CHAPTER II. 



A SUMMARY OF DISEASES OF POULTRY AND THEIR 

 REMEDIES. 



I. DISEASES, BAD HABITS. AND INSECT PESTS. II. IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS 



III. DISEASES. IV. BAD HABITS. V. INSECT PESTS. 



I. Diseases, Bad Habits, and Insect Pests. 



It is not the purpose of this article to go into the details of the various 

 diseases of poultry, but simply to consider briefly some of the common 

 ailments and to give some of the simple remedies. Prevention is better 

 than cure, so it will be well to consider some of the more frequent causes 

 of diseases in general. Filth, dampness, improper ventilation, improper 

 feeding, and the introduction of infected birds into the yard may be 

 mentioned as some of the most common causes. 



II. Importance of Cleanliness. 



Everything about a poultry house should be kept reasonably clean. 

 As a rule droppings should be removed daily, for the accumulation of 

 excrement harbors parasites, contaminates the air, and breeds contagion. 

 After the dropping boards have been cleaned, they should be sprinkled 

 ^^^th road dust, coal ashes, land plaster, or air-slaked lime to absorb the 

 liquid excrement. Nests in which straw or other similar material is used 

 should be cleaned out and new straw put in about once every three or four 

 weeks, or oftener if it becomes damp or dirty. 



The quarters should be thoroughly w'hitewashed at least once a year, 

 late in summer or early in the fall. The whitewash can be made by 

 slaking lime in boiling water and then thinning to the proper consistency 

 for applying. The addition of 4 ounces of carbolic acid to eadh gallon of 

 whitewash will increase its disinfecting power. The runs should be 

 plowed occasionally in order to bury the accumulated droppings and also 

 to turn up fresh soil. 



III. Diseases. 



When a disease has become firmly established in a flock or a single bird 

 is badly affected, the free use of the hatchet is usually the most practical 

 method, as it does not pay to spend two dollars' worth of time in curing 

 a one-dollar bird. Slight cases, however, can often be cured with but little 

 trouble. In nearly every instance it is better to remove the well fowls anr^ 



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