CHAPTER VI 

 COCCIDIOSIS, THE FOE OF THE POULTRY YARD 



T3 ECENTLY great attention has been directed 

 XV towards poultry-rearing, partly from the point 

 of view of increasing the availability of poultry for 

 food at a cheaper rate, and partly with the idea of 

 regulating the production of both table-birds and 

 eggs, so that a constant supply of both, in their best 

 condition, can be assured. The problem of disease, 

 and especially the cause of " mysterious " sudden 

 deaths among poultry, together with the reason why 

 some birds, though they feed heartily, never put on 

 flesh, but remain thin and unhealthy, has confronted 

 not only the rearer of domestic poultry, but also the 

 game preserver. The latter, again, often cannot 

 account for great dwindling among his grouse, 

 pheasants, and partridges. The broods have 

 hatched out well, yet when the birds are half 

 grown, the numbers have dwindled to very small 

 proportions, though climatic conditions and food- 

 supply have not been such as to justify the great 

 decrease observed. Among turkey breeders, especi- 

 ally in the United States, the turkey poults succumb 



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