12 



CONTROL SERIES No. 58 



Table 4. — Consecutive annual testing versus single and intermittent testing. 



in the end will prove far more costly than consecutive annual testing. Ex- 

 perience has taught that eliminating the disease from only part of the flock 

 is of very little value because the tested non-reacting birds may soon become 

 re-infected by the untested infected birds on the premises. By eradication of 

 the disease from a flock through testing is meant that all birds on the 

 premises have been subjected to the test and found free of the disease. 



Among the 328 negative flocks, 206 were tested for three or more consecu- 

 tive years and 62 tested for two consecutive years. Among the 460 flocks 

 tested during the 1929-1930 season, 122 were not tested during 1930-1931. 

 Of these 122 flocks, 54 were tested for the first time during 1929-1930. 



Number of Non-Reacting Flocks is Increasing 



In Table 5 it is shown that the number of non-reacting flocks was 328 dur- 

 ing the past season. Of this number, 210 were 100 per cent tested, represent- 

 ing 190,604 birds; and 118 were partially tested, representing 76,625 birds. 

 Plymouth and Middlesex Counties had the largest number of non-reacting 

 flocks, 60 and 46 respectively. Among the 13 flocks tested in Franklin County, 

 twelve 100 per cent tested flocks, representing 12,841 birds, were non-reacting 

 and one partially tested flock was positive. A total of 119 positive flocks was 

 tested, of which 49 flocks representing 35,746 birds were 100 per cent tested 

 and 70 flocks representing 53,835 birds were partially tested. Barnstable and 

 Franklin Counties had only one positive flock each, and Hampshire had three. 

 Plymouth and Middlesex had the largest number of positive flocks 23 and 22 

 respectively. 



The number of non-reacting and positive flocks is always of great concern 

 to all poultrynien, j^articularly to those who introduce new stock. At the 

 present time there appears to be a sufficient number of non-reacting flocks 

 in this State so that no one should have difficidty in purchasing pullonuii 

 disease-free stock. Poultrymen may obtain information about non-reacting 

 flocks from their local county agent, provided the flock owner has given the 

 laboratory permission to forward the testing results. It is recognized that 

 the county agent can ofl^er great assistance to his poultrymen regarding erad- 

 ication, purchase of new stock, and custom hatching, if he is familiar with 

 the testing results of the flocks in his county. 



