DOGS, CATS AND POULTRY 
583 
As a last resort, if there is still failure, puncture the 
egg, allowing the contents to come away and take the shell 
away in pieces. To allay inflammation of the passage give 
an injection after this of a little raw linseed or olive oil 
containing a little of the white lotion. 
3. Soft Shelled Eggs. 
Causes. — The laying of soft shelled eggs is the result of 
improper diet. 
Treatment. — Allow the hens more exercise if possible. 
Feed more lime and vegetables. A few shovelfuls of old 
plaster in a box where they can get to it easily is an excel- 
lent thing for this defect. Sand is also good, as also are 
oyster shells and grit, but old plaster is better still. 
4. Leg Weakness, Rheumatism. 
Causes. — Exposure to cold and dampness accompanied 
by improper feeding is sometimes the cause. 
The principal cause of leg weakness, in most strain of 
fowls, arises from inbreeding or breeding the same strain of 
fowls for too long a period. It is also caused by overfeed- 
ing, which increases the weight of the body out of propor- 
tion to the muscular strength of the limbs and usually occurs 
in the larger breeds. 
Symptoms. — The first symptoms is lameness, soon fol- 
lowed by greater weakness of the legs, the fowl going but 
a short distance and then sitting down. As the disease pro- 
gresses the patient gets "off its feet" altogether. 
Treatment. — Do all possible to avoid exposure to cold and 
dampness. Feed less food and no corn or other fat-forming 
products. In the first stages, give : 
Sulphate of Iron ^ pound. 
Sulphate of Lime ^4 pound. 
Mix and give the fowl about the size of two peas of the 
mixture on its tongue twice a day. If, however, the bird is 
unable to walk chances are against it. 
5. Egg Eating. 
This habit, when once formed, is hard to get rid of. 
Causes. — It may have its origin in having had access to 
broken eggs. It more frequently, however, has its cause in 
improper diet — insufficiency of animal food. 
