it is probably a case, and gentle examina- 

 tion with the fingers will make it clear. The 

 cause may be a large, double-yolked egg > or it 

 is not unusual for a pullet to have trouble with 

 the first egg or two, till the sphincter-muscle is 

 stretched ; or the difficulty may be the result of 

 too much fat, a condition which should be seen 

 to at once if it be found ; or finally the oviduct 

 may be rather inflamed, and form a very rough 

 shell. In most cases it is sufficient to gently 

 inject a tablespoonful of olive oil from a small 

 flexible syritige, or to lubricate the vent and 

 cloaca with the finger repeatedly dipped in oil, 

 and then hold the part over a jug of boiling water 

 for a quarter of an hour. If the bird be then 

 placed on the nest she will probably soon lay. 

 The process may be assisted by about five drops 

 of tincture of ergot every four hours, or 30 grains 

 of Epsom salts, or a tablespoonful of hot treacle 

 made into a sort of thin pudding with finely- 

 chopped groundsel. If such measures fail, the 

 egg should, if possible, be gently manipulated 

 from outside towards the vent, till its end can be 

 seen. Then this may be punctured, the egg 

 emptied with a very small spoon, and the shell 

 crushed and removed with tweezers, the oiled 

 finger being passed afterwards to make sure that 

 nothing is left. Should the egg break of itself, 

 the accident is almost always fatal, leading to 

 peritonitis. A little cooling medicine should 

 always follow cases of egg-bound. 



In the effort to lay, the oviduct is sometimes 

 extruded. This may sometimes be cured by 

 gently anointing with carbolised vaseline and 

 returning, giving 3 drops tincture of ergot. After- 

 wards it may need returning several times, which 

 should be followed by injections of hazeline 

 tincture and water, keeping quiet. Laying 

 should be suspended, however, for which there is 

 nothing better than Mr. Tegetmeier's old pre- 

 scription of I grain calomel and yV grain tartar 

 emetic, followed by low diet, and especially dis- 

 carding meat and condiments for a while, until 

 the bird is got into more spare condition. 



Egg-eating. — This vice has been sufliciently 



dealt with at page 61. Another expedient 

 pretty effectual is to keep the beaks of ofTenders 

 cut back for a while sufficiently to be tender, 

 feeding on rnash meantime. 



Eggs, Soft, atid Abnormal. — Soft eggs may 

 be caused by lack of shell-material, which, if 

 discovered, points to the remedy, the most rapid 

 being pounded raw oyster-shell. Or they may 

 be caused by the fowls being driven or frightened, 

 in which case they soon cease, and nothing need 

 be done unless the injury has been so severe as 

 to prematurely detach small and unripe yolks, 

 when the case becomes a real abortion (q.v._), 

 or they may be caused by condiments and too 

 much animal food, spices in particular leading 

 frequently to all sorts of trouble with the egg- 

 organs, particularly in the Mediterranean races 

 of poultry. A few small doses of Epsom salts 

 or jalap, and cessation of the extra stimulus, will 

 remedy this. But far the most usual cause is 

 simple over-feeding. A little careful investiga- 

 tion will find what is in fault, and that will 

 indicate the appropriate remedy. Want of shell 

 material is far less common than it used to be ; 

 over-feedingor over-stimulation probably more so. 



Of the other kinds of abnormal eggs the very 

 small ones, only containing albumen, need seldom 

 occasion any anxiety. They usually occur at 

 or near the end of a batch of eggs, and merely 

 show that the ovary is exhausting its supply ol 

 ova and yolks a little before the secreting parts 

 of the oviduct arequite ready to suspend business. 

 Neither need an occasional large double-yolked 

 egg cause concern, as it may be due to a hen 

 occasionally "holding up " one ovum till another 

 is also ready. But any frequent occurrence of 

 such eggs is a proof of over-stimulation, and 

 should be met by a little cooling medicine, or less 

 meatj or more green food ; not, however, over- 

 doing any such changes if things on the whole 

 look pretty well. 



Eggs, Spots in. — Small spots of blood are 

 occasionally found in eggs. They may occur 

 in the yolk, which means a slight haemorrhage 

 in the ovary, or in the white, which locates it 

 in the oviduct. An odd instance or two means 

 little, and in fact can seldom be identified ; 

 but a series at the breakfast-table points to a 

 definite inflammatory condition, caused usually 

 by condiments, or too much meat, or consti- 

 pation. The remedy is obvious. Black spots 

 are more rare, and may mean an early stage 

 of gangrenous ovary, which has once or twice 

 occurred in America in epidemic form, and is 

 probably due to bacteria. For this reason, 

 whenever such occurs the bird should if pos- 

 sible be separated, and carefully treated by 

 herself till it is seen whether the spots cease. 



