174 POULTRY FOR PROFIT 



mass. After this has been softened hold the bird 

 head downward and try to work the grain out 

 through the mouth. If this does not succeed, or if the 

 impaction is due to straw, it will be necessary to open 

 the crop. The following method for this operation 

 is given by Sanborn, "Farm Poultry Doctor" : 



"Pluck out a few feathers and then cut through the 

 skin over the crop a line about one inch long. Then 

 make an incision three-fourths of an inch long 

 through the crop. The distention of the crop will 

 cause the opening to gap, and the mass will be in 

 plain sight. With toothpicks, tweezers or similar 

 tools take out the contents of the crop and make sure 

 that there is nothing remaining to obstruct the outlet 

 to the organ. To close, take three or four stitches 

 in the opening in the crop, making each stitch by 

 itself and tying a knot that will not slip. Then do 

 the same thing to the cut in the skin. For the stitches 

 use white silk if possible, if not, No. 60 white cotton 

 will do." 



Tuberculosis 



Tuberculosis is caused by a minute germ, the Bacil- 

 lus tuberculosis of birds. These bacteria gain en- 

 trance to certain portions of the body and there 

 multiply in vast numbers, causing the formation of 

 small nodules or tubercles. The disease is highly 

 contagious and is spread through the flock by con- 

 tact of healthy birds with diseased ones. Avian 

 tuberculosis is not the same as the disease which at- 

 tacks human beings, and while cases have been 

 known where persons have apparently taken the dis- 

 ease from birds, it is believed that birds rarely if 

 ever take it from human beings. 



There are no symptoms by which the disease can 

 be recognized till it reaches an advanced stage. 



