Poultry Notes.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 June 1910, Page 4

Poultry Notes.

RHEUMATISM IN FOWLS

SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS

Fowls are very much subject to rlieunialtism in a more or less severe form, and a few hints on the complaint may be of benefit. There, are, of course, several forms of leg troubles, which are quite distinct from any form of rhleiunatism. An English writer, in treating Miis subject, says:—"The common title tliV..l) is given to all cases of poultry losing the use of their legs is 'cramp,' but this is not an accurate description, because there are various forms of leg trouble, and they do ' not all arise from the same caiue. It is generally supposed Ithiat all eases of inability to stand arise from the same cause, that is to say, damp, hut this is not the casie. Fowls suffer mainly from four forms of muscular leg trouble. There is first of all cramp, as applied to chickens and ducklings. Now this may bo due to damp, insanitary sruroundings, but it may also be due to physical weakness arising from constitutional debility, and Jt is most commonly seen amongst chickens and ducklings hatched in the winter time, when the egg germs are not so strong as they are at other times, and the euro for this is to adopt such a course of feeding as will strengthen the limbs and enable the frame to grow up strong. "Should the trouble, however,, arise 'from damp, then the cramp is rheumatic in its origin, and should be treated by warmth and by the use of some stimulating liniment. A great many of those cases of cramp amongst chickens and duckliinsrs are due to their being kept on brick floors. Tt is no uncommon thing to find a farmer keeping ducks in a pigsty paved with a brick flonr which is. of course, about the worst possible thing for them. Such a. floor should be covered with boards and on top of the boards should be put two or three indies of pent moss litter or dust, and then they will be perfectly warm and dry, and there need be no fear of cramp. Similarly with chickens cramp often results from cold, damn floors, and it is far better to let chickens slee'p on the bare ground Itilian to. put them to sleep on a cold brick floor, with nerhaps a little straw littered over it. "Coming now to rheumatic troubles in older poultry, of course rheumatism is one of the recognised complaints to which poultry are liable, and if i+ is -il lowed to <ro on long ■M'oiigh it will degenerate inFio gout, because rheumatism 'is renlly diK> to <\ r'c.vfrun condition of the blond, which is induced by a particular course of feeding, and is encouraged by damp, unhealthy surroundiiurs. Then the acids which form in tilie blond as a result .ire liable Itio concentrate themselves in the joints, and yon get swollen joints in birds, just as von do in human beings. As a, rule, however, the life of a fowl is not long enough to enable ilb to become gouty. Rheumatism, however, is fairly common, and the way to treat it is to use a stimulating preparation such as hartshorn and oil, or turpentine liniment or something of that kind to the shank of the leg, and give the biixl a dose of quinine or some similar tonic. "But there is one form of leg weakness which is not rheumatic, and which only affects laying bens, particularly young hens during their first season". * This is what is knoiwn as ovarian cramp, and it is a muscular affection, caused by the strain of laying, which seems Ito deprive them" of the use of their legs. A young hen will often be found squatting down on the nest unable to move after laying, and if she be lifted she will nutter across tho yard, and seem to lc.;o control over her legs. All she needs is to have a rest for a few hours, when these symptoms will disappear, but it is a wise plan in such a case to keep the bird on short rations in order, if possible, to cheek the development of 02c;s, because it is 'obviously desirable that laying should cease until the muscles have recovered their normal condition."