Poultry Diseases and Their Remedies 129 



This is where the name comes from; it is at first a slight bruise, tender 

 and hot, the circulation is impeded and pus begins to form. The bird 

 limps and as the disease progresses the limp is more pronounced 

 until the bird gives up and lies around. When the pus breaks the bird 

 gets relief, but unless the wound is looked after it gathers again and 

 the skin on the foot gradually hardens. The foot is swollen more or 

 less but the health of the bird not being impaired, very little notice 

 is taken of it. If taken in time and treated as a bruise the bumble will 

 not mature. Washing the foot in good strong vinegar and then put- 

 ting the bird on a straw floor away from board floors will prevent the 

 pus from forming. If pus does form the place should be opened with 

 a sharp knife and the whole foot tied up in a flaxmeal poultice. The 

 dirt must be kept out of the open wound if we are to cure the trouble. 



Worms in Poultry. — There are two kinds of worms that are com- 

 mon to poultry — the "round worm" and the "tape worm." The 

 round worm, as its name implies, is round, while the tape worm is 

 flat. The round worm is much more common in poultry than the 

 tape worm, and is not very injurious except in too large numbers. A 

 few worms would not injure the health, but if a bird had a few hun- 

 dreds eating up its food supply, that would be injurious. So to pre- 

 vent the latter condition it is better to confine the worms to a limited 

 number, or better yet, to none at all. The round worm is seldom 

 passed through the bowels and many poultrymen do not know their 

 birds have them until one dies and a post mortem is held. The round 

 worm varies in size from one-third to five inches long. The head is 

 pointed like a sharpened pencil and its color is white. 



When birds have very many worms they show it by the comb and 

 wattles being pale, the birds lose flesh and are thin, and often there 

 is diarrhoea. 



The remedy for worms is santonine. Dissolve two grains for each 

 bird in warm water. This water to be used in mixing a mash that 

 has been previously prepared by mixing into it half a teaspoonful of 

 castor oil. Give this mash to the birds, seeing that all have a share, 

 and then watch for results. All the droppings should be burned. 

 Another remedy is turpentine and coal oil, mixed into a portion of mash 

 food, allowing half a teaspoonful of each to the bird. The prevention 

 of worms is much easier than the cure. It lies in feeding a little wood 

 ashes in the mash feed with a dose of Epsom salts about twice a 

 month except when birds are having much milk or meat, when it 

 should be given once a week, or a feed of garlic. 



The Tape Worm. — Small brooder chicks that eat mice are sup- 

 posed to get these pests more than any other chickens, as the tape 

 worm in chickens is similar to that found in cats. Raw meat of any 

 kind will cause tape worms in young or old fowls, but very few people 



