52 NON-SPECIFIC OR GENERAL DISEASES 



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Acute and Chronic Indigestion. — The recognition of special 

 forms of indigestion in poultry is difficult. A flock of poultry 

 that is subject to careless and indifferent care may not thrive and 

 a number of the birds develop digestive disorders. This may be 

 indicated by an abnormal or depraved appetite and emaciated 

 condition. Constipation or diarrhoea may occur. In the more 

 severe cases the bird acts dull, the feathers are ruffled and it 

 moves about very- little. 



TJie trcaiment consists in removing the cause, and giving the 

 flock a tonic mixture in the feed. The following mixture may be 

 used: powdered gentian and powdered ginger, eight ounces of 

 each, Glauber's salt four ounces, and sulfate of iron two ounces. 

 One ounce of the above mixture may be given in ten pounds 

 of feed. 



White Diarrhoea of Young Chickens. — White diarrhoea is 

 of the greatest economic importance to the poultryman. The 

 loss of chicks from this disease is greater than the combined loss 

 resulting from all other diseases. It is stated by some authors 

 that not less than fifty per cent of the chickens hatched die from 

 white diarrhoea. 



Such a heavy death-rate as is attributed to this disease can 

 not result from improper methods of handling and insanitary 

 conditions. Before it was proved that white diarrhoea was caused 

 by specific germs, a great deal of emphasis was placed on such 

 causes as debilitated breeding stock, improper incubation, poorly 

 ventilated, overcrowded brooders, too high or too low tempera- 

 tures and filth. Such conditions are important predisposing 

 factors, and may, in isolated cases, result in serious intestinal 

 disorders. 



The microorganisms causing this disease belong to both the 

 plant and animal kingdoms. Infection usually occurs within 

 a day or two following hatching. Chicks two or three weeks of 

 age seldom develop the acute form of the disease. Incubator 

 chicks are the most susceptible to the disorder. 



