Hen Health. 51 



brought into the flock by contagion, by dampness, by exposure 

 to winds and by improper shelter. There are several forms of 

 roup, but the signs are discharges from the nostrils, swelled 

 heads and eyes, hoarse breathing, and whitish sore throat. 

 When the eyes are swelled, bathe once a day with warm water, 

 and anoint with a few drops of glycerine. If the bird 

 breathes hoarsely, give a pill composed of equal parts of 

 quinine, bromide of potash and asafcetida, the size of a bean ( 

 three times a day. If sore throat results, swab the throat 

 with a solution of sulphate of copper. Add a teaspoonful of 

 carbolic acid to each gallon of drinking-water. 



Cholera is always known by intense thirst, debility and anx- 

 ious expression and greenish droppings. The best remedy is 

 to add a teaspoonful of liquid carbolic acid to each half-gallon 

 of drinking-water, and give a mixture of 10 drops of pare- 

 goric and 5 drops of spirits of camphor, twice a day. 



Gapes is the result of suffocation caused by a small slender 

 worm. Numbers of them cluster together. A drop of spirits 

 of turpentine on a bread-crumb twice a day is the best rem- 

 edy. The vapor of carbolic acid will also cure the difficulty. 

 Chicks alone are subject to gapes. 



If roup and cholera can be kept out of the flock, half the bat- 

 tle will be won. To avoid disease of any kind follow these hints 



Never have your fowl too fat, and you will seldom have 

 cases of egg-bound, double-yelked eggs, or soft-shell eggs. 

 Hence, do not feed largely of grain. 



Nearly all ailments are due to the lack of grinding material 

 in the crop. Always keep broken glass, pounded crockery or 

 sharp flint-gravel within reach of the fowls. Cold draughts of 

 air blowing across them or down on them will cause swelled 

 heads and eyes, and finally lead to roup. It is often the case 

 that weak legs may be caused by high roosts, the birds being 

 injured by jumping therefrom to the ground. When the 

 roosts are low and yet a hen is unable to stand on her legs, re- 

 move her from the male at once, as the cause may be traced to 

 him, especially if he is very heavy. 



