DISEASES AND PESTS OF FOWLS 
sidered. Drs. Cole and Hadley summarize 
measures of prevention as follows: 
1. Protect the yards and flocks which may have the good 
fortune to be uninfected with the blackhead organism by a 
thorough examination of all new stock, whether turkeys, 
fowls, geese or other domestic birds. 
2. Keep the turkeys on grounds which are as fresh as 
can be obtained, and above all, keep them isolated from 
fowls and other domestic birds. 
3. Keep every turkey in the flock under close observa- 
tion in order to separate and at once isolate any bird which 
gives evidence of the disease. To facilitate such observa- 
tions it is helpful to leg-band each individual, and to record 
its weight from time to time. Such a course makes it pos- 
sible to learn whether any birds are losing weight, and if 
this is the case, these birds must be regarded with suspicion, 
and separated from the rest of the flock. | 
4. If it is known that blackhead is present in any of the 
poultry, the yard should be kept free from English sparrows, 
and the poultry houses and grain boxes from rats and mice, 
which have been shown to carry the causative organism. 
5. When it is desired to fatten birds for the market, 
begin to increase the rations gradually. Never attempt to 
fatten birds which, in successive weighings, show a loss of 
weight. Overfeeding does not cause blackhead, but fre- 
quently causes the sudden death of birds in which blackhead 
is present. : 
6. When birds have died of blackhead, their bodies 
should be promptly burned or buried in order to prevent the 
dissemination of the coccidia, either through the ravages of 
rats or skunks, or consequent to the natural processes of decay. 
BREAKDOWN 
Not often seen in the poultry yard 
Symptoms. The abdomen becomes en- 
33 
