POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23378, 22 September 1939, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “Ducks” (Brighton).—Yes, day-old ducklings can be sexed, and I understand that it is easier to discern the male organ in the drakes than it is with chickens. You should take the first opportunity of watching an expert at work, and mark the manner in which he handles the day-olds. There must be no rough or prolonged handling, as a setback at that early ago is fatal. DEATH' OF SIR EDWARD BROWN. On the closing day of the Seventh World’s Poultry Congress (August 7) there passed away peacefully at his home at Theale (Berkshire), England, the founder of these congresses, who was recognised also as the grand old man of Great Britain’s poultry industry. Sir Edward was 88 years old at the time of his death. Many will learn with deep regret of the passing away of this great poultry enthusiast.

TO PREVENT ROUP, COLDS, ETC, Many farmers years ago noted that when they fed the unsown pickled seed wheat to the poultry, the birds were very free from colds, roup, etc. The wheat was pickled in blue-stone (copper sulphate), and at that time neither tho formalin nor copper carbonate treatment had arrived. Bluestone has always been regarded as poisonous, arid has long been favourably known in veterinary practice for external application. So little was known as to the external effects of copper sulphate that the' practice was to suggest that pickled wheat should be mixed with an equal weight of unpickled. It was the practice to dust cankers, ulcers, etc.. in the mouth of fowls with powdered bluestone, taking great precautions that no surplus was used. An ounce was disolved in a gallon of water and stored in bottles. A breakfast cupful of this solution in a gallon of drinking water was the usual medication. One need not he particular, as fowls tolerate fair doses. A crystal the size of a pea or its equivalent in powdered bluestone. which can now be purchased, will, added to a gallon of drinking water, not only sterilise that water, but also the mouth, etc., of the bird that drinks it. That water cannot spread the germs causative of colds; or roup. But the water must not be in metal containers, and use earthenware containers, or cement, or concrete’troughs. No galvanised trough, etc., for there may be metal substitutes of a highly poisonous nature. Colds and roup, take great toll of our poultry flocks, not only in actual death rates, but in loss through weedy culls, and non-laying hens and pullets. Try this bluestone preventative, and do it thoroughly, and you will soon find your flock free of colds, roup, etc. This is the best and easiest method of treating the whole flock. There are few bad cases that are not cured. But the proper method is to prevent, not cure.:—D. F. Laurie. authority—viz., H. P. Bayton, in his book, ‘ Diseases of Poultry,’ ip speaking of colds, catarrh, coryza, or bacterial roup, says: These various conditions are mentioned together, .though . distinguishable both anatomically and bacteriologically. These diseases occur more_ frequently in the winter and early spring, though their occurrence at other times is by no means unknown. Their spread is favoured by overcrowding and defective ventilation; low feeding can also help to render them more widespread. Symptoms.—The common link between these conditions is that they show the outward signs of an inflammatory condition of the upper respiratory tracts. including the sinuses placed below a bird’s eves. The more obvious symptom is an increase of the natural slimy secretion of tho nose, so that

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the nostrils arc noticed to have small pieces of straw adhering, and may bo closed by yellow thick matter; then tho fowl often opens its beak and draws in breath forcibly, not being able to breathe through the nose. The spaces below one. or both, eyes may appear swollen: this is due to the sinuses filling with white cheesy matter. Moreover. the eye and lids may redden and swell and the edges of the lids gum up together, and then fill with a thick cheesy matter. Treatment. —If allowed to spread unchecked all these ailments may caiise serious disablement, or much mortality in poultry. Indirectly the fowls can be treated by greasing the nostrils wjth vaseline and the eyelids cleaned with cotton wool and then wiped with vaseline.

Prevention. —This consists in ascertaining the cause, whether defective feeding, lack of ventilation, or overcrowding. Place the more obviously diseased fowls in a separate pen and treat them individually till they are better. One per cent, cod liver oil added to the mash has been found very useful.” The doctor does not mention the danger of infection through the healthy birds drinking from the same water vessel, as mentioned by Mr Louri, but there can bo no doubt that danger exists. I may mention that on many occasions I have known bad cases of roup cured by cleaning the nostrils out by means of a feather which had _ been dipped in kerosene and by pouring a little kerosene on the top of the water in the drinking vessel. Every time the fowl goes to drink the kerosene invades the nostrils and presumably kills the germs. I have seen thick lumps of yellow cheesy matter removed from a bird’s eve by means of a quill. If the quill has( a little feather on it and has been dipped in kerosene it not only removes matter, but kills the gerins. Roup Catarrhal.—This differs (says ‘Wright’s Book of Poultry’) from a severe- cold in being markedly contagious, and, of course, introduced by contagion, though fowls crowded into ill-ventilated houses contract it when others do not, and in airy runs and houses tho stronger birds escape when others do not. It begins as catarrh or cold, and will have been treated as such (q.v.) unless circumstances lend to a belief from the first that the more serious complaint has been introduced. The catarrh resists simple treatment, soon becomes more sticky, and acquires a bad smell, also' increasing from the eyes, which often become swollen or closed, and with very obvious fever. Later the discharge may become more heavy, and accumulate in nostrils, eyes, and even throat, but does not form a membrane in the latter as in diphtheria. The disease assumes many phases, and in consequence there are many widely differing advertised remedies, of which it may be said that everyone can chronicle, both marked success and dismal according as it happens to hit the special type or stage for which it is adapted. The best general treatment is, as soon as the thickening and smell of the discharge make the case clear, to make a mixture of peroxide of hydrogen and water in equal parts; with which spray (with an atomiser) or syringe, or swab the throat, nostrils, and eyes, squeezing matter out first, several times a day. Internally give first half a teaspoonful of Epsom salts, and then the following pills:—Balsam capsules loz, liquorice in powder 4 drachms, piperine 1 drachm. With sufficient magnesia to make a mass, make above into 60 pills, giving one morning and evening. Tho following may be kept as an alternative; there are cases in which each is

best:—Copper sulphate 30 grains, cayenne 1 dracllm, hydrastine 30 grains, capaiba 4 drachms. .Add magnesia (q.s.) and make 60 pills, to be given as before. Both those prescriptions have been well tested. We need scarcely insist upon the importance of isolation and of thorough disinfection of houses and runs with carbolic acid and unslacked lime; and convalescents should be cleansed with either the hydrogen peroxide or* permanganate of potash solution up to the very last, transferred to a clean pen from the hospital for a few days before return, and only turned out on a genial day. While birds can thus be successfully treated, however, this is a disease which, when it has been fully developed, should, in our opinion, discard them from the breeding pen. When cases apparently at first of roup develop white or yellowish growths upon the throat or inside the mouth, the disease is shown to be diphtheria (q.v.).” POTATOES AS FOOD FOR POULTRY. So long as the supply of potatoes in the mash feed for poultry does not upset the balance they are certainly suitable ns well as economical food. I have advised their use on many occasions and quoted authorities in support. At the last World’s Poultry Congress, Dr L. Weinmiller, director of the experimental station at Munich, explained amongst other things when it pays to feed potatoes. He said : Feeding of potatoes is of great importance. Fangauf at Steenbek proved that the growth of chickens, laying performance, and hatchability are not influenced unduly by feeding up to 6U per cent, of potato flakes in the mash. “ Fangauf at Steenbek found out that the limit of steamed potatoes poultry can take up is 155 grammes per bird daily, together with some protein concentrates as sole nutrition. Practical difficulties do not permit such high qualities of steamed potato being fed in general. Meyer at Konigsherg questions the profitability of feeding such big quantities of potato, and his results indicate that feeding will not always be cheaper by feeding potato. , , . , , •' Fangauf at Steenbek earned out large-scale experiments with feeding sour potatoes. Silage cl potato was taken up easily, and the making sour of potato undoubtedly has adi antages.”

EGGS FROM ENGLAND HATCHED IN QUEENSLAND.

What we believe to ho the first ease of hatching eggs received in Australia by air from England having given what may be regarded as a reasonable amount of success was reported to us last week by Mr W. Smith. Abbotsford Stud Poultrv Yards. Mosmnn St., Taringa, Queensland, who writes (on July 15, 1939) : “ T would like to advise that I received a setting of 15 Rhode Island Red eggs, consigned from Croydon (Eng.) "on March 28 and cleared from the Brisbane Customs on April 12. this year, from which I hatched 10 strong chinks (sis cockerels and four pullets). which I stjll have. All are in excellent shape. I consider this result excellent under such conditions and 1 intend procuring more eggs next season from the same source. Anyone importing eggs would be well advised to have them consigned when climatic conditions are most favourable, and to obtain them from a breeder who understands how to pack them in a proper manner.— 1 Poultry ’ (Australia).