Fowl Cholera, Fowl Typhoid and Fowl Plague 105 



its course by isolating the sick birds as soon as possible. In 

 regard to the yellow or green excreta Hadley ^ says : " This 

 is a very characteristic symptom. The excrement of normal 

 fowls is not yellow ; and when it is green it is a dark green, 

 approaching black. In cholera both yellow and green are 

 bright ; the green is often an emerald green. These different 

 colors may occur either together or separately and both are 

 usually accompanied by diarrhea and thick mucus. In case 

 it is known that cholera is in the neighborhood, it is well for 

 a poultryman to examine, from day to day, the character of 

 the droppings on the dropping board." 



In other cases the first symptom is diarrhea in which the 

 excrement is passed in large quantities, and consists almost 

 entirely of urates mixed with colorless mucus. Generally 

 the diarrhea is a prominent symptom. The excrement is 

 voided frequently, and consists largely of urates suspended in 

 a thin, transparent, sometimes frothy mucus. The urates 

 have a deep yellow color, which in the later stages of the 

 disease may change to a greenish cast. 



Soon after these first symptoms appear the bird separates 

 itself from the flock, the feathers are roughened or stand on 

 end, the wings droop, the head is drawn down towards the 

 body and the general outline of the bird becomes spherical 

 or ball shaped. At this period there is great weakness, the 

 affected bird becomes drowsy and may sink into a deep sleep 

 which lasts during the last day or two of its life and from 

 which it is almost impossible to arouse it. The crop is 

 nearly always distended with food and apparently paralyzed. 

 There is in most cases intense thirst. If the birds are aroused 

 and caused to walk there is at first an abundant discharge of 

 excrement followed at short intervals by scanty evacuations. 



The disease may be acute, in which case the bird dies in 



1 Hadley, P. B., "Fowl Cholera and Methods of Combating It." 

 Rhode Island Agr. Expt. Stat. Bui. 144, pp. 309-337, 1910. 



