222 POULTRY DISEASES 



provided with means of confining the bird on it and instru- 

 ments consisting of a knife or scalpel with which to make 

 the incision or cut through the abdominal wall, a hook for 

 tearing through the peritoneum or lining of the abdominal 

 cavity, air sac walls and at times through the mesentery and 

 a spreader for holding the wound open while the removal 

 of the testes is accomplished. 



The intestines may be pushed to one side by aid of the end 

 of a scalpel. 



An improvised table may be made by taking a barrel, 

 using two cords and two weights of sufficient size to hold the 

 bird down, usually about the size of a half brick. The cords 

 are doubled and one is looped around the legs, the other 

 around the base of the Avings and a half brick tied to the free 

 ends as shown in Fig. 79. 



A poultry operating table designed by the writer consists 

 of a top two feet wide and thirty inches long. This table is 

 provided with four-inch cross pieces, as sho^vn, (Fig. 76) 

 which are located about half way from the top to the ground 

 and provided with two awning hooks on either side. Holes 

 are bored through the top at suitable locations. The loop of 

 each cord is run through the hole on its respective side and 

 over the lesrs or base of the wings and the legs and wings 

 drawn snugly down to the top and the free end of the cord 

 wraDped around the hook and given a half hitch. 



If the bird or birds are to be operated on in the forenoon, 

 no feed should be given on the previous day. It is also well 

 to withhold water as an abundance of water causes more 

 hemon^hage. owing to the increased amount of liquid in the 

 body tissues. It is rather difficult to accurately and satisfac- 

 torily operate when the intestines are gorged with feed. 



The operation is best performed in the bright sunlight un- 

 less the operator is provided Avith a head reflector. 



The instruments should be kept in a shallow pan of anti- 

 septic, as creolin. or better, formaldohyd solution. A small 

 amount of absoi-bent cotton should also be at hand.. After the 

 bird is confined pluck a few feathers over the field of oper- 

 ation (between the last two ribs). It is well to place a small 

 chunk of ice in the pan of antiseptic and use the ice Avatei* 

 in sponging the field of operation. The cold water thus acts 

 as an antiseptic as well as causing n contraction of the capil- 

 laries of the region and less hemorrhage will result. 



Wlien rendy to mnko the incision ])ull the skin over so thnt 

 nfter the incision is mnde and the skin released the wound 

 into the abdominnl cavity will be closed. In mnkintjr the in- 

 cision Ihrough the skin the bird will sti'uggle very litlle. The 



