CHAPTER XXXVII 

 WORMS 



Losses from Worms. — ^The question of worms in poultry is of 

 far greater importance toward the success of the venture than 

 most poultrymen reaHze. Well-built houses, carefully prepared 

 food, close attention to sanitation, and good care generally are 

 of little avail if the fowls are infested with worms. Where there 

 are worms losses follow: if not actual death, at least there is a 

 falling off in the egg yield. In any event the poultry keeper is 

 not getting the proper returns from his feed and care, which is 

 the equivalent to loss. 



A postmortem examination at one of the State Egg Laying 

 Contests suggested a careful examination of the dropping 

 boards, which finally led to the conclusion that some of the pens 

 were infested with intestinal worms. The flocks were given a 

 vermifuge, followed by a purgative, which had the desired effect, 

 and in a couple of weeks' time the change in the flocks was sur- 

 prising. They were eating more, took on weight and their egg 

 yield improved. 



Widespread Trouble. — Numerous instances of anemia, liver 

 trouble, indigestion, diarrhea, general physical debility and other 

 complaints, due supposedly to lack of vigor in the breeding stock, 

 have been traced to worms within the fowl's body. In fact, it 

 has been said that of the strictly parasitic forms of life that 

 affect poultry, worms play the leading r61e. I am not prepared 

 to agree that worms are a greater menace to fowls than some 

 other varmints of our acquaintance, such as mites and lice, but 

 I do know that they work a great deal of loss and failure. 



Kinds of Worms. — There are several varieties of worms, some 

 of which take up their abode in the crop, stomach and intestines, 



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