14 



be recognized that pullorum infection can spread among mature birds. Main- 

 taining tested and untested birds in separate houses is not sufficient protection 

 against the spread of the disease on the average commercial poultry farm. In 

 states that have adopted the practice of testing all birds on the premises, the 

 effort has been very fruitful in establishing and maintaining pullorum-free flocks. 



Poultrymen who have experienced pullorum "breaks" in their flocks realize 

 that it is costly. However, many of these "breaks" could be avoided through 

 more caijeful management. "Breaks" may completely ruin a poultryman's 

 hatching season. Sometimes the infection can be eliminated before the start of 

 the hatching season, especially if it is detected early in the testing year. Careful 

 and conscientious observance of the preventive measures listed in a previous 

 section will pay the flock owner very good dividends in maintaining a pullorum- 

 free flock. 



Early Testing: Last season a number of poultrymen were disappointed be- 

 cause they could not have their flocks tested at a desired time. This was due to a 

 number of factors but the laboratory made every effort to test as many birds as 

 was possible in the allotted time. It has been called to the attention of the 

 poultrymen, prior to this past season, that the laboratory facilities can accom- 

 modate only a limited number of samples at a given time. If more requests for 

 testing are received for that given time than the laboratory can accommodate, 

 it means the work will have to be either postponed or cancelled. The following 

 summary shows the number of tests requested by months and the number of 

 samples tested by months: 



Month Tests Applied For Tests Completed 



April, 1945 .._ 21,043 



May 4,711 



June 16,952 12,662 



July - 45,138 39,193 



August.... - 89,814 56,672 



September 204,125 111,783 



October 225,563 176,489 



November 291,634 192,378 



December 143,289 162,684 



January, 1946 58,397 197,792 



February 34,833 166,895 



March 6,440 117,321 



Among the reciuests for early testing, the number of postponements was quite 

 large, which did not help the laboratory to complete a certain volume of work 

 during the early part of the season. 



It is evident that if some of the testing work could be advanced from the peak 

 months of October, November, December, and January into July, August, and 

 September, a more satisfactory service could be rendered. The laboratory has 

 no serious objection to "split flock" testing if proper precautions can be taken to 



