Circular No. 56 September, 1915 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



AMHERST. 



Wm. p. Brooks, Director 

 E. D. Waid, Acting Director of Extension Service 



CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE BACILLARY WHITE DIARRHOEA 



1. White Diarrhoea is common in this State and is the occasion of 

 great loss. 



2. The disease is transmitted by the hen laying the egg. 



3. Hens harboring the bacillus can be detected by a laboratory test of 

 the blood. 



4. If such hens (reactors) are eliminated from breeding flocks losses of 

 chicks from Bacillary White Diarrhoea with proper sanitation can be 

 practically entirely avoided. This fact has been demonstrated by tests 

 made both in the Massachusetts and the Connecticut Experiment Stations. 



5. The facts above stated must make it apparent that a campaign for 

 the elimination of this disease is desirable and practicable. Breeders have 

 simply to cease using eggs from reacting hens for hatching and the disease 

 will soon dissappear. 



6. The Extension Service and the Experiment Station of the Massachu- 

 setts Agricultural College, working co-operatively, are prepared to begin 

 testing the breeding hens of owners applying for the test under the follow- 

 ing general conditions : 



(a). The collection of the blood samples will be carried out by the 

 Extension Service. 



(b). The agglutination test of the blood samples will be made in the 

 Veterinary Department of the Experiment Station and from that Depart- 

 ment reports on the results with such directions as may be necessary will 

 go to the flock owners. 



(c). As the work of the Veterinary Department will be largely routine 

 and not experimental in its nature a charge will be made by the Station to 

 cover a part of the cost. This for the present will be five cents for each 

 hen tested. 



7. Those desiring to have their flocks tested on this basis should address 

 their applications : Poultry Department, Agricultural College, Amherst. 



8. Those who have already applied for the test, whether verbally or in 

 writing, as well as others should now make application as directed 

 under " 7." 



9. So far as conditions permit applications will be accepted in the order 

 of priority : but locality, as will be readily understood, must be considered 

 since at present only one man can be employed in taking blood samples. 

 It may not be possible to satisfy all applications, as the forces and facilities 

 available for the work are limited. 



