Live Stock. 



[April, 1912. 



that, other conditions being equal, weak 

 parents are more likely to produce in- 

 fertile or less hatchable eggs, which will 

 give weaker chickens, than are strong 

 parents. 



Should we not, in view of these facts, 

 practice a system of rigid selection of 

 the weak from the strong during all 

 stages in the life of the flock, and from 

 the strong select only a few of the 

 strongest for breeding in order that we 

 may keep only the most vigorous fowls, 

 with the object of securing larger pro- 

 duction with less mortality and greater 

 net profit, and at the same time of 

 insuring stronger stock each succeeding 

 generation ? 



If we are to succeed permanently we 

 must so hatch, rear, feed, house and 

 breed our poultry that they will keep in 

 perfect health. Good health in the 

 fowls is the foundation of successful 

 poultry husbandry. 



Sanitary Poultry-Yards. 

 As nearly all diseases of poultry, in 

 fact all excepting those due to an error 

 in digestion, come as a result of an 

 insanitary condition, too much attention 

 cannot be paid to the problem of sanit- 

 ation in poultry-yards. Below are 

 given a few hints and suggestions that 

 may be found useful for the amateur, 

 assuming that the veteran poultry man 

 has learned it from a costly experience. 

 The first essential for a sanitary poultry- 

 yard is a well-selected locality, one with 

 a sandy soil that will dry off quickly 

 after a rain being preferred. A poultry- 

 yard that is used as such from year to 

 year is sure to become insanitary unless 

 the necessary precautions be taken, 

 especially is this so of the smaller yards, 

 and to such poultry men we would com- 

 mend the saying : Get busy and keep 

 busy ; clean up, clean out and keep clean. 



The poultry business is no place for 

 a lazy man or a loafer, for you can only 

 make a success by continually keeping 

 at it and looking after the little things. 

 One very important thing a majority 

 of breeders overlook is the removal of 

 the droppings which should be cleaned 

 put every morning and removed at least 



three times a week. Another important 

 thing from a sanitary standpoint is 

 the housing of the fowls ; this will be 

 referred to again later. Another im- 

 portant thing for prevention of disease 

 is the removal from the flock of all 

 sick birds. No matter what the ailment, 

 the bird should at once be removed to 

 different quarters, thus protecting the 

 healthy birds as well as giving the 

 afflicted one a better chance for its life. 



Gapes. 



Gape is a disease that seldom, if ever, 

 attacks adult birds. It is confined almost 

 entirely to chicks from four to eight 

 weeks old, but has been known to 

 attack older chicks (says an exchange). 

 It is often very troublesome and hard 

 to check, some chicks nearly always 

 succumbing to the malady. The chicks 

 open their mouths and gape and have 

 a choking cough. The cough becomes 

 more frequent as the disease advances. 



The gaping of the chick is caused by 

 small, red, V-shaped threadworms, 

 which are attached to the root of the 

 windpipe. The origin of these worms 

 has caused widespread discussion, both 

 in Europe and America. Many causes 

 have been offered, but none have been 

 wholly accepted. Mr. A. M. Holstead 

 believes that the gape worm was the 

 product of the head louse, which laid 

 its eggs in the nostrils, and the eggs 

 then passed into the windpipe and so 

 caused the gape worms. Others believe 

 it to be caused by eating angle worms, 

 The chicks coughing up the worms 

 spread the trouble, for when these 

 worms are eaten by other chicks they 

 will become affected in the same way. 



There are numerous cures as well as 

 causes. A favourite one is the giving 

 daily of camphor in grains the size of 

 a grain of wheat, or a pea. The odour 

 reaches the worms in the windpipe and 

 destroys them, while the camphor lie3 

 in the crop. Another remedy is to take 

 a feather and strip to within an inch 

 of the end, moisten it with turpentine 

 and insert in into the windpine, twist 

 it around and withdraw quickly. The 

 following ointment is sometimes recom* 



