THE POULTRY YARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 364, 26 May 1928, Page 28

THE POULTRY YARD

(By

GEO. H. AMBLER.

Avian Diphtheria

Hardly anyone but a veterinary student intending to specialise on avian pathology could be expected to take an interest in the details of the anatomy of the fowl. Those of my readers who wish for further information will find a pretty general description in Dr. O. Charnock Bradley’s “Structure of the Fowl.” In order to impart some information which I deem very important to the poultry-keeper, it is necessary for him to know the structure of the mouth. I will try to put it in simple language, although it is always difficult to describe technical subjects without technical terms.

At the back of the fowl’s tongue there is an antechamber with a mucous membrane like that of cheeks, and the walls of which are composed of muscle (a muscle membranous pouch) where control of the food is lost, and the morsel arriving is involuntarily carried down the gullet. The wind-pipe has a similar enlarged chamber at the top, known as the larynx. It is the gristly portion you cut through in the thick part of an ox tongue on the table. The entrance to this chamber is different somewhat in fowls from that in mammalia. It appears as a yellowishwhite slit in the back of the tongue. It closes automatically when food is passing over it to the pharynx and gullet. If you see it at all when you open a bird’s mouth it will be closed, and having the appearance just described. There are certain good reasons for wishing to look into this chamber called the larynx. This is how to do so. It is quite easy to demonstrate, but not to describe. If one person holds a fowl, the operator stands in front and pulls open the mouth. Then, with one finger pressed between the branches of the lower jaw and well back, he brings the whole body of the tongue forward and upward, and the slit or laryngeal gate in view. If this attitude is maintained for something less than half a minute the bird feels the impure air, and opens the slit quite w T ide so that in a good light (sunlight by day or an electric light worn on the forehead at night) anything abnormal can be seen. Some birds will hold their breath longer than others, and wuth such a one pretend to let go, with the immediate result that the bird opens the larynx as the tongue recedes into the normal position and a view is obtained. A SENSITIVE LARVNX The membrane which lines the larynx of mammalia is by far the most sensitive portion of the whole respiratory tract, but in th j hen it is

so insensitive by comparison that she does not cough up an obstruction. This is an important point to bear in mind, for she may be within 24 hours of death by suffocation, and neither cough nor wheeze nor show signs of distress, unless hustled. If inside the larynx and on this membrane there is a tiny growth of diphtheria or socalled diphtheritic roup it may grow so rapidly as to fill the lumen, and she dies for want of breath. It may be nearly filled, and so long as she does not exert herself she will continue to breathe through a very small orifice. When it is quite closed she dies so suddenly that poisoning is suspected. More often the growth is upon the outside of the orifice I have referred to as a “slit,” and everyone can see it. Still more frequently does the cheesy-looking deposit occur upon, under, or at the side of the tongue, and ! -an be removed with no great difficulty and burned, while the site is treated with iodine or any ordinary disinfectant. A 2 per cent, solution of permanganate of potash in water serves very well. If a growth within the larynx has to be treated, a fine pointed caustic strip of nitrate of silver, as sold for human use, will be needed. The touching can be effected only by securing the tongue with forceps, and the larynx naturally closes when any foreign body threatens to enter it. These are the causes that astound the owner when told that a bird found dead had diphtheritic roup. He may have had no visible sign, and is both unable and unwilling to accept, the diagnosis. ROUP VERY PREVALENT While visible cases of avian diphtheria can be isolated and treated successfully, there is danger of birds affected in the larynx being overlooked and their deaths attributed to anything but the real cause. Roup in all its varieties is at the present time very prevalent. The catarrhal cough, with wet nostrils and slimy discharges, one-eyed swellings, and

cankerous growths within the oval cavity or in the respiratory tract, are symptoms which should lead fowlkeepers promptly to isolate any bird showing them. Ramshackle old buildings are most difficult to disinfect, and it has been proved that dried discharges of roup or chicken-pox retain their virulence after five years. The delicacy brought about by the high laying has rendered the more improved breeds more susceptible, but this is being realised by our leading breeders, and hardiness is being cultivated by improved methods of rearing. WORK FOR THE MOMENT Throughout the South generaly, real winter weather may be expected to arrive very soon. Sometimes it comes gradually, thus giving fowls a chance to become hardened. Occasionally frosty weather drops on us with little warning, and then, if the poultryhouses are too cold, or the canvas curtains and windows left open as for mild weather, the fowls will suffer severely. It pays to be on guard now, and when there appears to toe danger of a sharp drop of temperature during the night to have the house snug and ready for it. Now that the houses are being closed up, careful attention must be paid to ventilation. Odour and moisture are the poultryman’s best ventilation tests. When the house is foul-smelling or amonia fumes are noticeable, when moisture collects on the walls or shows as frost on the ceiling in the morning, or when conditions get still worse and the latter becomes noticeably damp, more ventilation is plainly demanded. Always have the canvas shutters open in the daytime when the sun is shining (except under extreme conditions), and do not close all of them at night unless it is absolutely necessary. If the house is too damp under such management, usually either not enough canvas has been provided

or the house is overcrowded. Often when the house is damp in spite of reasonable ventilation it is possible to keep it fairy dry by adopting the practice of throwing doors and windows wide open in the middle of the day, thus securing a complete change of air. This can be done even in extremely cold weather without injury or discomfort to the birds. FEEDING THE PULLETS If the flock consists of pullets that are well enough matured to lay, but are not productive, it is nearly certain that they have not been sufficiently well fed. It takes a good deal of feed to meet the physical requirements of birds that are still putting on weight, also to keep them warm in cold weather, and there will be no eggs until all of these needs are fully met. If the pullets are not laying and the entire day’s ration does not now equal or exceed 4oz to 4|oz a bird, try increasing the quantity and let the increase be in the form of mash—dry, if you can get them to eat enough in that form; moist, if necessary. As a rule, the grain part of the ration does not need to be increased, as the shortage in consumption is almost always in the mash. Sometimes this is directly due to the fact that the mixture is not sufficiently palatable. Study your birds and their rations, and depend upon it that when fowls that ought to lay are not doing so, it is strictly up to you—and it is mostly your feeding that is at fault. GENERAL NOTES We have received an advance copy of the Onehunga Club’s schedule for its 11th annual show, which will be held on June 14 and 15. The New Zealand Leghorn Club and the Auckland Game Club will hold their annual club shows in conjunction with the Onehunga Club, when their cups and trophies will be competed for. In addition, several other valuable cups and trophies will be offered for competition by the Onehunga Club. One new featue being that of several club cups donated by debenture-holders. We note the majority of these cups are for the utility classes, whereas a good many of the fancy classes have no specials allocated to them. We rather think this is a mistake, as it offers no inducement to the' 1 fancier and breeder of some of our old breeds. Once we kill the fancy and our shows will die a natural death. Attendances at shows are not what they used to be, and this is chiefly due to the lack of interest in the fanciers’ section. Row after row of black and white birds are not an incentive to show-goers. To Onehunga belongs the credit of day-old, pedigreed, Anconas, ! v -' / Langshans, Minorcas, Orpingtons, White and Brown Leghorns; delivery July onwards; book now.—Page, Sarawai St., ParnelL

keeping the fancy alive in the Auckland district for so many years, and it -would be a pity if their show developed into a purely utility show. The North Island Championships for Orpingtons (fancy) and White Rocks (utility) will be competed for at Onehunga. The judges are:—Fancy poultry, Mr. G. H. Ambler and Mr. I. Ball; utility poultry, Mr. J. Nixon; fancy pigeons, Mr. C. Gilbertson; homing pigeons, Mr. G. K. Currie; canaries, Mr. T. Mason. Entries close June 2. CANARY NOTES STANDARDS The new Dominion standards for both the Yorkshire and Norwich plainhead varieties of canaries have been published. They are very well got up indeed, and the North Island Association is deserving of credit in this respect. Fanciers locally would have liked to have seen the definitions regarding classification made uniform while the association was on the job. Still, “half a loaf is better than no bread’’ will have to be our comfort for a while; that is, until we can make our parent body see that uniformity is required in the fancy. SHOWS The show season is once more with us, and this fact is brought forcibly before us by the receipt of schedules from both Palmerston North and Onehunga. Entries for these fixtures close on June 5 and 2 respectively. INTENDING FANCIERS Intending fanciers should make it their business to visit all the shows they possibly can, and from now on should closely watch this paper, and particularly this column, for announcements of show dates, etc. Mr. W. A. Hanson, Epsom, has been elected judge of all varieties of canaries and cage birds at the Auckland Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club’s annual show.

PERSONAL NOTES SUCCESS OF AUCKLAND FANCIERS Several Auckland exhibitors had quite a run of success at the Whangarei Show, held last week. Miss Ambler, Glen Eden, winning Ist English White Leghorn cockerel, also special best English Leghorn, Ist Minorca hen (fancy); Ist Minorca pullet (fancy); Ist and special, best any other variety with Light Sussex hen; Ist Utility Minorca pullet, also special for best utility female; Ist Utiliay Minorca cockerel; 2nd Utility White Leghorn cock; Ist White Runner drake; Ist White Runner duck; Ist and 2nd Khaki Campbell ducks.

Her brother, George, was awarded Ist Utility Black Orpington cockerel, also special best Utility Orpington male; Ist Fancy Orpington pullet, also challenge cup best opposite sex to winner, Hoey Memorial; special best fancy hen or pullet in show'; special and certificate best Orpington in show. While her younger brother, Henry, was awarded Ist Pekin drake, Ist Pekin duck and special for any variety duck or drake in show. Mr. T. Dowthwaite, the veteran Avondale fancier, won three firsts and two specials for best fawn and white runners in show. Mr. McLaren, Epsom, carried all before him with his game bantams, also being awarded special for best game bantam in show. Mr. W. A. Hanson, Auckland, has received and accepted an invitation to judge all classes of poultry to be held at Waiuku on July 18. Mr. F. W. Marshall, the secretary of the Christchurch Poultry Club, informs us that he has received numerous requests for schedules for the June show from all parts of both the North and South Islands, also from Melbourne and Fiji. This shows the popularity of our New Zealand palace show. Mr. J. W. Ambler, Aberford, Yorkshire (brother of our poultry correspondent, Mr. Geo. H. Ambler), who during the past six years has raised several hundreds of pounds for the Leeds General Hospital and other charitable institutions in Yorkshire by the production of plays and pantomimes, which have been successfully run in many of the Yorkshire theatres, has, in recognition of his efforts, been appointed a governor of the Leeds General Hospital. Mr. Ambler has also written several songs which have been accepted and are on sale in England.

Mr. Geo. Bradford, Christchurch, recently received a trio of Brown Leghorns from Mr. Fred. Rogen, Melbourne, whereas a well-known Christchurch fancier exported a cockerel of the same breed to Melbourne. Judging from the number of birds of this variety that have changed hand* lately, it would seem as if the Brown Leghorn is coming back to its former popularity. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT G.N.8., Mt. Albert. —Just what has happened in your case is that you bought the birds when they were on the point of laying, and the removal has checked them and they have now gone off laying, and it is very doubtful if they will start again before early September. The feeding, which is excellent, will also answer for the other birds, and so there is no need to change it. If you try to give the pullets any extra food now you will only create internal fat.