364 ARTIFICIAL BROODING 



perature, will be made weak and thus more susceptible to any- 

 possible variations in other directions. Owing to this weakness 

 they have a desire to stay under the brooder, and this results in 

 a loss of vitality and in many deaths. 



Cannibalism. — From lack of sufficient ash in the ration or 

 insufficient animal protein, chicks often acquire the habit of 

 devouring one another. This trouble is usually started by the 

 taste of blood which starts when one member of the flock be- 

 comes injured in some way, and the others pick at the wound 

 until, in many cases, the entire chick is devoured. To avoid this 

 any chick with injured parts should })c immediately removed. 



Fig. IfiO. — Chicks showing pronounced symptoms of white diarrhoea. 



If flocks have acquired the habit, they should be given the fol- 

 lowing feed mixture in pans where all mil have an equal chance 

 to get at it: Equal parts of meat scrap, dried bone, oyster shell, 

 and wheat bran. The feeding of this ration and the removal of 

 any injured chick should check the trouble. Darkening the house 

 during the daytime will always help to control cannibalism. 



Contagious White Diarrhoea. — This is undoubtedly the great- 

 est scourge of the poultryman, being in large measure beyond 

 his control and not directly due to mismanagement. There is no 

 positive cure known. This disease is called bacteria poloru7n, is 

 highly infectious, and is known to be transmitted to the offspring 

 by infected parents, the infection passing through the egg, the 

 most critical infection period being the first four days of the 

 chick's life. The symptoms are a lack of vitality, small stunted 

 body and drooping wings, and a narrow contracted appearance 

 viewed from behind (Fig. 169). When a flock is known to be 



