THE POULTRY YAED. 233 



or other stuff, daring cold mornings. The birds being 

 hungry bolt a lot of this, and are unable to warm it up 

 sufficiently for digestive purposes. The crop ia swelled 

 up, the bird droops, and may perish, as numbers do every 

 winter starved to death while the crop is full to gorging. 

 As soon as a case is seen, catch the bird, and pour water, 

 as warm as can be borne, down the throat, till the crop is 

 full ; then work it to loosen the food, and dissolve it in 

 the water; some may be got out of the mouth. 

 Try and relieve the mass by dissolving it; then give 

 a purgative dose ; and put the patient in a quiet, 

 warm pen. In more serious cases, the crop may 

 have to be cut open, the contents removed, the 

 crop washed and stitohed by two or three loops or surgical 

 stitches. 



Apoplexy. Very prevalent at times, and as it carries 

 off its victims suddenly, and, generally during the night, 

 it causes great alarm amongst poultry owners. Apoplexy 

 is most prevalent in alluvial districts, where grit or gravel 

 ia scarce. Old and young fall victims; no particular 

 breed are exempted. The first stages are staggering gait 

 in the birds affected for one or more days before death ; 

 Or the head is slightly twisted back on the neck, or to one 

 side. The patient ia soon afterwards found in a sitting 

 posture, or half turned on its back. If disturbed, its gait 

 is staggering, and it seems involuntarily compelled to go 

 to one side ; attacks of convulsions occur at intervals, in 

 one of which the poor bird expires. Cause : The appear- 

 ances after death are effusion of blood on the brain, or 

 otherwise a turgid and congested state of its blood-vessels. 

 Here, it is usually supposed that this disease is the effect 

 of high and unsuitable feeding, especially with maize. 

 The birds in best condition, and those of the flesh-forming 

 type, usually suffer first. Various remedies have been 

 suggested, such as bleeding by cutting the comb, giving 

 purgatives, drenching with cold water, reducing the 

 supply of food, &c. In practice, it is best to always see 

 that the birds have plenty of grit material. Reduce the 

 feed, and change the whole stock when this complaint 

 becomes serious. 



