11 



Comments and Suggestions 



1. Annual Testing of Flocks — A flock should be tested each year to de- 

 termine whether or not infection is present. The testing of flocks known 

 to he infected should be decided upon only after certain factors have been 

 considered. If the breeding value of the flock does not warrant the ex- 

 penditure for testing, then the owner should follow a plan of flock replace- 

 ment. After a flock has once been determined free from the disease, it 

 should be tested annually to ascertain whether or not infection has been 

 introduced. While the percentage of cases in which infection has ap- 

 peared in previously non-reacting flocks is small, one cannot state which 

 flocks are or are not free from the disease without testing. As has been 

 reported in the discussion on "breaks" the amount of infection is usually 

 small in flocks in which infection reappears. If such flocks were not 

 tested annually, the infection would have an opportunity to multiply and 

 become difficult and costly to eradicate. 



2. Testing of All Birds on Premises — During the past year, 60 of the 346 

 tested flocks were only partially tested, and of these 52 revealed no re- 

 actors; but that does not necessarily mean that the entire flock was neg- 

 ative because it is impossible to determine the true status of every bird 

 on the premises by testing only part of the flock. Flock owners who 

 practice this system of testing may sooner or later find pullorum infection 

 in their flocks. This holds true whether or not the untested birds are used 

 for breeders. Pullorum infection may spread from adult bird to adult 

 bird. Flock owners should not take the risk of permitting infection on 

 the premises. The actual money saved through partial flock testing might 

 be far less than the money lost through retesting and from reduction 

 in sales. 



A flock owner who follows a sound program will have the advantage 

 over one who follows a plan that contains dangerous loopholes for in- 

 fection to enter his flock. The flock owner who follows an unsound plan 

 should realize that his business may suffer, and that he may indirectly 

 ruin the business operations of other owners who buy from him. Sellers 

 and buyers should have a common interest in their respective enterprises. 



3. Official Recognition of Pullorum-Free Flocks — The Massachusetts De- 

 partment of Agriculture recognizes two official grades for pullorum-free 

 flocks: "Massachusetts Pullorum Passed" and "Massachusetts Pullorum 

 Clean." In the final list published by the Department in April 1940, 199 

 "pullorum clean" flocks representing 374,858 birds and 42 "pullorum 

 passed" flocks representing 52,594 birds were reported. Among the 346 

 flocks tested, 280 were classified as 100 percent tested and non-reacting, 

 which would make them eligible for one ot the two grades. Hence, 39 

 flock owners whose flocks were eligible did not avail themselves of a 

 service which may be regarded as a definite aid to the poultry industry. 

 The official lists of "pullorum passed" and "pullorum clean" flocks receive 

 wide distribution among poultrymen in this and other states. 



4. National Poultry Improvement Plan — The National Poultry Improve- 

 ment Plan has been in operation for five years and there has been a 

 steady increase in the participation in all phases of the plan and especially 

 in the pullorum-disease control and eradication phase. According to 

 official records, Massachusetts is a participant in the plan. Concerning 

 the pullorum phase, it appears that relatively few Massachusetts poultry- 

 men know that they are actually participating in the plan. Poultrymen 



