ENEMIES AND DISEASES OF POULTRY 169 



and cleanliness and the feeding of proper kinds of food. 

 Looseness of the bowels of this kind can usually be 

 cured by feeding equal parts of bread crumbs and rice 

 boiled in milk. If there is sufficient moisture in the 

 rice to moisten the bread, no more moisture is needed. 

 If a little more moisture is needed use hot milk. This 

 treatment can be safely given to all little chicks troubled 

 with looseness of the bowels. It will not hurt the 

 chicks with white diarrhea. There is, however, no 

 known cure for little chicks that are afflicted with white 

 diarrhea. 



Diseases of the Legs and Feet. Leg weakness, rheuma- 

 tism, and gout are troubles that cause lameness in fowls. 

 Lameness may also come from corns or bumblefoot. 

 Rheumatism and gout are often called leg weakness, 

 although the leg weakness may be due to any one of a 

 number of causes, as for instance too high a temperature 

 in the brooder, to the chicks being kept too long on 

 board floors, to insufficient nutrition, or to a lack of 

 bone-forming material in the food. In most cases die- 

 tetic and hygienic treatment will prove sufficient. 



Rheumatism and gout are kindred diseases caused by 

 the fowls being exposed to dampness and by being shut 

 up in badly ventilated houses. In fact, nine-tenths of 

 all poultry troubles come from damp and unsanitary 

 houses; if the houses were kept perfectly clean, dry, 

 and free from insects, fowls would have but few ail- 

 ments. There is no cure for rheumatism and gout, and 

 scarcely any relief. 



Scaly leg is a disease of the shanks caused by little 

 mites that come from damp and filthy conditions. The 

 mites get under the scales on the shanks and toes and 

 cause swellings on these parts. Scaly leg may be 

 quickly cured if treated at the beginning, but it is hard 

 to eradicate at an advanced stage. It may be treated 

 by rubbing the shanks thoroughly each day with an 

 application of lard and kerosene until the growths are 

 cleaned off. The most effective way of dealing with the 

 trouble is to sell off the afflicted fowls for market 



