522 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



worms. Generally speaking, they are divided into flat 

 segmented worms known as tape worms, and round worms. 

 Few birds are entirely free from worms of some kind, ^^'llere 

 the stock is vigorous they usually cause very little incon- 

 venience. It is usualh' only in birds that are somewhat 

 lacking in vigor that the worms reproduce with sufficient 

 ia])icHty to constitute a menace to the host. 



'1 lie sym]3toms of worms are so general that it is usually 

 inij^ossible to diagnose their presence unless they are obser\-ed 

 in the intestine upon a postmortem examination, or are 

 noticed in the droppings. When worms are observed, it may 

 usuall\ be assumed that the difficulty has permeated the 

 flock fairly completely. Ackert' recommends the following 

 f(jr flock treatment: "To a gallon of a mixture of wheat 

 and oats, add a small teaspoonful of concentrated lye, with 

 sufiicient water to prevent scorching. Cook slowly for two 

 hours and cool. P'ast the birds to be treated for fifteen 

 hours, then gi\e them all of this mixture that they will eat, 

 I)roviding an abundance of water for them to drink. After 

 twelve to twenty hours give a second dose in the same 

 manner." 



During the time of treatment the birds should be confined 

 so that all of the droppings may be collected and burned. 

 About forty-eight hours after the second dose has been 

 given the quarters should be thoroughly disinfected, and, if 

 possible, the birds allowed a grassy run where chickens 

 have not been previously kept. The desirability for this 

 later precaution arises from the fact that with some of the 

 worms the earth worm appears to be a host at one stage 

 in the life-history. It is, therefore, desirable after ridding 

 the fowls of the parasites, by the method suggested abo\c, 

 to have them run on ground where the likelihood of the 

 earth worms being infested is slight. On the general farms 

 where the fowls have free range, as they should ha^•e, it is, 

 of course, impossible to accomplish this, and permanent 

 relief from worm infestations can only arise from the breeding 

 of stock of sufficient \igor to prevent any great multiplication 

 of the parasites. 



^ Parositoiogist, Kansas Agricultural I''x]:)er]'mont SlaHon 



