POULTRY RAISING 49 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Diseases — their cause and cure. 



I am going to write you a few words here on 

 diseases of chickens, of which there are many, in fact 

 so many that I will only mention a few which are apt 

 to give you trouble. 



First, I will take the cause, which is improper 

 feeding in nearly every case. All colds, roup, cholera, 

 bowel trouble come from improper feeding. This 

 also causes lice, which live on the hen, or rather the 

 poison thrown off her system. 



Heavy feeding of rich mashes will quick knock 

 out your birds and various diseases will soon step in. 



Our old fashioned farmers never knew what colds 

 and roup were but of late years many farmers have 

 been feeding mash to increase their egg yield, and the 

 result — colds, roup, cholera. 



If you will feed my way, and cut your mashes out 

 you will not be troubled with disease. Roup and 

 cholera will not be known. If you see a hen sick, 

 just give her a tablespoon full of castor oil, and in 24 

 hours more, if she is not all right, give her another 

 spoonful. If she is no better at the end of next 24 

 hours, better cut her head off, and burn her up, for 

 she will only mope around and finally die. 



I find roup and colds in fowls grown, or nearly 

 grown, can be cured in nearly every case without 

 medicine by feeding them my way, and partly grown 

 to one-third grown birds will improve very rapidly 

 on this hopper feeding, and by the aid of a good roup 

 cure you can save nearly every bird and get them 

 well and strong. But never give them a mash. 



You may occasionally have a hen go light but very 

 rare on this method of feeding. I find corn is the 

 cause of most birds going light. I have proved this 

 to my entire satisfaction. Corn or cracked corn will 

 not do at all kept in hoppers before your hens as 



