238 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL Fx\RMERS 



*'Let tills stand for at least three hours until the lye is com- 

 pletely dissolved and the solution is cold ; then add the cold lye 

 solution very slowly to the linseed oil, stirring constantly. Not 

 less than five minutes should be taken for the adding of this 

 solution of lye to the oil. Continue stirring until the solution is 

 like soft soap. This ought not to take more than a half hour. 

 Now add slowly, while stirring, the eight and one-half quarts of 

 Commercial Cresol. This makes a stock solution that will mix 

 wdth water in any proportion. ' ' Two or three tablespoons to a 

 gallon of water for disinfecting and about twice that for mites. 



DISEASES 



Prevention and isolation are the two conmion practices to be 

 recommended supplemented by individual treatment only in 

 cases of valuable breeding birds, immediate removal of causes 

 and isolation of individuals are the two best remedies. The 

 most common troubles are those of the bowels and when general 

 flock treatment is needed epsom salts or castor oil will help 

 either diarrhoea or constipation. Use one teaspoon of salts to a 

 bird. Most individual cases should be given the salts or oil and 

 then only green food and water for a week or so. As the bird 

 improves it can be worked back to the regular ration. 



Bumblefoot, abscess on bottom of foot. Cause : Jumping down 

 onto hard floors. Treatment: Open, remove pus, clean \\Ai\i 

 peroxide, fill with salve, bandage. 



Canker, patches in mouth and on tongue. Cause : Associated 

 with roup. Treatment: See Roup. 



Catarrh and colds, sneezing and watery eyes. Cause : Damp- 

 ness, poor ventilation, drafts. Treatment: Remove cause; put 

 birds in Avarm, dry place, try starvation-green-food treatment 

 suggested above ; clean nose passages by dipping head into two 

 per cent disinfecting solution, finish with sweet oil on affected 

 parts. Colds almost always indicate bad housing conditions. 



Chicken-pox, red-brown wart-like ulcers on head and comb. 

 Cause: Often associated with roup. Treatment: Remove warts, 

 treat with disinfectant and finish with carbolated salve. 



Constipation. — Cause: Lack of exercise and green food. 

 Treatment: Change conditions, use salts. 



Cholera, not common, bright greenish-yellow diarrhoea, in- 

 flamed intestines. Cause: Specific germs. Treatment: Remove 

 sick birds and kill them, clean and disinfect quarters and yards, 

 plow latter, watch remaining birds and kill any that show symp- 



