March, 1928] agricultural experiments 1927 31 



TESTING PULLETS FOR WHITE DIARRHEA 



The question of how early in a pullet's life she will show reactions to the 

 agglutination test for bacillary white diarrhea has an important bearing 

 on the work to eradicate this disease. In order to ascertain the facts in 

 this matter a pen of 125 pullets that had suffered from white diarrhea as 

 chicks was tested by E. M. Gildow at monthly intervals from the fourth 

 month after they were hatched until they were 12 months old. The 

 reactors shown were as follows: 2 at 4 months, 4 at 5 months, 3 at 6 

 months, 2 at 7 months, 1 at 8 months, at 9 months, 1 at 10 months, at 

 11 months, 1 at 12 months. 



The birds showing reactions were removed after each test; this elimi- 

 nated as far as possible transmission of the disease from one bird to 

 another. The pullets had started lajdng at 43^2 to 5 months of age. 



The data indicate that 11 out of a total of 14 positive reactors were 

 eliminated by the time the birds had been laying as a flock for three 

 months, and it would appear inadvisable to test pullets before this time. 

 (Miscellaneous Income.) 



TESTING AND SERVICE WORK 



White Diarrhea Testing 



In the white diarrhea campaign 70,000 birds were tested during the 

 period of June 1, 1926, to ^larch 10, 1927. Practically 20,000 of these 

 were hens and 50,000 pullets. The percentage of infection in both was 

 2.1 per cent. A total of 133 different flocks was tested, 45 of which had 

 not been tested the previous year. There are now 56 flocks on the ac- 

 credited list, containing 45,000 birds. 



Post-mortem Examinations 



Perhaps nothing can show better the difficulties confronted by the 

 poultrymen of the state than a summary of the diseases found among 

 birds sent in one year's time to the laboratory of the Station. 



This report shows that 1,875 specimens were received for post-mortem 

 examination. The principal diagnoses were: white diarrhea, 515; 

 coccidiosis, 364; pneumonia and chiUing, 342; paralysis, 145; rickets, 67. 



The specimens came from 402 different farms and showed all told 38 

 different types of ailments. 



In addition to this work the pathologists, E. M. Gildow and W. Wis- 

 nicky, tested 344 blood samples for contagious abortion which were 

 received from dairymen and veterinarians in the state representing about 

 20 different herds. (Miscellaneous Income.) 



Inspection of Feed Stuffs 



In connection with the enforcement of the law regulating the sale of 

 concentrated commercial feeding stuffs, 360 samples of these materials 

 were analyzed for the State Department of Agriculture. About 2,900 

 individual determinations were made in carrying out these analyses. 

 The results are reported in the annual inspection bulletin. 



