240 One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



White- Yolk Eggs. 



Why are eggs watery and light-colored? 



The trouble is in the feed somewhere. Too much green feed, 

 especially green feed that springs from wet, soggy ground, will some- 

 times make the eggs watery. Or if you are feeding more mash feed 

 than dry grain, it will have that tendency. Some people claim that 

 the feed a hen eats does not afifect the egg at all; but if it does not, 

 why do eggs differ in color and quality? Eggs that are laid by hens 

 fed wholly on wheat, or the by-products of wheat, such as bran, 

 shorts or middlings, all have a pale yolk. Now feed the hens some 

 green feed — any kind will do — and the eggs from the same hens 

 will have a yolk several degrees or shades darker. 



Poultry Diarrhea. 



Will you kindly tell me the cause and cure for bowel trouble among 

 hens? 



The "quick cure" for chick diarrhea has not yet been found. Pre- 

 vention is the only sure remedy. The first treatment in diarrhea 

 (which must not be confused with simple looseness of the bowels) 

 should be a mild physic to clean out the digestive tract. Epsom salts 

 is probably best for this purpose where a number of fowls are to be 

 treated. This is usually given in the drinking water, but Dr. Morse, 

 who has charge of the investigation of poultry diseases in the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry, gives the following directions for administering 

 the salts: "Clean out by giving epsom salts in an evening mash, 

 estimating one-third to one-half teaspoonful to each adult bird, or 

 a teaspoonful to each six half-grown chicks, carefully proportioning 

 the amount of mash to the appetite of the birds, so that the whole 

 will be eaten up quickly." For a few days afterward, feed only lightly 

 with dry grain and tender greens, such as fresh-cut mustard and let- 

 tuce leaves. Keep plenty of pure, cool water, with just a thin skim 

 of coal oil — one drop to each pint — for drinking; also plenty of sharp 

 grit and fresh charcoal broken to the size of grains of wheat. 



Limber-Neck. 



A very peculiar disease is taking off my fowls. The head of the 

 fozvl bends down to the breast and fowl looks like dead; there is also 

 a slight discharge from the mouth. The head and tail droop and if the 

 fowl could stand up they would almost touch. 



When a fowl loses partial or entire control of the muscles of the 

 neck the common name of the afifection is limber-neck. In medical 

 science limber-neck is regarded as a symptom rather than a disease, 

 and may be due to a number of causes, such as derangement of the 

 digestive organs, intestinal worms and ptomaine poisoning. The 

 affected fowls should be given immediately a full tablespoon of fresh 

 melted lard or sweet oil, to which has been added a scant teaspoonful 

 of coal oil. In an hour repeat the dose. For a few days the fowls 

 should be fed on some light food, such as shorts scalded with sweet 



