128 
EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN. 
Gape worms may be killed by placing the chicks in a closed barrel 
or sofne other convenient receptacle and forced to inhale strong tobacco 
fumes, or those of a similar nature. This method is not recommended 
very highly, as it is extremely dangerous. The treatment will of 
course kill the chicks if continued too long and thus an inexperienced 
operator finds it difficult to use. 
In combatting this disease, as well as all others, healthy, growing 
chicks are much more likely to overcome the trouble than weak, neg¬ 
lected ones. 
DIARRHOEA. 
Another common disease of chicks is diarrhoea; they are affected with 
both the white and black forms of this trouble. A lack of heat and an 
excess of the same are prolific causes of diarrhoea in small chicks, but 
sometimes improper feeding is the cause. Too much heating food, as 
corn meal, sloppy, or decaying food, or in fact anything that may 
cause a derangement of the digestive tract is likely to produce this 
trouble. Chicks properly hatched from strong, vigorous stock are much 
more^ likely to resist the disease, as their organs of digestion are 
stronger. 
LEG WEAKNESS AND CROOKED BREASTS. 
This trouble is especially prevalent when chicks are brooded indoors 
during the cold months. It is often caused by improper feeding. The 
chicks when thus affected are not getting a proper amount of bone and 
muscle-forming material and the ration is particularly lacking in ash. 
This must be supplied in some form to make it palatable. The best 
way of doing this, so far as known to the writer, is to add fine ground 
bone either raw or cooked, animal meal, and milk in some form. Milk 
has been found especially good in supplying this lack of ash in poultry 
supplies. Feed a mixture of grains as recommended heretofore, and 
add fine ground bone, animal meal, milk, vegetables, clover or alfalfa, 
and furnish a plentiful supply of good clean sand or grit. In some cases 
the ration may have been right and the chicks suffered from a lack of 
exercise. Without sufficient exercise there will not be a normal develop¬ 
ment of the digestive organs, bones and muscle. A good, clean range 
out-of-doors will usually correct this trouble, although if they have 
started to get crooked breast bones they never can be cured. Crooked 
breasts are occasionally caused by chicks roosting too early in life, but 
the trouble is generally caused by improper handling in the early develop¬ 
ment. Brooder chicks at two weeks of age are sometimes crooked 
breasted, the result of improper feeding and lack of exercise. Correct 
the ration as suggested for leg weakness. The digestive organs in birds 
thus affected are found to be out of proportion to their body weight. 
This development is probably due to the chick eating too much food, 
lacking in ask. in the attempt to secure the mineral elements which 
should be fed in a more concentrated form. 
If the chicks are not taking enough exercise and a range is impossible 
on account of severe weather*or other conditions, increase the amount of 
litter and force the youngsters to spend more time scratching for their 
food, but do not make the mistake of requiring them to work too much at 
first, as a chick with muscles and bones already weak, must be built 
