BAGGING DOWN 



This is caused by feeding too freely of corn and other carbonaceous 

 foods, and results in irritation, inflammation, and loss of feathers, of the 

 posterior part of the body, by its hanging down. 



TREATMENT Change the diet, giving feeds containing largely pro- 

 tein, supply liberal quantities of green foods, and make fowls scratch for all 

 grains in deep litter, thus compelling exercise. 



DISEASES OF THE LIVER 



The liver in fowls, as in hu- 

 man beings, is one of the larg- 

 est organs of the body and one 

 of the most important. It pre- 

 pares the bile which plays such 

 an important part in digestion 

 and it has much to do with the 

 chemical changes in the blood. 

 The principal diseases are Con- 

 gestion of the Liver Inflam- 

 mation of the Liver, called 

 Hepatitis Atrophy, or wasting 

 of the Liver and Fatty De- 

 generation of the Liver. For 

 our purpose, all of these may 

 be classed under the head of 

 liver troubles, as many of the 

 symptoms are practically iden- 

 tical and the method of treat- 

 ment is very much the same. 



CAUSE The main cause of 

 Liver Trouble is found in the 

 lack of exercise and improper 

 feeding. Foods which are too 

 rich, or too heavy in their proportions of starch and fat-producing elements, 

 may have been fed. This is frequently occasioned 'by the scraps from the 

 table and kitchen which contain so mueh bread, potatoes, etc. If scraps are 

 fed, and they can be used to great advantage, they should be perfectly mixed 

 with other foods, so that the whole presents a balanced ration. 



These troubles are also caused by the presence of parasites in the liver, 

 those characterizing Chicken Cholera, Tuberculosis, and Blackhead (the lat- 

 ter is found in Turkeys) being the most common. These cause various de- 

 rangements inflammation, and finally death of the tissues. 



SYMPTOMS The great trouble in overcoming Liver Troubles is that 

 the symptoms are often misleading and are slow to appear, the result being 

 that when they are discovered it is often too late to apply an effective rem- 

 edy. The Fancier, or careful poultryman, who watches his flock closely, is 

 able to detect these symptoms, but with the ordinary market poultryman, the 

 disease is liable to be well advanced before the need of a remedy becomes 

 apparent. 



The comb and wattles usually show a lack of color, gradually changing 

 to dark red or purple ; there is a loss of appetite and the bird is sluggish. 

 In Jaundice the skin takes on a yellowish hue, and this is also indicated in the 

 comb and wattles. The disease is commonly attended by a diarrhoea watery 



Illustration No. 26. 

 Diseased Liver. 



46 



