LEG WEAKNESS 511 



Indigestion. — Indigestion refers to the condition frequently 

 referred to by practical poultrymen as "oil feed." The 

 fowls lose interest in their feed and are dull and listless. 

 The most frequent causes are over-feeding, feeding too 

 great a proportion of mash in the ration, or too mucli con- 

 centrates without sufficient green feed. The remedy is 

 largely in finding and removing the cause. Pearl, Surface, 

 and Curtis' suggest the advisability of furnisliing such birds 

 with a tonic made up as follows: 



Pulverized gentian _ . „ . 1 pound 



Pulverized ginger , . , . . i " 



Pulverized saltpeter . ..... i " 



Pulverized ir<jn sulphate ... i " 



These substances can be procured from any drug store and 

 mixed by the poultryman. Use 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of the 

 tonic to 10 quarts of dry mash. 



Recovery from indigestion may also be hastened I)y the 

 following treatment: For the first week after the trouble 

 has been discovered add one teaspoonful of p]psom salts 

 to each (|uart of drinking water. Follow this for two 

 weeks with | grain of strychnuTe to each quart of drinking 

 water. 



Leg Weakness. — Leg weakness which is largely limited 

 to growing stock is attributed to too much heat in the 

 brooder and to improper feedhig. As would be supposed 

 from the name, it affects the legs and at first the hock 

 joints particularly, which apparently become so loosened 

 that they will bend in any direction. As the trouble pro- 

 gresses, the limfts frequently become spread out, the birds 

 losing control of them to such an extent that they can only- 

 scramble about with the body resting on the groiuid. The 

 appetite remains good, and good recovery is made if the 

 cause of the trouble is removed. The trouble seems really 

 to be that the birds grow in weight faster than they grow 

 in strength. 



Where artificial brooding is practiced the temperature 

 should be reduced as low as possible without making the 



' Diseases of Poultry. 



