October 1, 1908 
63 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
@e 
ee 
Diseases of Fowls. 
' 
Toe TREATMENT OF A Crop-BouND 
Fow.u. 
(Continued from last Issue.) 
Irregular feeding or over-feeding fowls 
with hard, dry grain is very liable to 
cause crop trouble. Over-distention by 
giving too large a quantity of grain after 
a long fast, or mechanical obstruction on 
account of some indigestible substance 
(long rank grass for instanca) blocking 
the passage from the crop to the gizzard, 
is a common cause. Where no regard 
is paid to the hours of feeding, and quan 
tities of grain, such as Indian corn and 
poor oats and barley, are thrown down? 
some fowls will be sure to gorge them- 
-selves greedily with it. As soon as the 
grain is put within reach they rush eagerly 
at it and eat all they can, a mouth- 
ful at a time. This is unnatural; a 
fowl should pick up a grain and 
not a mouthful at once, ‘The bird, 
stimulated by the presence of others, 
swallows as much as possible, overfills its 
crop, and then has, what in a human 
being would be called +a pain in the 
chest.’ By instinct, the bird has re- 
course to water to remedy it, but food 
can only pass to the gizzard as that organ 
-empties itself of the stuff previously in it. 
In the meantime the food swells, and 
' causes distension of the crop. From the 
frequent occurrence of this, there is a 
loss of digestive powers; the crop has 
become large, weak, and flaccid, unable 
to dispose of the food daily put in it, 
Appetite ceases and thirst increases, the 
fowl drinks to the last and dies. If the 
crop is merely swollen, a good remedy is 
to pour a tablespoonful of neat gin or 
brandy, or strong salt water, down the 
bird’s throat, and starve it for a day, 
namely, from one breakfast-time until 
the next—and then feed sparingly with 
soft food three times a day, mixing some 
finely-choopped raw onion in it. If 
this plan fails to effect a cure, operation 
is necessary. The crop may be opened 
easily in the following manner :—Pick off 
the feathers down the front of the breast 
in a straight line, and about 3-inch wide, 
then with alance or a sharp knife cut it, 
open, the incision being 14-inch long, 
and made over the most dependent part 
of the crop. Next make a small incision 
in the crop, introduce the finger and 
withdraw all the contents and well 
wash it. Then, if necessary (that is, if the 
crop has become so loose that it appears 
‘to have broken through the outer skin), 
with a pair of sharp scissors, cut a piece 
out of the crop, including the incised 
part, from ?-inch to 2 inches wide in the 
33 
A piece 2 inches wide will, in 
most instances, be sufficiently large, but 
such cutting is only to be recommended 
when a fowl has a very much-distended 
crop. 
centre, 
When the crop is open it is best 
to,pass a finger (greased) into the passage 
to feel the outlet, in case of their being 
some obstruction; also to put into the 
crop a small piece of lard. Olose the 
Opening in the crop by sewing it, and 
when that is done rub the stitches with 
plain healing ointment, then sew up the 
outer skin, This is the part of the opera- 
tion that requires the most care. The 
crop is quite distinct from the outer skin, 
and if the operator is nervous, or the 
fowl fidgety, it sometimes happens that 
the two are sewn up together. It is a 
fatal mistake. The outer suture should 
be sewn closely, and then rubbed with 
pure grease or ointment, so that every 
opening is filled. Let each stitch be in- 
dendent of the other by knotting the 
ends, and be careful that the lips of the 
wound are drawn closely together. About 
four stitches in the crop and three in the 
outer skin will be sufficient. Horsehair 
or fine catgut, rubbed with glycerine, 
may be used. After the operation the 
bird should be put in a quiet and dark 
place, and fed only on-gruel for a few 
days, allowing a few hours’ rest before 
good is given. If the patient goes on 
well, a cure will generally be effected in 
ten days, or, at most a fortnight. Let 
your flock of fowls be constantly supplied 
with sharp flint grit, feed them at inter- 
vals, and see that they have clean drinking 
water. A pinch or two of table salt occa- 
sionally mixed with the meat is very 
beneficial, as it helps to aid assimilation 
and prevents sour crop. 
(To be Continued,) 
Poultry breeders may this season be in 
good heart, in common with all breeder, 
_ of profitable stock. The very favourable 
rains we have had during the winter, and 
now, just as the warm weather is 
approaching, a further excellent rainfall 
mean a plentiful supply of green food for 
or the poultry, and later on cheap 
grain, 
7) 
