284 Diseases of Poultry 



chicks may continue to die until the fourth or fifth week. 

 On the other hand if a brood goes through its first three 

 weeks of Hfe without being attacked by this disease it is 

 practically safe from its ravages. White diarrhea then may 

 be said to be limited to the first three weeks of the chick's 

 life so far as serious mortality from it is concerned. The 

 reason for this no doubt is that the digestive system of 

 chicks under three weeks old is so delicate that even a 

 slight disturbance makes a very serious handicap for the 

 chick. 



Etiology. — Within recent years a large number of studies 

 concerning the cause, prevention and cure of white diarrhea 

 have been conducted. Investigations have been carried on 

 by state and national institutions as well as by many private 

 individuals. Consequently a large number of alleged causes 

 of the disease are given by different writers. Among these 

 may be mentioned : Debilitated breeding stock, improper 

 incubation, improper brooding, overheating, chilling, poor 

 ventilation, over-crowding, poor or improper food and filth 

 as well as specific bacteria, fungi or other parasitic organisms. 



It is doubtful if many of the cases of true ivhite diarrhea are 

 caused by physical or mechanical agents. In most cases 

 true white diarrhea appears to be an infectious disease. 

 Such disease we know is caused by some form of parasitic 

 organism. Without doubt improper incubation, brooding 

 and feeding, resulting in weakened chicks, very often lay 

 the foundation for the attacks of parasitic organisms. In 

 many cases these faulty methods of handling the eggs and 

 chicks appear to be the real cause of the disease while they 

 are really only indirect causes. 



From this it should not be understood that such things 

 as poor food, poor brooding and weakened breeding stock 

 are of no importance in the study of white diarrhea. It is 

 just exactly these predisposing factors which result in chicks 



