376 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



the result of keeping the fowls in ill-ventilated houses. A 

 lack of vigor is often the result of impure air. Diseases of 

 the respiratory organs, such as catarrh, roup and colds, 

 thrive only in ill-ventilated houses. It is useless to treat 

 for such diseases fowls that are kept in houses that breed 

 disease by bad ventilation. 



Fresh Ground. Next to fresh air, fresh ground is the 

 best preventive of disease. Many diseases having to do 

 with digestive organs thrive where no attention is paid to 

 keeping the ground on which the chickens run fresh and 

 clean. Tuberculosis, cholera and other diseases are usually 

 contracted by the fowls picking up from the ground feed 

 that has come in contact with the germs of the disease. 

 Various parasites, such as gapes and tape worm, are taken 

 up by the fowl in this way. An unclean feeding-ground is 

 a fruitful source of disease. 



Fresh air and fresh ground are the cheapest things at 

 the command of the poultry-keeper and when he learns to 

 make full use of them there will be comparatively little 

 danger from poultry diseases. 



No flock of chickens, however, is entirely immune from 

 diseases. In spite of the best sanitary conditions, diseases 

 will sometimes get into the flock and remedial measures 

 will be necessary. 



Cleanliness. The nest boxes should not be a breeding 

 place for germ diseases and insect pests. They should be 

 frequently cleaned and disinfected. The droppings should 

 not be allowed to accumulate, and on no account should the 

 night droppings be allowed to fall and mix with the litter 

 on the floor if the floor is used for a feeding- or scratching- 

 ground. The litter should be kept reasonably clean and 

 dry. 



Disinfection. The culture treatment of yards is dis- 

 cussed in another chapter. If cultivation and cropping 



