Transcriber’s Notes
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations
in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other
spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.
Italics are represented thus _italic_.
[Illustration: _PROFIT OR LOSS_]
POULTRY
DISEASES
Causes
Symptoms
and Treatment
With Notes on
Post-Mortem Examinations
E. J. WORTLEY, F. C. S.
_Illustrated_
NEW YORK
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY
1915
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., Limited
Copyright, 1915, by
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY
_All Rights Reserved_
Entered at Stationers’ Hall
_LONDON, ENGLAND_
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
PREFACE
Poultry farming as a means of profit can be made successful only by
maintaining the most vigorous and sustained campaign against disease.
The aim of the poultry rearer should be to stamp out disease by
preventive measures. Practical experience proves the inefficiency
of many so-called cures, and points to the urgency of poultrymen
endeavoring to understand more thoroughly the causes of the ailments to
which domestic fowls are liable.
My aim is to put a concise handbook into the hands of poultry rearers,
who should thus be assisted in determining the various diseases
and in taking the precautionary steps important in preventing the
introduction and spread of contagious diseases. No effort is made
to elaborate the scientific side of the subject. Those desirous of
obtaining full information about the types of organisms that have been
proved to be the specific causes of, or to be invariably associated
with, particular disorders, may do so with profit by obtaining fuller
works on the subject. Many scientific workers are devoting their time
to the problem of combating diseases among poultry, and assistance is
willingly given by officers of the experiment stations to farmers who
desire to identify any disease causing loss in their flocks.
The practical poultryman will recognize the fact that measures for the
control of disease cannot be limited to sanitation and the treatment
of sick birds, but, in reality, include such important matters as the
selection of healthy stock, intelligent feeding, proper housing, and
other details essential to the successful management of poultry.
I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to the works of Dr. D. E.
Salmon and John H. Robinson, editor of Farm Poultry, and to the recent
publication on poultry diseases by Dr. Raymond Pearl, Frank M. Surface,
and Maynie R. Curtis. My thanks are due to R. S. Martinez for the
care taken in making the photographs from which the drawings for the
illustrations in the chapter on Post-Mortem Examinations were prepared.
Much valuable information has also been obtained from bulletins issued
by the experiment stations of the United States and by the Ontario
Agricultural College of Canada.
E. J. WORTLEY.
CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER I
GENERAL METHODS OF CONTROLLING DISEASE 1
1. Importance of controlling disease.
2. Dangers of introducing disease.
3. Control measures.
4. Nursing sick birds.
5. The use of drugs and medicines.
6. Disinfection.
CHAPTER II
SUMMARY OF EXTERNAL SYMPTOMS AND
TREATMENT 14
1. Diseases affecting head and respiratory organs.
2. Diseases affecting organs of digestion and reproduction.
3. Diseases affecting legs and feet.
4. Parasites.
5. Miscellaneous.
CHAPTER III
DISEASES OF POULTRY OTHER THAN FOWLS 19
CHAPTER IV
DISEASES AND PESTS OF FOWLS 22
(In alphabetical order.)
CHAPTER V
POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS 99
1. Making the examination.
2. The normal condition of the internal organs.
3. Diagnosis of disease by post-mortem symptoms.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FIG. PAGE
Profit or Loss _Frontispiece_
2 Isolation 5
3 Desolation 6
4 Poultryman’s Medicine Shelves 8
5 How Disease Is Spread 10
6 Aids to Thorough Disinfection 12
7 Head Showing Brain Exposed 29
8 {Windpipe Cut Open } 30
{A Fungus That Causes Aspergillosis }
9 Bumblefoot 36
10 Chicken Pox 38
11 Diphtheritic Roup 50
12 {Chicken Affected with Gapes } 60
{Gape Worms }
13 Looking for Lice 67
14 Three Lice That Commonly Affect Fowls 68
15 The Air-Sac Mite 74
16 The Depluming Mite 74
17 The Red Mite 75
18 Organs of Reproduction of the Hen 78
19 Examining a Fowl with a Suspicious Cold 84
20 A Roupy Eye 87
21 Scaly Leg 88
22 The Mite That Causes Scaly Leg 89
23 The Fowl Tick 90
24 Organs Affected by Tuberculosis and Blackhead 91
25 Chickens Affected with White Diarrhea 93
26 Healthy Chickens 93
27 Worms in Intestinal Tract of Fowl 95
28 The Parts of a Fowl 96
29 Skeleton of a Fowl 97
30 Post-Mortem Examination No. 1 100
31 Post-Mortem Examination No. 2 102
32 Post-Mortem Examination No. 3 104
33 Post-Mortem Examination No. 4 106
34 Post-Mortem Examination No. 5 110
CHAPTER I
GENERAL METHODS OF CONTROLLING DISEASE
_1. Importance of Controlling Disease_
The ravages of disease add considerably to the difficulties of raising
poultry in all parts of the world. It is the experience of poultry
rearers that an annual toll has to be paid in the lives of young birds
and older stock. Sooner or later, in addition, an epidemic may break
out and result in heavy losses and much discouragement.
It is most important, therefore, to be able to recognize the symptoms
and to know the causes of the many diseases to which various kinds of
poultry are subject. Every practical effort should be made to reduce
avoidable mortality. An unexplained death should be regarded with
concern. It may point to the presence of a serious disease. When there
is not sufficient external evidence for determining the cause of
death, a post-mortem examination should be made (see page 98).
The poultryman must know above all whether he is dealing with an
infectious disease or not. The discovery that a sudden death among
his fowls is due to apoplexy will set his mind at ease. On the other
hand, if a case of cholera occurs, the body of the dead fowl should be
burnt, and a vigorous campaign started to prevent the spread of the
disease; birds showing mopishness and other suspicious symptoms should
be isolated; the houses, the feed troughs, the water vessels, and the
yard to which the dead fowl has had access, should all be thoroughly
disinfected.
_2. Dangers of Introducing Disease_
Perhaps more loss has been caused by introducing birds with disease
into a healthy flock than by any other means. Readers will, doubtless,
be able to recall occasions on which their own, or their neighbors’,
flocks suffered. An instance was recently related to the writer. A
poultryman was offered two fowls, which he at first refused, but owing
to the vagrant seller’s importunity, he eventually bought the birds and
let them loose among the home flock. On the following day one died; but
no effort was made to discover the cause, nor was the dead fowl’s body
burnt. In a few days, a fowl belonging to the original flock died and,
in three to four weeks after the purchase, two-thirds of the stock had
died. It afterwards transpired that the vendor had lost several of his
fowls from cholera, and the fear of further mortalities had been his
reason for being so anxious to dispose of the survivors.
On every farm where poultry is kept, there should be a quarantine ward
for new purchases. The most careful breeders will isolate their own
birds that have returned from an exhibition, for fear they may have
contracted some disease there or on the journey.
_3. Control Measures_
Practical experience and scientific investigation have clearly proved
that preventive measures are more economical and effective than
curative. Failing prevention, everything points to the importance of
dealing promptly with the first cases, owing to the risk of infection
of the rest of the stock. Control measures may be divided into three
classes:
1. Proper housing and feeding of fowls.
2. General sanitation and disinfection.
3. Administration of medicine to sick birds.
The details to which special attention must be given are covered by the
following axiomatic rules:
1. Isolate birds recently purchased—for two or three weeks.
2. Isolate every bird that shows any sign of ill health.
3. Provide a fresh and pure supply of water in a shady position.
4. Add Epsom salts (one teaspoonful to a quart) once a week to the
drinking water. Give chickens daily a liberal supply of bran in
addition to their other food.
5. Feed birds on a varied diet, including green food.
6. Arrange that birds have to scratch for some of their food.
7. Construct houses, nest boxes, etc., so that they can be readily and
thoroughly disinfected. Houses should be free from drafts.
8. Disinfect contaminated soil by spraying, liming, and resting.
9. Visit the roosts at night to detect cases of wheezing due to colds,
and to search for mites and other pests.
10. Keep on hand disinfectants, lice powders and medicines likely to
be required.
_4. Nursing Sick Birds_
[Illustration: FIG. 2.—ISOLATION]
The small margin of profit on a single fowl makes dosing with medicines
and nursing an unprofitable occupation, except in the case of valuable
stock. If the treatment of a bird is undertaken, it should be borne
in mind that more depends upon attention to the rules of good nursing
than to the administration of drugs. Comfortable quarters, warm and
free from drafts, clean straw, and invalid’s diet of soft and easily
digested food will all turn the chances in favor of recovery.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.—ISOLATION]
[Illustration: FIG. 3.—DESOLATION]
Too often isolation is in effect a death sentence. The bird is put into
cramped quarters, exposed to cold winds and beating rains, and, being
in an out-of-the-way corner, is, perhaps, neglected instead of being
specially cared for.
Fowls that will not take food should be fed lightly, but frequently,
with a spoon in order that their strength may be kept up. All stale
food should be removed.
_5. The Use of Drugs and Medicines_
Drugs and medicines likely to be required should always be kept in
stock. The weekly use of Epsom salts, as a mild laxative for preventing
intestinal disorders, is strongly recommended. Little faith should be
put in drugs said to cure tuberculosis, cholera, etc. Below is given a
list of the medicines generally required. The doses given in the table
are for a medium-sized adult fowl; three-quarters as much should be
given for a half-grown bird, and about one-fifth for a young chicken.
Treatment should be repeated as necessary, and animals should be well
nursed.
[Illustration: FIG. 4.—POULTRYMAN’S MEDICINE SHELVES]
───────────────────────────┬──────────────────┬────────────────────────
MEDICINE │ DOSE OR STRENGTH │ DISEASE
───────────────────────────┼──────────────────┼────────────────────────
_Stimulants_— │ │
Brandy │3-10 drops in │
│ warm milk │
│ │
_Aperients_— │ │
Calomel │1 grain │ Diarrhea; liver disease.
Castor oil │1 teaspoonful │ Diarrhea.
│ │
Epsom salts │20 grains to 50 │ }
│ grains in │ } Constipation; diarrhea;
│ food or │ } liver disease.
│ warm water │ }
│ │
_Astringents_— │ │
Chlorodyne │ 6-12 drops │ Diarrhea; dysentery.
Laudanum (relieves pain)│ 4-6 drops │ Diarrhea; dysentery.
│ │
_Tonic and Febrifuge_— │ │
Quinine │1 grain │ }
Aconite │1 drop │ } Colds; fever; roup.
│ │
_For Worms_— │ │
Turpentine │ 5 to 10 drops │ }
│ in 1 teaspoonful│ }
│ castor oil │ } Worms (intestinal).
Santonin │ 3 to 5 grains │ }
│ │
_Antiseptic Washes_— │ │
(a) Carbolic acid │ 1-5% sol. │ }
(b) Hydrogen peroxide │ 50% │ }Colds; roup;
(c) Creolin │ 2-5% sol. │ } diphtheria;
(d) Permanganate of │ ½-2% sol. │ }cuts and injuries.
potash │ │
│ │
_Dressing Flesh Wounds_— │ │
½ creolin and │ │
½ sweet oil │ │ Cuts and injuries.
│ │
_To Reduce Swellings_— │ │
Iodine │Tincture │
Embrocation: │ │
Turpentine │10 drops │ } Cramp.
Sweet oil │1 ounce │ } Rheumatism.
│ │
_Insecticides_— │ │
Lice powders │ │ Lice, mites.
Kerosene │ │ Scaly legs.
Sulphur ointment: │ │ Lice, scaly legs,
Sulphur │1 part │ mites, ticks.
Kerosene │1 part │
Lard │2 parts │
───────────────────────────┴──────────────────┴────────────────────────
NOTE.—By accepting that 1¼ teaspoonfuls made up to a pint with water
gives approximately a 1% solution, any of the weak dilutions required
by poultrymen can be easily prepared.
_6. Disinfection_
[Illustration: FIG. 5.—HOW DISEASE IS SPREAD
Germs of tuberculosis in the excrement of a fowl. (After Edwards.)]
The important part played by micro-organisms in causing and spreading
disease must be understood before the value of disinfection can be
fully appreciated. The poultryman must develop a sense of sight that
sees lurking microbes at every turn, especially in unclean corners.
Figure 5 shows germs revealed by the microscope in the excrement of a
bird suffering from tuberculosis. The fact that this speck contained
so many germs, although it was far too small to be seen with the naked
eye, will give an idea of how epidemics may be caused by food, water,
and soil contaminated by excreta, nasal discharges, etc.
Regular and thorough disinfection of woodwork, of feeding vessels,
and of the drinking water should form part of the routine of poultry
management, and a stock of disinfectants should always be kept on
hand. It will be found convenient to have an iron drum with a tap
for a diluted solution, say 5%, of some standard disinfectant—e. g.,
creolin—that can be further diluted as required.
_Water._ A stock solution of permanganate of potash, made by adding
ten grains to one quart of water, should always be kept on hand for
purposes of disinfection. When there is danger of infection, two
tablespoonfuls of this solution should be added to every gallon of
drinking water.
_Feeding Vessels._ Clean with boiling water.
[Illustration: FIG. 6.—AIDS TO THOROUGH DISINFECTION]
_Houses and Fixtures._ Spray with 2% to 5% creolin (or other
disinfectant) and whitewash afterwards, or use whitewash to which 2%
of creolin has been added. The whitewash should be prepared with
quick-lime. The house should first be cleaned out with an iron scraper
and scrubbing brush, using a liberal supply of water (see Fig. 6).
_Soil._ The most convenient of the following methods should be adopted:
(1) Spray surface with 5% creolin.
(2) Spread straw over ground and set fire to it.
(3) Fork over and lime. This method is not sufficient if serious
contamination is suspected.