CHAPTER IX 



COMMON DISEASES AND TREATMENT 



The prevention of poultry diseases and infection is 

 largely a matter of management. The most successful 

 poultrymen endeavor to manage their flocks in a way to 

 prevent disease rather than to be continually doctoring. 

 While it is found possible to prevent diseases to a great 

 extent by keeping the fowls as well as the houses and sur- 

 roundings clean and sanitary, in many flocks, nevertheless, 

 fowls from time to time come in contact with some disease 

 or disorder that interferes with their growth or production. 

 In most instances it is not practical to attempt to cure one 

 or two sick fowls; for, even though they are apparently 

 cured, their value as producers or breeders will be lessened. 

 Again, the disease may reappear and endanger other fowls. 

 Every effort should be made to prevent disease from be- 

 coming prevalent throughout the flock; for, unless a known 

 cure is possible and the flock can be treated as a whole, it 

 may become necessary to kill off a large number of the fowls. 



GENERAL PREVENTION 

 Other than by keeping the poultry house, drinking foun- 

 tains, hoppers, and surroundings clean and sanitary the 

 healthy fowls in the flock may be prevented from getting 

 diseases by immediately removing those that show signs 

 of infection. The contagious or infectious diseases like 

 roup, canker, chicken pox, cholera, etc., are caused by germs, 

 which not only develop rapidly within a fowl so affected, 

 but are subject to spread among the rest of the flock. The 

 drinking fountain is most frequently the means of spreading 

 disease and thus endangering other birds. In less severe 

 forms of disease, as, for example, roup, canker, chicken pox, 

 it is possible to prevent the contamination of the whole 



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