POULTRY. 589 



else you may be troubled with, fowl vermin will not*annoy you, your poultry, cr your 

 premises when once you are rid of this nuisance; which, as we have intimated, is the 

 most trying, destructive, and pernicious secret scourge that afflicts domesticated fowl flesh. 



Roup and its Phases. This common fowl malady, which is designated by various 

 different hard names, as we have indicated embraces the ills usually denominated by the 

 superficial observer as sore head, inflamed eyes, diphtheria, pustulated nostrils, a cold, hoarse 

 ness, heavy breathing, foul throat, snuffles, drowsiness, canker, blindness, drooping, cramps, 

 fever, or general debility, etc. It is so complicated in its character, and outwardly so varied 

 in different cases, it is not surprising that so- many different titles should obtain for its 

 numerous phases; but all is roup. 



It is brought on and confirmed by keeping fowls in damp, cold, sunless quarters. From 

 their exposure to wet, chilling weather, and drafts of harsh winds. It results through neg 

 lect of the birds ordinary comfort, and by their eating poor food. It will be caused by 

 obliging your stock to drink foul, stale water, or by serving them with &quot; damaged &quot; grain. It 

 will attack the flocks that are compelled to live and roost in badly ventilated hen-houses. 

 Filthy floors, covered by or impregnated with their accumulated excrements, will thus sicken 

 them. In these poor conditions, vermin will assail the weakened birds without mercy, and 

 this adds to the evil and augments the roup amongst them, inevitably. 



A roupy fowl may be known from any of the symptoms or indications first above noted. 

 This disease is insidious as well as multiform in the outward tokens of its approach, or its 

 presence. It breaks out suddenly, often, and attacks several birds, apparently, at about the 

 same time. The victims will droop, appear indolent, gapey, listless, and uncomfortable. The 

 heads swell, the nostrils fill up, the comb and wattles turn pale, they breathe heavily, sulk 

 around in the corners of the coop or run, snip, and sneeze, grow blind from swollen pustules 

 gathering in and around the cheeks and eyes, lose their appetites, and finally fall away 

 and die. 



The earliest certain signs of this disease among the flock are usually discovered by the 

 inordinate listlessness of the victims, and their moping about sluggishly. Loss of appetite 

 is also an early token of this illness. The comb of -the hens whitens or sometimes turns 

 dark colored. The breathing grows stifled, and the breath becomes foul. The eyes are first 

 watery, and then fill (often to blinding), with acrid mucous matter. Pustules form around the 

 upper portion of the beak, in the gullet, and around the eyes. The head is inflamed. They 

 gape, and gasp, &quot;rattle in the throat,&quot; become ruffled in plumage, and decline to mount the 

 roosts at evening. 



Roup generally comes on gradually. But it often occurs suddenly from contraction 

 of a severe cold, in wet, bad seasons. Fever ensues, the eyes close up with the swelling of 

 the cheek glands, and thus the poor bird cannot see to eat if inclined which generally 

 it is not, in this state. They suffer greatly from thirst, evidently, in the meantime. 



The crop is generally found more or less distended, and the sufferer appears in pain, con 

 stantly. The nostrils are soon closed with the swelling and accumulating pus also, and they 

 breathe with marked difficulty. So long as they can see, the affected birds will drink, inces 

 santly. The forming pustules exude a froth, at times. This falls from the sores into the 

 water- vessels, and the well fowls drink from the same fountain. This sickens others; and 

 the contagion quickly spreads through the flock if the afflicted bird or birds be not in time 

 removed from amongst their companions. 



Common powder of sulphur (as well as pulverized charcoal), is an admirable ingre 

 dient to mix in small quantities with soft fowl feed. Say a teaspoonful in the mash for a 

 dozen adult birds, in one daily feed for three days at a time. This operates as a laxative, and 

 the sulphur works outward through the skin-pores thus assisting to keep the birds bodies 

 free from vermin to a certain extent. Raw onions cut up fine, as an occasional &quot;green food,&quot; 



