VALUE OF SOUR MILK 



507 



No Absolute Cure. — For bacillary white diarrhea in young 

 chicks there is no absolute cure so far as is known. Several 

 so-called remedies have been extensively advertised, but most of 

 these are in reality preventatives. Furthermore, the medical 

 treatment of individual chicks is virtually impracticable, as it 

 is too expensive, and flock treatment, once the chicks are afflicted, 



Fig. 313. — White Pekin ducklings. 



(.Courtesy Atlantic Farm) 



is of little consequence because the chicks cannot be induced to 

 eat or drink in sufficient quantity to be of any avail. 



The feeding of sour milk to young chicks as soon as they 

 are taken from the incubator appears to be the most successful 

 treatment toward controlling the disease. The purpose of the 

 sour milk is to suppress any intestinal putrefaction which the 

 bacillus may set up. In other words, the sour milk contains 

 ferments or bacteria, which are calculated to counteract or offset 

 the parasites of the white diarrhea. 



