8o THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



The greatest difficulty in rearing early chickens is a 

 complaint usually known as cramp, but which, if many cases 

 do not belong to actually different complaints, at least arises 

 from quite different causes, though the most prominent 

 symptom appears the same. The limbs appear gradually to 

 become stiff, so that the body " rocks " in its gait ; then the 

 claws are flexed, till the chick walks more or less on its 

 knuckles ; finally death ensues. Whole broods are carried 

 off in this way. The complaint may occur in birds reared 

 under a hen, and even then is not so simple as it looks ; 

 when it attacks the denizens of a u brooder " it is still more 

 complicated. 



The connection of ll cramp " with cold or wet in winter 

 months is plain enough as a general rule ; and when these 

 are the sole causes, it is simply a case of rheumatism, to be 

 treated by warmth, gentle friction of the limbs and claws, 

 with any of the stimulating liniments advertised in the 

 newspapers, and a grain each, twice a day for each chick, of 

 salicylate of soda. But this simple case scarcely ever occurs, 

 and if it does, is such a symptom of debilitated constitution 

 that cure for the time is scarcely desirable. Birds so delicate, 

 are better dead before they can propagate their weakness. 



More commonly, overheating in the brooder creates an 

 artificial delicacy to cold and wet ; the birds emerge per- 

 spiring and relaxed, and so fall a prey to exposure which they 

 would withstand easily if kept in a healthier temperature. 

 For the same reason others may succumb to inflammation 

 of the lungs. Here, by regulating the heat to healthy 

 conditions, the above treatment will greatly help the 

 patients, who may make permanent recovery. This class of 

 cases has much decreased since "coverlet" brooders have 

 been less used. 



But the greater number of cases of " cramp " are due to 

 over-feeding and meat feeding, aided probably by a little too 



