POULTRY DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT 



cleansed and disinfected, as a serious in- 

 flammation will result if the eyes are rubbed 

 with infected hands. This is a troublesome 

 and risky disease to treat. 



COCCIDIOSIS OF ADULT FOWLS 



The germ of this disease does not usually affect adult fowls 

 seriously, but causes severe losses among chickens and 

 turkeys 



Symptoms. The external symptoms are 

 not very pronounced ; there is loss of weight 

 and in some cases diarrhea. The disease 

 may last for a long time and birds may even 

 recover. A post-mortem examination 

 shows the walls of the caeca thickened and 

 rilled with a pasty mass, while character- 

 istic whitish or yellowish spots (see Fig. 

 24, d) are found in the liver. 



Cause. This disease is due to the same 

 germ (a coccidium) that causes blackhead 

 in turkeys. Adult fowls occasionally de- 

 velop this disease, but appear to be able, as 

 a rule, to act as a host for the germs without 

 being themselves affected, although heavy 

 42 



