WITH 4200 HENS 157 



young ones. The rear portions of the bird will swell- 

 to great size and the bird is literally heavy as lead. 



Congestion of the liver and other liver troubles are 

 usually evidenced by discolored combs. The comb turns 

 blue, even blue-black, and remains so. This must not 

 be confused with a somewhat similar discoloration due 

 to a chill or continued exposure to bad weather ; in the 

 latter case the comb will resume normal color if the 

 bird is put in a warm dry place. 



Prolapsus is a projection of the egg-laying organs ; the 

 entire egg bag will sometimes be forced out. This is 

 commoner with young pullets just beginning to lay, al- 

 though older hens will be afflicted under certain condi- 

 tions. 



Bumblefoot, so far as the name is concerned, must 

 have been invented by a practical joker. It is simply a 

 sore foot. The bird sustains an injury or runs a sliver 

 into the ball of the foot resulting in a puss formation. 



Egg-Bound is the inability of the hen to pass the 

 tgg, usually a fully developed egg. The size of the egg 

 is not necessarily the cause — it is more likely a paralysis, 

 perhaps temporary, of the expulsion muscles. Hens in 

 this condition may remain on the nests all day and be 

 found there at night, showing signs of distress, or more 

 likely they will be off and on the nests and may be ob- 

 served straining to pass the egg. 



Leg Weakness is common among pullets just ma- 

 turing and coming into laying and cases are found at 

 times amongst the older hens. We class the former as 

 being due to some defect in the laying organs ; the latter 

 is more often rheumatism, although cases are recalled 



