April, 1931] Agricultural Research in N. H., 1930 21 



The certification work, which is done at a charge of three cents per 

 bird to partly cover the expense, separates hens into three classes, de- 

 pending on their ability to produce chicks having the qualities for high 

 egg production and conformance to specific standards. The first class 

 includes only those with good egg-production characteristics which are 

 free from the various disqualifications and are to be used as breeders. 

 The second class consists of those with lower egg-production character- 

 istics, less desirable color, and such disqualifications as side sprigs, 

 feathers or stubs on shanks or feet, comb foreign to breed, off-color 

 ear lobes. Those in the third class are culls unfit for profitable egg 

 production. 



This service is available only for flocks in the process of being ac- 

 credited free from pullorum disease or flocks already accredited. 

 {Miscellaneous Income.) 



Post-Mortem Examinations 



Post-mortem examinations of 

 chickens at the poultry pathology 

 laboratory numbered 1,660 and show- 

 ed that pneumonia and pullorum 

 disease caused the greatest loss of 

 chicks and coccidiosis the largest 

 fatality among hens. 



The extent of the losses of chicks, 



This chicken became paralyzed at due to various diseases and other 



the age of 77 days. Autopsy causes, is as follows: pneumonia, 277; 



showed coccidiosis The poultry pu ii or u m disease 266; coccidiosis 62; 



pathology laboratory conducted V> i- r x- ij j- a- 



1.600 post-mortem examinations of B " coh infection, colds, indigestion, 

 chickens during the past year. enteritis, and eight other difficulties, 



113. 



Autopsies of hens showed the following results: coccidiosis 268; 

 round-worm infestation 76; ruptured egg yolk 71; pneumonia 53; pul- 

 lorum disease 51; tape-worm infestation 42; fine sand in intestinal 

 tract 36; chronic coccidiosis 27; no diagnosis 23; stalphlococcus infec- 

 tion, sour crop, paralysis, and 25 other troubles, 228. 



Of the 38 turkeys examined 11 died of blackhead, 10 of pneumonia, 

 8 of pullorum disease, and the remainder of other troubles. In flocks 

 of turkey poults affected with pullorum disease in New Hampshire this 

 past season, losses ranged from 20 to 90 per cent. A breeding flock of 

 122 birds showed a positive reaction to the disease of 36 per cent. 

 Twenty-nine per cent reacted suspiciously. 



An intestinal worm called Capillaria was found for the first time in 

 a few poultry flocks, but is not expected to cause much trouble. The 

 post-mortem work was done by C. L. Martin and C. A. Bottorff. 

 {Miscellaneous Income) 



Pullorum Disease Decreases Markedly 



The amount of pullorum disease in New Hampshire poultry flocks 

 has decreased markedly in the 13 years that testing has been in prog- 

 ress. In the years before the testing began many poultrymen reported 



