POULTRY NOTES. By Terror.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 35

POULTRY NOTES. By Terror.

— A paper on " Parasitic Liver Disease in Poutry," by Fred. V. Theobald, M.A., South-Eastern Agriculture College, Wye, Kent, read at the Reading conference, gives valuable information. Mr Theobald speaks of the disease as " infectious enterohepatitis," and 6ays the cause is a small protozoon called Amoeba meleagridis. Aftereferring to 'the part parasitic protozoa play in disease, the lecturer described the disease -as • follows : —

Symptoms and Appearance of Diseased Birds. — It is very difficult to note any very marked symptoms until the disease is in a very advanced stage. Diarrhoea is one the most constant features, followed by emaciation and general weakness. Now and again there seems to be considerable puffiness of the head and a peculiar discolouration which gave rise in America to the term " blackhead " in turkeys. , This I have seen in ' fowls, but in two cases in which tho effects of the parasites were mest marked internally there were no signs of facial discolouration; in fact, it is almost impossible to diagnose this disease in the ordinary way. The appearances are very marked in both the liver and in the two blind intestinal sacs or cssca. The liver becomes greatly enlarged. In one specimen examined it was quite double the normal size. Over its surface are studded pale spots of a more or less round form, but often irregular in outline. These vary in size from that of a pin's head up to half an inch 'across. Salmon records them up to two-thirds of. an inch in diameter. In colour they vary from grey to mottled pale brown, when freshly formed ; later they assume a yellow and cheesy appearance. Nothing but oarefu! microscopic examination can separate tho disease from tuberculosis, as far as has Keen observed. Besides the liver there are marked lesions in the caeca, by which it is possible to at once tell the cause of death. Externally, the two sacs present a swollen and inflamed appearance. After giving further particulars Mx Theobald says: — "This swollen appearance of the caeca is very important to look out for where we find yellow spots on the liver, as -it at' once gives a clue to ' the true cause of the disease." ,

".Infection is derived from the parasites passed out in the excrement from both the caaea and -liver. These may fall 'in or come in contact with other birds' food or water, and ''thus get ingested. The amoebae then enter the., liver . and cseca and soon-com-mence to multiply after penetrating the tissues. Similar organisms have been found in the serous fluid in the swollen heads of affected birds.

" Treatment and Prevention. — The treatment of this disease is impossible. In th 6 first place we cannot satisfactorily daignose the disease. We may, however, suspect its presence in sickly birds in a run, if we find by post-mortem appearances that it ie present in one or more fowls. If this is the case it is advisable to clear out our stock and start fresh, in a new run or on new land. Runs in which diseased birds have been should 'be well soaked with carbolic at the rate of 10 parts of carbolic to 100 parts of water, and then the land should be well dug over. To some extent it may be checked where suspected by giving the birds very little clean water with salicylic acid 'dissolved in it. As infection may and probably always does tafke place direct it is most important that all unhealthy birds be at once isolated and all excrement carefully removed and the run well cleaned down."

—Mr Percy A. Francis, delegate Antrim County Education Committee, spoke of experiences he had had in connection with this disease in young chickens. He had for a long time 'thought they were dying of tuberculosis, but a well-known veterinary had examined birds for him and decided that they were dyinj* from infestations of minute parasites. He knew of many people who had lost birds in this way and fancied the disease to be tuberculosis. He thought if people knew a little about these obscure diseases their losses would be less.

—Mr Geo. Woodward, of Ballarat, Victoria, is arranging for an egg-laying competition on his farm at Soldier's Hill. Lydiard street, Ballarat. A peculiarity of this competition will be that light or nonsitting breeds will compete for the one set of - prizea amongst -tihemselves, and the heavy or sitting breeds will not be handicapped by competing with the Mediterraneans. This, as Mr Woodward imagines, should decide the battle for premiership as between the two classes of birds. The prizes total £75, half going to the light and half »:> the heavy breeds, and an extra prize, value £3 3s, will be given for the highest market value of eggs. The competition 6tarte on May 16, and entries close on March 1. Birds are to be at the farm by May 1. Entry fee, £2 2s per pen. — The man who gets best, results from poultry is the one who really likes the work entailed in attending to them. Such _an one is not content with serving his birds with three meals a day and in a general way seeing that their surroundings are clean and comfortable. Hundreds of people do these things quite according to the book, yet have to acknowledge that their birds never produce in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. They know of breeders who get better results. I know of a Dunedin fancier who periodically leaves his home to travel for a few days, and his birds are fed, watered, and housed in his absence exactly according to his directions, yet invariably his temporary relinquishment of personal attention to his stock results in loss of eggs. A true fancier or breeder does not serve any measured quantity of food to his fowls at a meal, but throws and throws the grain so long as it is eaten with avidity. Some days he may throw 'more, some days less, 'than the measured supply an attendant would serve. If the water vessels, owing to extreme heat, are dry ' by midday,' the owner, who is really interested in his' birds being^ comfortable as well -as productive, replenishes them at once ; the attendant merely fills them according to regulations, and no oftener, and if one vessel is leaking may not become aware of the fact for weeks. Odd scraps from' the table are taken by the -fancier and- distributed .amongst his birds, and though such dainties may not bulk to the extent

f of making a meal, nevertheless constitute S* relish; the uninterested attendant "can'l be bothered" going so far with such trifles, consequently pitches them into the" aslj tucket. .On a windy night the fancies thinks it may -be as ..well to close up, th\ ibosting. quarters, or on a hot, stifling night to open them up; such ideas nevei occur. to. the indifferent one. It is just such jsmall attentions as these that make.- all tha difference in the results" obtained from poultry. — Damp, houses, over-feeding,, the too fre» feeding of sulphur, rapid growth without exercise, and crowding into corners to roost all tend to leg weakness. . '. — Separate the- sexes, and kill off or sell all weedy specimens; in short, cull unmercifully till the quarters are ample for your stock. Have everything eweet and clean in the houses, and turn over the soil in the runs now, if at no other time in the year. Chickens grow rapidly; what was room for 20 a little time ago is cramped quarters for a dozen birds now. Overcrowding at this season will inevitably result in sickness or stunted size, and late .and poor laying" birds. A dozen birds that have received fair .play before, attaining maturity will be prolific; 100 birds reared under adverse conditions will never-pay for-their feed. ■ — " Top-notcher," ot Adelaide, writes on the much-discussed question' of strain in the following terms:—We hear a good deal in poultry-breeding about "strain." _ This term is. used indiscriminately and mote often in a wrong than-right sense. Hereditary disposition is always implied by>.the term "strain." Supposing Jones's birds possessed certain- well-marked characteristic* that reproduced themselves in a marker!, degree. Smith's poultry also possesses othel prominent and also useful features. Black, a third breeder, imagines that by crossing Smith's strain with. Jones's he would be able to produce birds with qualities in greater perfection than possessed by either. After several years of careful~ selection, culling, and mating, he finds his birds reproduce the desired points with great regularity; then Black has established a "strain.," Simply mating Jones's progeny with Smith's is not producing a. strain; 1 buying Smith's stock and breeding with, them, is not establishing a strain. Each** strain must possess characteristics peculiar to itself. It is within the power of every farmer to establish his own strain, but it will take some years of selection and mating. It is. much easier for a farmei to improve his own fowls by purchasing a. good male bird "for breeding with his-best< The' pullets from this matins (the best onlyl must then be mated ..back to the father. The next season will see an improvement ii the farm poultry. v Central Produce Mart.—Messrs Reilly, Scott, and Gill, proprietors, report for tha week" ending Saturday,' 11th - inst.:—All classes of poultry have been in good demand the past *week. At our sale on'-Wednesday we "catalogued some 430 birds, bidding was spirited," and all lots found purcnasers at the following prices: Hens, 2s 9d to 4s 8d; young roosters; 3s to ss; ducklings, 4s 6d< to 5s 6d; and geese, 6s to 7s per pair. We confidently recommend consignments o£ good-quality birds. Eggs have come to hand freely, and prices have advanced,storekeepers' eggs selling at ll£d and) stamped eggs (in patent crates) at Is Id! per dozen. 'Fowl wheat has* come back in price, and good samples are now available at 4s 6d per bushel. Pigs are wanted, and' high prices are being realised. CHRISTCHUROH NOTES. At the last meeting of the.New Zealand Utility Poultry Club the-Management^Com-mrtt&e for the fourth competition > submitted the schedule, which was adopted. The contest will again be held at Lincoln College, under the supervision of Professor Lowrie, and Miss Haughton's (the attendant) services have also been secured for the competition, which will commence on April 1 and end on March 18, 1908. As the club has not increased the number of pens, they, are not likely to have to go "begging" for entries after closing ~ day (March^ I). The schedules will-be distributed within a few^days. The South Island Wyandotte Club hae allotted its "specials" for its 6how, which is to be held in conjunction with the Dunedin Fancier's Club chow, and is to be judged by Mr George Woodward. Each class in goldens, silvers, and whites has a £1 special, and a gold medal (presented by Mr Manning, through Mr P. Carolin) is to be awarded for the best silver Wyandotte in tho show. For the' best, male in Part- ' ridges £1 is given, and a like sum for females. For the best in a.o.v. £1 i« allotted. The treasurer reported that tha membership was over 70, and that Mr R. D. Johnston (Ashburton) - and' Mr P. Carolin had each donated £1 to the funds of the club. On January 10 the Leghorn and Minorca, breeders met and decided that the first show of the South Island Leghorn -and' Minorca Club should be held in conjunction with the Christchurch Poultry Club's show. The treasurer reported £14 14s in donations. The "specials" were allotted as follows: — Minorcas, £7; white and brown Leghorns, £3 each; black Leghorns, £2; buff, 30s; duokwing, £1 Is; brown rose-comb, 10s 6d; whi c rose-comb, 10s 6d. x