DISEASES AND PESTS OF FOWLS 



sidered. Drs. Cole and Hadley summarize 

 measures of prevention as follows: 



1. Protect the yards and flocks which may have the good 

 fortune to be uninfected with the blackhead organism by a 

 thorough examination of all new stock, whether turkeys, 

 fowls, geese or other domestic birds. 



2. Keep the turkeys on grounds which are as fresh as 

 can be obtained, and above all, keep them isolated from 

 fowls and other domestic birds. 



3. Keep every turkey in the flock under close observa- 

 tion in order to separate and at once isolate any bird which 

 gives evidence of the disease. To facilitate such observa- 

 tions it is helpful to leg-band each individual, and to record 

 its weight from time to time. Such a course makes it pos- 

 sible to learn whether any birds are losing weight, and if 

 this is the case, these birds must be regarded with suspicion, 

 and separated from the rest of the flock. 



4. If it is known that blackhead is present in any of the 

 poultry, the yard should be kept free from English sparrows, 

 and the poultry houses and grain boxes from rats and mice, 

 which have been shown to carry the causative organism. 



5. When it is desired to fatten birds for the market, 

 begin to increase the rations gradually. Never attempt to 

 fatten birds which, in successive weighings, show a loss of 

 weight. Overfeeding does not cause blackhead, but fre- 

 quently causes the sudden death of birds in which blackhead 

 is present. 



6. When birds have died of blackhead, their bodies 

 should be promptly burned or buried in order to prevent the 

 dissemination of the coccidia, either through the ravages of 

 rats or skunks, or consequent to the natural processes of decay. 



BREAKDOWN 



Not often seen in the poultry yard 



Symptoms. The abdomen becomes en- 

 33 



