DISEASES AND PREDATORY ANIMALS 



not know what disease caused the turkeys to die and 

 called it various names such as cholera, white cholera, 

 yellow cholera, scours, white diarrhea and yellow diarrhea. 



Of all the diseases to -which turkeys are subject, black- 

 head is undoubtedly the most serious and has had the 

 most detrimental effect on the turkey raising industry. It 

 is an infectious disease which occurs most commonly and 

 with most disastrous results through New England, the 

 Middle Atlantic States and parts of the Middle West. It 

 also occurs occasionally in parts of the South and on the 

 Pacific Coast. Where turkeys are permitted by virtue of 

 the climate and an abundance of range to have their 

 liberty and to forage for most of their feed from the time 

 they are hatched, this disease is far less frequent in oc- 

 currence and disastrous in effect. In the main it affects 

 young turkeys at any time between the ages of six weeks 

 and four months. It occasionally affects mature turkeys 

 as well but not often. Blackhead is an unfortunate name 

 for the disease since it leads the turkey raiser to expect 

 the head to turn black or dark. While this often happens 

 it does not always do so and even where it does, the dark 

 color of the head may be a symptom of some other ail- 

 ment instead of blackhead. The symptoms in a general 

 way are indicated by a steady weakening of the bird, a 

 refusal to eat and a considerable thirst. Death ordinarily 

 occurs anywhere from a few days up to two or three 

 weeks after the disease is first noticed. Quite often, 

 however, the progress of the disease is slower than this. 



Diarrhea accompanies the disease and the color of the 



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