POULTRY DISEASES 
11 
FLEA 
THE CHICKEN FLEA (I’ulex avium) 
DESCRIPTION.—This flea resembles, to some extent, the fleas of dogs, 
cats and man. A microscopic study shows it to be a distinct species for 
birds. It is illustrated in Fig. 11. It is provided with jointed feelers (anten¬ 
nae), mouth parts for wounding the skin and sucking blood, and legs pro¬ 
vided with hooklets on the free extremities. The posterior legs are longest, 
'giving them great pow T er to jump. The body is flattened laterally and is 
brown in color. 
LIFE HISTORY.—The female lays about twenty brown, oval eggs, in 
the filth of the hen house, where they hatch in a few days, if the weather be 
warm. They are now in a worm-like stage and practically microscopic in 
size. They develop rapidly into the adult stage. (Illustrated in Fig. 11.) 
CONDITION PRODUCED.-—-One outbreak of flea infestation was studied 
during the past summer. The presence of the fleas was first noticed by the 
insects getting upon persons whenever they went into the hen house. In¬ 
vestigation showed the fleas in large numbers. It is noteworthy in this out¬ 
break that all lice and chiggers disappeared from the flock. Although these 
parasites irritate the skin and suck blood, no effect upon these birds was 
noted by the owner. Perhaps it was because the birds were largely out of 
doors. Symptoms similar to those produced by lice have been recorded. 
TREATMENT.-—Dipping the hens in five per cent Kreso Dip rid these 
birds of fleas, and the premises treated as indicated under “Lice” were rid 
of the pest. 
LARGE ROUND WORM, (Ascaris inliexa) 
DESCRIPTION.—This is quite a common worm, found in the first por¬ 
tion of the intestinal tract of chickens. It is round, white or yellowish-white 
in color, and from one to two inches in length. Its natural size is illustrated 
in Fig. 12. The male is smaller than the female, and it has a complete diges¬ 
tive tract and robs the bird of nutrients. Ten per cent of the birds examined 
in the laboratory during the past three years have been found to be in¬ 
fested by this worm. 
LIFE HISTORY.—This worm reproduces by laying eggs, microscopic in 
size, which pass out with the feces. Other birds become infested by drinking 
or eating food contaminated or soiled with the excrement of the infested 
birds. In this way, one infested bird introduced into the flock, may spread 
the disease to all birds of the flock. 
CONDITION PRODUCED.—A few worms may produce no noticeable 
effect upon the health of the bird. At times they are found in large masses, 
obstructing the bowel and causing constipation, diarrhoea, catarrh of the 
bowel and possibly, irritation sufficiently to cause inflammation. There may 
be a loss of appetite, unthrifty condition, unkept appearance of plumage, 
dull, languid and droopy wings, emaciation, loss of color to comb and mucous 
membranes; and death may'occur in a few weeks. 
Careful examinations by opening the digestive tracts of the birds killed 
for food purposes keeps one informed as to whether parasitism is present in 
the flock. If there are worms present in the birds, one will occasionally note 
that worms are passed in the feces. Reports have been made that worms 
answering this description have been found in eggs. By referring to Fig. 
1 it will be seen that a live worm, possessing power of movement as these 
worms do, passing into the cloaca (No. 16) from the rectum (No. 15) can 
pass up the egg canal (No. 23) and thus be incorporated in the albumen of 
the egg, as it is formed around the yolk. It is not beyond a possibility that 
the following described worm (Heterakis papillosa) may, at times, do the 
same thing. These conditions are probably rare. 
TREATMENT.—It is necessary to keep the yard and hen house clean. 
Lime should be scattered on the floor and about the yard, and the birds should 
be watered and fed from a clean though made for the purpose and disinfected 
daily and so constructed that birds cannot step into it. If possible, birds 
should be moved occasionally upon new ground. The parasite eggs in the 
