58 Diseases of Poultry 



predisposed towards indigestion. Under these conditions 

 poultry are subject to a large number of disorders of the 

 digestive system. 



DISEASES OF THE CROP 



Impacted Crop (Crop Bound) 



In general two immediate causes may be given for birds 

 becoming crop bound. (1) The thin muscular walls may 

 be paralyzed either through over-distention with dry grain 

 or through some disease, as cholera and diphtheria. (2) 

 The opening into the lower portion of the esophagus may 

 become clogged by long straws, feathers or other substances. 

 In either case the crop fails to empty itself while the bird 

 continues to eat until the crop is greatly distended and 

 packed solid. 



Impacted crop is a common disease of poultry. A large 

 number of things have been assigned as a cause for this 

 trouble. It is probable that the real cause lies in low vitality 

 due to improper feeding and indigestion. Every poultry- 

 man knows that very often fowls will eat large quantities 

 of hay, straw, strings, feathers, etc., without showing the 

 least inconvenience. If the digestive organs are in the proper 

 health and tone they will usually take care of any overload- 

 ing of the crop. It is only when the tone of the digestive 

 system has been lowered by improper feeding, housing or 

 by some disease that the crop fails to perform its usual 

 function. Occasionally a case of impaction may properly 

 be attributed to overloading the crop with indigestible 

 matter. Such cases will occur only rarely and sporadically. 

 If many crop bound birds appear in a flock it may be taken 

 as certain that something more fundamental is the cause. 



Symptoms. — The first symptom is a loss of appetite or 

 an effort of the bird to swallow without being able to do so. 



