S22 



LIVE STOCK. 



Poultry Notes. 



By G. W. Sturgbss, m.r.c.v.s. 



DISEASES OF POULTRY. 

 (Continued.) 



Bumble Foot.— This disease is characterised by a swelling on one or both 

 feet generally on the sole, sometimes on one of the toes. It is very painful 

 and causes great lameness. It is due to bruising or a small wound caused by 

 a thorn or splinter of glass. A hard corn is formed and suppuration follows, 

 and the matter penetrates between the tissues of the foot, sometimes up the shank. 

 It becomes of a peculiar cheesy nature and is very difficult to get out completely 

 when the swelling is cut. 



Treatment. — The foot should be poulticed for a day, and then when the 

 swelling is softi it should be completely opened up by a free cut with a sharp 

 penknife and all the cheesy matter squeezed or scraped out and the wound 

 washed with clean cold water and blood clots removed. Then dry with cotton 

 wool, dress^with plenty of Benzoated Lard or Eucalyptised vaseline, and wrap up 

 with soft rag and keep the bird in a box on straw without a perch. Dressing 

 should be done daily in the above manner until healing has taken place. (See also 

 wounds of the Feet.) 



Blindness.— (See wounds of the Eye.) 



Chicken Pox.— This disease is very common in the tropics and may occur 

 in all young poultry. It commences as brownish yellow crusts or warts near 

 the base of the beak and may spread all over the face and neck. If the crusts are 

 broken matter is found underneath. It is due to a fungus. 



Treatment. — Isolate all affected chickens. The scabs can be softened by 

 bathing with Jeyes' fluid and water and removed and the sores carefully touched 

 with a camel hair brush dipped in pure Jeyes' fluid or carbolic acid. 

 The following ointment is also useful : — 

 Oil Eucalyptus 20 drops. 

 Turpentine 20 ,, 

 Benzoated Lard or Vaseline 1 dram. 

 Mixed. 



Care must be taken 7iot to injure the eyes. Chickens should be liberally fed 

 and get plenty of green food. A little tonic medicine such as Parrish's Chemical 

 food may be given daily in the food or drinking water. 



Fowl Cholera.— This is a very terrible disease to get into the poultry 

 yard. It is highly infective and is caused by an organism (a Bacillus). 



The symptoms are drowsiness, weakness in legs and wings, great thirst, 

 greenish discharges which may become whitish and frothy, comb usually very dark 

 in colour, progressive stupor and death which commonly takes place within thirty-six 

 hours. The owners' attention is drawn to it by the illness or death of several 

 birds in rapid succession. On postmortem the intestines are inflamed and 

 there may be haemorrhages present. Ordinary diarrhoea does not run so rapid 

 a course and is not so fatal. In inflammation of the bowels the discharges are 

 yellowish. (See Enteritis,) 



