182 ENEMIES AND DISEASES OF POULTRY 



FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT 



There are a few fundamental principles of treatment 

 that it would be well for every poultryman to have 

 continually in his mind. Morse's maxims cover this 

 ground so well that they are given here: 



"Clean out by means of Epsom salts, administered in 

 an evening mash, estimating one-third of a teaspoonful 

 to each adult bird. When disease is raging this may be 

 practiced with the sick two or three times a week until 

 there is an abatement of the outbreak. Even the well 

 birds should receive one such dose at the beginning 

 of an outbreak of disease. After disease has swept 

 through a flock, until one is certain that it has been 

 entirely eradicated, it is well to give the flock at 

 least one dose monthly during the cooler weather and 

 twice a month during the heated term. 



"Clean up the poultry houses by sprinkling powdered, 

 air-slaked lime over the runs, dropping-boards, and 

 floors. This should be practiced at the time of giving 

 the salts, as the lime will destroy the parasites that 

 are deposited in the droppings. 



"Clean the water supply by adding to the drinking 

 water enough permanganate of potash to turn the water 

 a claret red; that would ordinarily be as much as you 

 can spread on a silver lOc. piece to the gallon of 

 water. Instead of this, iron sulphate may be added in 

 the proportion of 10 gr. to 1 gal. of water. Or, 

 instead of either, 1 teaspoonful of strong carbolic acid 

 (not crude) may be added to 1 gal. of water. This should 

 be practiced constantly during the prevalence of disease. 

 Healthy fowls not threatened with disease do not need it. 



"Clean eggs by dipping them in 90% alcohol, just 

 before placing them in the incubator. Instead of the 

 alcohol, a 3% solution of some good coal-tar disin- 

 fectant may be used, with this exception, that instead of 

 dipping, as in the use of alcohol, they should be wiped 

 with the coal-tar disinfectant. The purpose of this rule 

 is to remove from the shell of the egg the various 



