SYMPTOMS: Rapid and difficult breathing; the bird appears stupid and sleepy and docs not care to move about; appetite poor, wings drooping, plumage ruffled, a thick mucus, colored with blood, escapes from the mouth, comb and wattles show a dark-red color from lack of oxygen in the blood. This disease is of very short duration, the bird dying within a few hours. It is very common among young chicks and turkeys that are permitted to run out in the early spring rains.

TREATMENT: Medical treatment is of no value, as the disease progresses so rapidly that the bird dies shortly after the first symptoms appear. Sanitary surroundings, good light, pure air and exercise are essential. Do not allow the birds to stand out in the cold or rains, especially during the molting season. Keep your poultry strong and vigorous by feeding clean, nourishing food and give them pure water to drink.



CONSTIPATION

(Intestinal Obstruction)

CAUSE: Irritation of the membranes lining the intestines, caused by dry feed, glass or gravel; may also be due to parasitic worms. Obstruction may occur in any part of the intestines although the external opening is the part most frequently affected.

SYMPTOMS: Bird appears dull and stupid, walks with difficulty and attempts frequently to expel the obstructing material. The appetite is poor and the feathers rough. By examination and manipulation the obstruction may be located. Dried masses of excrement by adhering to the feathers sometimes block the outer opening of the intestines.

TREATMENT: Remove the waste matter clinging to the feathers with warm water or by clipping the feathers off. If the Cloaca is obstructed, give injections of Sweet Oil or Olive Oil with a small bulb syringe. Also give one to two grains of Calomel and feed clean food and soft mashes containing Pulv. Gentian Root, one grain to each fowl twice daily. This stimulates the worm-like movement of the bowels and assists in expelling their contents.



PRIZE WINNING PLYMOUTH ROCK COCK.



CROP IMPACTION

(Obstruction, Paralysis, Inflammation, Catarrh)

CAUSE: Errors in feeding; birds that are not fed regularly are predisposed to any of the above conditions; may also be due to swallowing large pieces of bone, thread, nails, pins, glass, gravel, etc.

SYMPTOMS: Loss of appetite, frequent attempts to swallow, crop greatly distended and hard on pressure; eventually the food decomposes and a liquid may escape from the mouth and nose. The bird appears dull, stupid and sleepy, comb pale, feathers rough, beak open, owing to pressure on the windpipe. If caused by swallowing sharp objects, they may penetrate the crop and skin, causing a gangrenous condition. Grain in the crop will sometimes send out sprouts of considerable lengths.

TREATMENT: If no sharp objects are present, give two teaspoonfuls of Sweet or Olive Oil. This will lubricate the esophagus and crop. Manipulate the crop upward, forcing the food gently through the mouth, adding oil occasionally. If, however, sharp objects penetrate the crop it is best to remove them through an artificial opening. Clip the feathers from around the intended seat of operation and wash the clipped surface with a Carbolic Solution, one teaspoonful to a pint of water. The incision should not be over one-half inch long and should be made as high as possible and in the center of the crop. After removing the contents, sew up with ordinary thread and needle and wash occasionally with the above antiseptic solution. The operation is not difficult and will be successful if the parts are not too badly inflamed.

After-treatment consists of feeding very little food until the crop is fairly well healed. Feed soft bran mashes and vegetables. To the drinking water add Boracic Acid, one grain, twice daily. It relieves the catarrhal condition that is present, such as irritations of the crop and intestines.



DIARRHOEA

(Gastro-Intestinal Catarrh—Enteritis)

CAUSE: Inflammation of the digestive organs can be traced in every instance to the quality or quantity of food and water consumed. The food or water may contain parasites, or large quantities of mustard, pepper, or may be moldy or tainted.

SYMPTOMS: Loss of appetite, the feathers appear rough, the crop is sometimes paralyzed and distended with gas, the bird moves slowly, the droppings vary in color from a white to a yellow or a green and finally becomes tinged with blood; at this stage there is a rise in temperature accompanied by great thirst and signs of pain. Mild cases of simple diarrhoea if not properly treated when first symptoms appear, will develop the same severe conditions described above.

TREATMENT: Determine the cause and remove it if possible. See that the food is clean and nutritious, the coops well ventilated, the runs well lighted. Sunlight is very beneficial. Avoid exposure, drafts and dampness. Place oatmeal in their drinking water, also give two grains of Bismuth mixed with dough and make into a small pill. Give one every six hours.

When in addition to the above symptoms a bloody discharge is present, give six drops of Tincture of Catechu every four hours. Warm mashes made of bran or oatmeal are very nourishing and soothing to the intestinal canal.



DIPHTHERITIC ROUP

(Diphtheria)

CAUSE: Due to a specific germ. The disease is very contagious and is communicated by direct contact. Great care should be exercised, therefore, when showing or buying birds. Any new birds to be added to the flock should be kept in separate pens for a week or two to make sure they are in good condition.

SYMPTOMS: The first symptoms are similar to those of catarrh or cold. A clear, watery liquid escapes from the eyes and nostrils, the head is drawn in toward the body, the feathers appear rough, the breathing fast, the temperature rises from three to five degrees above normal. The bird walks about as if blind, sneezing, swallowing with difficulty, and showing signs of great weakness. If the mouth is opened small white spots or elevations will be seen on the back of the tongue. There may be diarrhoea of a green or yellow color. As the disease progresses the discharge from the nose and eyes becomes thick and stringy, obstructing the air passages and gathering in large quantities between the eyelids. The mouth, throat and tongue are very much inflamed and swollen and in most cases it is impossible for the bird to make a sound. Recovery is doubtful after the disease has reached this stage.

TREATMENT: Isolate the affected birds in some clean, warm, light, well ventilated quarters, excluding drafts. Dissolve thirty grains of Chlorate of Potash in one ounce of water and one ounce of Glycerine, and to the average sized fowl give one teaspoonful three or four times a day. To chicks give one-fourth the dose. When the scum loosens in the back part of the tongue, remove the scum gently, Care should be taken so as to prevent bleeding. Feed soft, nourishing food.



DOUBLE-YOLK EGGS

Eggs are frequently found with two yolks. This condition is produced by two ovary capsules bursting at about the same time and gaining entrance together into the oviduct where they are concealed in the same shell. Double-yolked eggs are larger than normal and may injure the oviduct when expelled. When hatched, they produce twins or abnormal chicks.



DROPSY

(Ascites)

CAUSE: Generally due to irritating, indigestible food, causing inflammation of the membranous lining of the intestinal cavity.

SYMPTOMS: The abdomen becomes enlarged, is tender to the touch and contains a watery fluid, the movement of which can be heard in most cases by pressure on the swollen parts. The bird appears stupid, the comb pale and the appetite poor.

TREATMENT: Unless the bird is very valuable, treatment is not advisable. In case the bird is valuable, give one grain of Potassium Iodide twice daily in the feed or drinking water. Also feed nourishing food as beef-scraps, vegetables, wheat bran mashes, etc.



PRIZE WINNING WHITE LEGHORN HEN.



EGG BOUND

(Difficult Laying; Obstruction of the Oviduct)

CAUSE: Due to the eggs being too large, the bird too fat, or to the absence of the secretions lubricating the oviduct.

SYMPTOMS: The first signs are scarcely noticeable but soon the feathers appear rough, the bird becomes dull and moves slowly, making frequent efforts to expel the egg.

TREATMENT: Remove the egg by injecting Sweet Oil, assisting the bird with gentle pressure. In some cases it is well to puncture the egg and collapse the shell. If the bird is very fat, reduce by careful feeding. If the bird is of normal size, the trouble is probably due to the absence of lubricating secretions of the oviduct, in which case the following tonic should be given: Pulv. Ferri Sulphate, Pulv. Gentian Root, each one dram. Mix and make into thirty powders. Give one powder two or three times a day in their feed for a week or ten days.



EGG EATING

CAUSE: Is usually due to lack of shell-building material in the food; in such case the shell of the egg is thin and easily broken and the fowl craving the lime contained in the egg shell, naturally contracts the habit.

TREATMENT: Supply ground bone and oyster shells. Feed green food such as cabbage, kale, potatoes, carrots, etc.



EGGS WITHOUT SHELLS

(Soft-Shelled Eggs)

CAUSE: Deficiency of shell material; or it is possible that fright sometimes causes premature expulsion of the eggs before the shell is formed.

TREATMENT: Feed ground bone, oyster shells. They contain egg shell producing material. Perhaps the best results are obtained when mixed with wheat bran. Also feed vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes and carrots.



FEATHER PULLING

(Feather Eating)

CAUSE: Irritation of the skin due to lice, mites or to lack of exercise and improper food.

TREATMENT: Feed meat, ground bones and vegetables. Place the food where the fowls are compelled to scratch and work to obtain it. Dust the fowls with Powdered Aloes.

If due to lice, treat the same as recommended under the heading of Lice.



GAPES

(Verminous Tracheo Bronchitis)

CAUSE: A red, parasitic worm, the male measuring about one-fifth of an inch and the female one-half an inch in length. Fowls become infected by eating worms containing this parasite or its eggs, and by coming in contact with other birds suffering from the disease.

SYMPTOMS: The most noticeable symptom is frequent gaping; the Gapeworms attach themselves by their months to the walls of the windpipe where they suck the blood which nourishes them; they cause irritation and inflammation of the windpipe, bronchial tubes and lungs; breathing is difficult and the bird loses strength rapidly; windpipe eventually becomes totally obstructed and the bird dies from suffocation and exhaustion. Young, weak chickens are more susceptible to this disease than strong ones.

TREATMENT: Separate the sick birds from the healthy ones. Clean and disinfect the coops and runs. Burn all manure. Remove the worms from the windpipe by the use of a feather, from which the fan has been stripped, leaving only a small brush at the end. Dip the feather into Oil of Turpentine or Coal Oil, removing the surplus liquid by drawing the feather between the fingers. Now insert the feather into the windpipe of the bird and by turning gently you will dislodge the worms from their attachments. Repeat this treatment once a day for two or three days. Disinfect coops and runs with undiluted Crude Carbolic Acid. Feed good nutritious food as wheat bran mashes, etc.



HEAD LICE

CAUSE: Result of insanitary conditions and lack of care. Communicated by direct contact with infected birds, or by infected coops or brooders.

SYMPTOMS: The head soon becomes denuded of feathers, and also sore by being constantly scratched with the feet. If not properly treated the chicks weaken and die.

TREATMENT: An ointment made of one part Sulphur and four parts Lard well mixed and applied two to three times will exterminate the lice. If the fowl is run down in condition, feed good nutritious food as wheat bran mashes.



HOW TO FEED YOUNG POULTRY

Withhold all food for at least eighteen hours; then feed stale bread moistened with boiled milk every three hours. When they are three or four days old, feed rolled oats, ground corn moistened with pure water, finely chopped meat and boiled vegetables. Feed them often and you will be well repaid by their rapid growth, strength, and the low death rate. After they reach the age of one week or ten days, watch them closely and regulate their feed to their apparent needs.



INCOMPLETE EGG

(Abortion)

CAUSE: Irritation of the oviduct; improper secretion of albumen or internal egg-producing material.

TREATMENT: Careful feeding will overcome this condition. Warm wheat bran mashes, ground bone, beef scraps, all tend to allay the irritations of the oviduct and stimulate the secretions of albumen.



JAUNDICE

CAUSE: Obstruction of the bile duct, due to rich, nitrogenous food and insufficient exercise.

SYMPTOMS: Disease is not easily detected. The yellow color of the wattles and comb is the first symptom; the appetite is variable, the feathers appear rough and dry, the head is retracted, and the bird finally dies owing to the absorption of bile in the blood.

TREATMENT: Change food. Feed upon a vegetable diet, also give one grain of Calomel, which is particularly useful in a case of sluggish liver in poultry. Also give one grain of Pulv. Gentian Root and one grain of Bicarbonate of Soda, twice daily in feed.



MANGE

(Scabies of the Body)

CAUSE: Due to a parasite that resembles the mite.

SYMPTOMS: When the affected bird is closely examined large quantities of scales or scabs are found in the soft feathers. The appetite is poor; the bird walks slowly about showing signs of uneasiness. If the disease is allowed to run its course, the bird grows weak and eventually dies. The disease is easily transmitted from one bird to another and should be treated without delay.

TREATMENT: Disinfect roost, coops and pens with undiluted Crude Carbolic Acid. Apply to the irritations that present themselves on the body of the birds: Sulphur Ointment twice a week and feed good nourishing food as wheat bran mashes and vegetables.



PIP

(Inflammation of the Mouth)

CAUSE: Irritations, injuries, or micro-organisms. It is sometimes caused by nothing more than a dry condition of the mucous membrane due to the bird breathing through the mouth when suffering from respiratory diseases.

SYMPTOMS: Dryness of the mucous membrane of the mouth; especially the part covering the tongue, which becomes hard and ragged, forming rough edges along its sides. These dried portions become loose and partially detached from the tongue, interfering with its movements and causing more or less pain and annoyance.

TREATMENT: Do not forcibly detach these pieces, but assist nature to remove them. This can be accomplished by mixing Glycerine and Water, equal parts, and dropping into the mouth with an ordinary syringe or dropper. It is advisable to add Boracic Acid, one teaspoonful to every gallon of drinking water, which will prevent the entrance of parasites into the blood.



RED MITE

CAUSE: These grow spontaneously in favorable surroundings, as the interior of poultry houses and brooders containing numerous cracks and crevices.

SYMPTOMS: This mite is a blood-sucker; irritates the skin and sometimes causes sores to form on the body of the chick. The birds grow stupid and weak and die rapidly if not properly treated. Older fowls withstand the irritation of mites much longer, but do not thrive, or lay regularly, and will finally die if the insects become too numerous. The insect may be transmitted to horses, cattle, and even to man.

TREATMENT: Paint the roosts and spray the interior of the coops and runs with Crude Carbolic Acid, undiluted, being very careful that the solution reaches the bottoms of the cracks and crevices. Also paint the interior of brooders with the same solution.



RHEUMATISM

(Leg Weakness—Gout—Paralysis)

CAUSE: Damp coops and pens, lack of ventilation and improper food.

SYMPTOMS: Fowl refuses to stand or walk, and on examination, the legs are found to be swollen and painful, especially about the joints. In some cases suppuration of the joints takes place and they become open running sores. The bone finally becomes diseased and the fowl dies.

TREATMENT: Preventive measures are first to be considered. See that the coops and pens are clean and dry. Avoid drafts. Feed vegetables, also wheat bran mashes. Give internally Salicylic Acid, one-half grain, twice daily. When the legs are swollen and sore apply Camphorated Ointment once or twice daily.



PRIZE WINNING COLUMBIAN WYANDOTTE COCK.



SCALY LEG

(Scabies)

CAUSE: Due to a mite that burrows under the scales of the leg.

SYMPTOMS: White, scaly-looking scabs form about the upper part of the foot. The feet and legs become swollen and painful as the disease progresses and if not checked will result in lameness, inflammation of the joints, and the toes may slough off. Great care is necessary as the disease is very easily transmitted from one bird to another.

TREATMENT: Use boiling water or Crude Carbolic Acid, undiluted, on the perches. Wash the feet and legs with warm water and soft soap. Dry well and apply Carbolated Ointment. Repeat the above treatment every other day for a week.



SORE MOUTH

(Aphtha; Thrush)

CAUSE: A vegetable parasite called Oidium Albicans.

SYMPTOMS: Inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the mouth, throat, gullet and crop, which finally terminates in white ulcerations. Other symptoms are swelling of the head, poor appetite and a rapid loss in weight and strength.

TREATMENT: Isolate the sick from the healthy fowls. Give as much sunlight as possible, feed nourishing food, such as warm oatmeal mashes, kale, potatoes, etc. Add one grain each of Chlorate of Potash and Boracic Acid to a tablespoonful of water and give three or four times a day or oftener if they will drink it. A good disinfectant must be used to prevent the disease from spreading and I would recommend the use of undiluted Crude Carbolic Acid about the coops and poultry runs.



TUBERCULOSIS

CAUSE: This dreaded disease is caused by the Bacillus of Tuberculosis. Damp, ill-ventilated, and poorly lighted coops are favorable to the development of the disease.

SYMPTOMS: Except in advanced stages, this disease is not easily detected as it affects various organs, and considerable experience in post-mortems and a skillful use of the microscope is required to successfully diagnose a case.

TREATMENT: Preventive measures should be practiced as the disease is incurable. Do not expose the fowls to cold wet weather. See that the coops are well ventilated and lighted and feed no contaminated food.



VENT GLEET

CAUSE: Constipation is perhaps the most common cause, the hard droppings causing irritation of the vent which is followed by inflammation and suppuration of the lining membranes, rectum and oviduct.

SYMPTOMS: Frequent straining due to irritation. As the disease progresses a pus-like discharge is noticed. The disease may extend into the rectum or oviduct. The bird appears stupid, the plumage rough, the comb pale, and if not properly treated, dies a lingering death.

TREATMENT: Preventive treatment is the best. Feed green food occasionally and warm bran mashes. This prevents constipation. When the bird strains frequently and a discharge is present the following solution should be injected: Sugar of Lead, two drams; Zinc Sulphate, one dram. Mix with two quarts of water. Inject about one ounce with a syringe twice daily until the discharge has ceased.



WHITE DIARRHOEA

(Fowl Cholera)

CAUSE: Germ (Bacilli of Fowl Cholera) gaining entrance to the body through the bowels, lungs or wounds of the skin. Death results from toxic material produced while the germs are multiplying.

SYMPTOMS: All poultry, cage or wild birds are subject to this disease. The first symptoms are loss of appetite; diarrhoea is present and the discharge is almost white in color and tinged with transparent mucus. The affected bird becomes separated from the flock, seems weak and stupid and appears to be asleep; feathers are rough, the wings droop and the head is drawn in toward the body; crop is generally full, owing to improper digestion. The comb is pale and bloodless, the temperature raised from three to five degrees above normal and the bird loses weight rapidly; it may die with convulsions and cries, or without a sound or struggle.



TREATMENT: To grown fowls, give Zinc Sulphocarbolates in one-half grain doses three times a day in their food or drinking water. To chicks, dissolve thirty grains of Zinc Sulphocarbolates in two quarts of water. Saturate feed, as stale bread, etc., and give three times a day. Zinc Sulphocarbolates is an antiseptic especially prepared for septic conditions of the intestines, and very useful in treatment of White Diarrhoea and Fowl Cholera. In severe cases of diarrhoea, give Bismuth Salicylate, one grain, three times daily in feed or make into a pill with dough. When the fowls will eat, feed them clean, nitrogenous food that they can digest easily, as oatmeal mashes. It is also necessary to give them pure water to drink at all times. Disinfection of the premises is another essential factor in the treatment of this disease, and undiluted Crude Carbolic Acid is a disinfectant that we can rely upon at all times.

I cannot recommend vaccination as the serum is very difficult and expensive to produce and different breeds of birds require varying doses, therefore, vaccinating poultry for White Diarrhoea or Fowl Cholera is not attended with any great degree of success.



WORMS

CAUSE: Few fowls are entirely free from worms. The soil over which the chicks are permitted to run may be infected, or the food may contain the eggs or embryos of worms.

SYMPTOMS: The presence of worms in fowls may not be at once detected, since only a close observer would notice them in the droppings. If the birds eat well but remain poor, and the feathers appear rough and the comb and wattles pale, there is reason to suspect the existence of worms.

TREATMENT: Preventive treatment is the best. Sprinkle the runs and coops regularly with Crude Carbolic Acid, undiluted. Give two drops of Turpentine in twice this quantity of Sweet or Olive Oil. This dose should be repeated in from six to eight days so as to insure the expulsion of the newly hatched worms or those that may have survived the first treatment.



MISCELLANEOUS

Some valuable facts and figures summed up for handy reference



VALUABLE DRUGS AND THEIR DOSES FOR DOMESTIC ANIMALS

In the list of doses, oz. stands for ounce, pt. for pint, lb. for pound, gr. for grain, dr. for dram, dp. for drop.

NAME OF DRUG CATTLE SHEEP HORSES HOGS DOGS Alcohol 4 oz. 1-2 oz. 2-4 oz. 1-2 oz. 1-4 dr. Alum 3-4 dr. 40 gr. 2-4 dr. 40 gr. 15 gr. Ammonia Aromatic 2 oz. 1-2 dr. 1-2 oz. 1-2 dr. 20-60 dp. Aniseed 1-5 oz. 1-2 dr. 1 oz. 1 dr. 15 gr. Arnica Tincture 1 oz. 2 dr .5-1 oz. 1 dr. 7-20 dp. Asafetida Tincture 3 oz. .5 oz. 2 oz. 2 dr. 1 dr. Boracic Acid 3 dr. 20 gr. 1-3 dr. 15 gr. 8 gr. Brandy 4 oz. 1-2 oz. 2-4 oz. 1-2 oz. 1-2 dr. Calcium Phosphate 1 oz. 1-2 dr. 2-4 dr. 1-2 dr. 5-20 gr. Calomel 1-2 dr. 5-20 gr. 1 dr. 5-20 gr. 1 gr. Camphor Spirit 1 oz. 2 dr. 2-4 dr. 15 dp. 10 dp. Carbolic Acid 1-2 dr. 10-20 dp. .5-2 dr. 5-15 dp. 3-8 dp. Castor Oil 1 pt. 2-4 oz. 1 pt. 2-4 oz. 1-2 dr. Chalk 2 oz. 1-2 dr. .5-2 oz. 1 dr. .5-1 dr. Charcoal 1-2 oz. 2-4 dr. 1-2 oz. 2-4 dr. 20-60 gr. Codliver Oil 3-8 oz. 3-8 dr. 2-6 oz. 2-6 dr. 1-3 dr. Copperas 2 dr. 20 gr. 1 dr. 10 gr. 4 gr. Copper Sulphate 2-4 dr. 20-30 gr. 2-4 dr. 20-30 gr. 1-2 gr. Digitalis 10-30 gr. 5-15 gr. 10-50 gr 3-10 gr. 2 gr. Epsom Salts 1 lb. 1-4 oz. .5-1 lb. 1 oz. 1-4 dr. Fowler's Solution 5 dr. 5-20 dp. 2-4 dr. 5-20 dp. 1-5 dp. Gentian 5-8 dr. 1-2 dr. 4-8 dr. 1-2 dr. 40 gr. Ginger 5-8 dr. 1-2 dr. 2-8 dr. 15-60 gr. 5-20 gr. Glauber Salts 1-1.5 lb. 1-4 dr. .5-1 lb. 1 oz. 1-4 dr. Iodide of Potash 1-2 dr. 10-25 gr. .5-2 dr. 5-20 gr. 2-8 gr. Iron Sulphate 2 dr. 25 gr. 1-2 dr. 25 gr. 4 gr. Jamaica Ginger 2 oz. .5 oz. 1 oz. .5-1 dr. 1/4-1/2 dr. Laudanum 2-5 oz. 1-4 dr. 1-4 oz. 1-2 dr. 20 dp. Lead Acetate 1 dr. 25 gr. 1 dr. 20 gr. 1-2 gr. Lime Water 4-6 oz. 2 oz. 4-6 oz. 2 oz. 1-8 dr. Linseed Oil 1-2 pt. 6-12 oz. .5-1 pt. 5-10 oz. 1 oz. Mustard 1 oz. 1-2 dr. .5-1 oz. 1-2 dr. 20 gr. Nitre 3-8 oz. 1 dr. 1-2 oz. 1 dr. 5-20 gr. Nux Vomica 2 dr. 30-40 gr. 1-2 dr. 10-20 gr. 1-2 gr. Olive Oil 1-2 pt. 3-8 dr. 1-2 pt. 2-6 dr. 2-4 oz. Pepper 2-4 dr. 15-25 gr. 1-3 dr. 10-20 gr. 4-10 gr. Peppermint Oil 30 dp. 5-8 dp. 15-30 dp. 3-7 dp. 1-5 dp. Potassium Bromide 2 oz. 2-4 dr. 1-2 oz. 2-4 dr. 5-50 gr. Quinine 1-2 dr. 5-10 gr. 50-60 gr. 5-10 gr. 1-2 gr. Rhubarb 1-2 oz. 1 dr. 1-2 oz. 1 dr. 5-10 gr. Saltpeter 1-3 dr. .5-1 dr. 2-4 dr. .5-1 dr. 2-10 gr. Soda 2 oz. 2-4 dr. 1-1.5 oz. 1-3 dr. 20-50 gr. Subnitrate of Bismuth 2 dr. 10-30 gr. 1-2 dr. 5-20 gr. 3-10 gr. Sulphur 3-4 oz. 1-2 oz. 2-4 oz. 1-2 oz. 1-4 dr. Turpentine 2 oz. 1-4 dr. 1-2 oz. 1 dr. 20-50 dp.



CHAPTER VI

RESPIRATION

The number of respirations per minute varies with the different classes of animals; as a rule, the larger the animal, the slower the respiration.

The Horse 8 to 10 Cattle 12 to 15 Sheep and Goats 12 to 20 The Dog 15 to 20 Swine 10 to 15

The rate of breathing is increased from the processes of digestion immediately after eating, or may increase from exercise.

NORMAL TEMPERATURE OF THE HORSE

From 2 to 5 years old the temperature is 100.6 degrees Fahr. From 5 to 10 years old the temperature is 100.4 degrees Fahr. From 10 to 15 years old the temperature is 100 degrees Fahr. From 15 to 20 years old the temperature is 98.4 to 100.2 degrees Fahr.

Sex appears to slightly influence temperature: Stallion 100 degrees Fahr. Mare 100.8 degrees Fahr. Gelding 100.4 degrees Fahr.

The time of day when temperature is taken is important, the lowest body temperature being at 4 a.m., and the highest at 6 p.m. New born foals' temperature will run from 102 to 104 degrees Fahr.

TEMPERATURE OF CATTLE

Normal temperature is from 101.8 to 102 degrees Fahr.

Compared with the horse, the daily variations are small.

TEMPERATURE OF SHEEP AND GOATS

In these animals the greatest variation in temperature occurs, viz.: 100.9 to 105.8 degrees Fahr. In the majority of cases the temperature probably will be between 103.6 and 104.4 degrees Fahr. The cause of this variation is unknown.

TEMPERATURE OF SWINE

The average temperature is 103.3 degrees Fahr., varying from 100.9 to 105.4 degrees Fahr.

TEMPERATURE OF THE DOG

The dog is subject to important variations depending on the external temperature; it varies from 99.5 to 101.7 degrees Fahr., although in some localities it is as high as 100.9, 101.3 and 101.7 degrees Fahr. Feeding will increase the temperature, and it is also higher toward evening.

PULSE THROBS PER MINUTE Per Minute The Horse 36 to 40 Cattle 45 to 50 Sheep and Goats 70 to 80 The Dog 70 to 80 Swine 90 to 100

The pulse in the young is much more rapid than in the adult animal; that of a foal at birth beats 100 to 102 per minute, while that of a calf will go to 130 per minute. In old age the pulsation becomes reduced and the arteries much weaker. The pulse rate in large animals is less than in smaller ones, as for instance, an elephant's pulse rate is from 25 to 28 beats per minute. The more rapid the pulse, the greater the quantity of blood in circulation.

AVERAGE PERIODS OF GESTATION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS

Mare 11 months Ass 12 months Cow 9 months Sheep 5 months Goat 5 months Sow 3-1/2 months Bitch 9 weeks Cat 8 weeks

AVERAGE PERIOD OF INCUBATION

Chicken 20 to 22 days Geese 28 to 34 days Duck 28 to 30 days Turkey 27 to 29 days Pigeon 18 days Guinea Fowl 28 days Pheasant 25 days Ostrich 40 to 42 days Canary Bird 14 days

VETERINARY FACTS AND ADVICE TO REMEMBER

1. Cleanliness of body and surroundings is a necessity in the treatment of animals.

2. Pure air, avoiding drafts, is equally essential.

3. Light, excepting in the treatment of eye diseases, is greatly to be desired. Darkness, while soothing to the eye, tends to prolong germ life and disease.

4. Keep dry—dampness breeds disease.

5. Keep warm—in chilly weather, blanket the sick animal, hand rub limbs and bandage with woolen cloths.

6. Exercise with care—excessive and insufficient exercise are both injurious.

7. Feed with care—green grass, in medium quantity, and vegetables are cooling to the blood, easily digested and exert a slight laxative effect. Grain feed is nutritious and strengthening, but it is not required in any quantity by a horse not working. Be sure that all feed is fresh and clean.

8. Drinking water must be pure—impure water carries many disease germs. Also avoid giving water in large quantities, especially if water is very cold.

9. Disinfection involves little time or expense, but is invaluable. Coal tar products which emulsify in water (1 part coal tar products to 50-75 parts water) should be freely and occasionally sprinkled about yards and buildings.

If only these few fundamental and common-sense principles were followed by stock raisers, a very large percentage of the ills and diseases of domestic animals would be lastingly prevented.



DRENCHING

Do not drench an animal when you can administer the necessary medicine in any other way. Drench only when absolutely necessary. A horse, in contrast with all other domestic animals, cannot breathe through its mouth. Therefore, in treating horses, drenching is especially dangerous. While drenching any animal, strangulation, pneumonia, bronchitis, etc., are liable to be caused by some of the drenching liquid escaping from the mouth into the lungs. This is a frequent occurrence in which the drenching proves to be the immediate cause of the animal's death, as in case of strangulation, or the originating cause when drenched animals later succumb to pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.



MEDICINE IN CAPSULES

In many of the treatments prescribed in the preceding pages, the use of gelatine capsules has been advised in preference to giving the medicine in any other form.

Capsules, made of gelatine, do not lie in the animal's stomach, as commonly supposed, but dissolve readily; the gelatine itself being beneficial in many cases, especially if the bowels or stomach be irritated. The animal receives the intended dose fully. It avoids any unpleasant taste. With capsule gun, or by hand, medicine in capsules is more easily and quickly given than to attempt to hold animal's head up, as is necessary when administering liquid drenches, the danger of which has been explained.



PREVENTION OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES

Newly purchased animals or poultry should be segregated for from ten days to two weeks to give opportunity for any infectious diseases with which they may be afflicted, or have been exposed to, to fully develop. This precaution will often save the buyer from loss.

Avoid exhibiting in fairs, shows, etc., where the health of your animals might be jeopardized, especially through the presence of contagiously affected animals. If you cannot be sure proper precautions are to be taken, better forego your pride and possible prize ribbons.



HEREDITARY TENDENCIES

When breeding, it is of utmost importance to select a good female as well as male, for the least faulty conformation in either will in all probability be transferred to the offspring, viz.: an animal with a crooked hind leg is subject to bone spavin, curbs, bog spavin, thoroughpin, ring bone, etc., and is liable to transmit any of these diseases, especially if exposed to slight exertion. A tubercular cow will invariably give birth to a tubercular calf, or at any rate the calf will contract tuberculosis from the milk.



EVOLUTION OF STOCK

During the transformation which our country has undergone, and is undergoing, no one industry has experienced such marked changes as the production and raising of livestock.

At the earliest time of which we have any record, and even up to within comparatively recent years, large herds of horses and cattle ranged over our plains in a wild state. At first no attempts were made to capture or round up these herds, and later but one or two attempts per year, when the young were branded and grown animals shipped, if possible, or driven to available markets.

As the country became more thickly settled and populated these larger herds were broken up, the ranges becoming divided and fenced. With this segregation, attention to breeding and care of animals began to be practiced, gradually causing the animal's evolution from the wild to the domesticated state.

As this process of evolution progressed the animal became farther and farther removed from its natural condition of living, becoming more dependent on man for food and shelter, and with this change the animal's former vitality and power to resist disease decreased markedly.

With the advancement of agriculture, and their resultant prosperity, the farmers and settlers improved their stock by importing blooded or registered males and females, particularly the former, until today our country is second to none in the number of good conformated draft and speed horses; beef and dairy cattle; quick-maturing hogs; large wool and mutton-producing sheep, etc. Poultry has likewise been improved for both egg-laying and meat-producing qualities. The poultry industry is yet in its infancy, and offers large inducements to the practical raiser. Our importation of eggs is enormous.

The average stock raiser and poultryman has just begun to realize the value of proper care and treatment of his stock, and how much unnecessary loss can be prevented by the expenditure of a little time and even less money if given at the proper time.

Animals and poultry are subject, just as humans, to many diseases but, unfortunately, when they become ill are dependent on man to recognize the symptoms of disease and diagnose. Therefore, it behooves all owners of stock to know and practice the fundamental necessities of their animals' health, not only for the welfare of themselves, but also as an act of humanity to dumb animals.



INDEX

DISEASES OF HORSES

Abortion Abscess Acute cough Anemia Apthae Ascaris megalcephala Atrophy Azoturia Barrenness Bleeding after castration Blood poisoning Bog spavin Bone spavin Bots Bronchitis Capped elbow Capped hock Capped knee Cerebral meningitis Choking Chronic catarrh Chronic cough Coffin joint lameness Cold Colic, flatulent Colic, spasmodic Colic, wind Colt constipation Colt diarrhoea Conjunctivitis Constipation Constipation in colts Corns Cough Cracked heels Curb Dentistry Diarrhoea Diarrhoea in colts Dislocation of the patella Distemper Dropsy of belly Dropsy of legs Dropsy of sheath Dropsy of udder Eczema Emphysema of the lungs Epizootic catarrh Eye diseases Failure to breed Farcy Filariae Fistula of foot Fistulous withers Flatulent colic Forage poisoning Founder Galls Gastrophilis Glanders Grease heels Haemopis Heaves Hernia, inguinal Horse dentistry Inflammation of the brain Inflammation of the membrane of nictitans Influenza Inguinal hernia Lampas Laryngitis Leeches Lock jaw Lung fever Lymphangitis Mange Monday Morning disease Mud fever Nasal catarrh Nasal gleet Navel rupture Navel string infection Navicular disease Nettle rash Open joint Oxyuris curvilis Palesade worm Petchial fever Pharyngitis Pink eye Pin worm Pleurisy Pneumonia Poll evil Purpura haemorrhagica Quittor Red worm Rheumatism Ring bone Round worm Rupture, scrotal Scabies Scrotal rupture Septicaemia Shoe boil Side bones Sore throat Spasmodic colic Spavin, bog Spavin, bone Splints Staggers Stifle joint lameness String halt Strongulus armatus Strongulus tetracanthus Supernumerary teeth Surfeit Sweeny Tapeworm Teeth, supernumerary Teeth, wolf Tenia Tetanus Thoroughpin Thread-like worm Thrush Umbilical hernia Umbilical pyemia Urtecaria Wind colic Wind galls Wolf teeth Worm, maw Worm, palesade Worm, pin Worm, red Worm, round Worm, tape Worm, thread Worm, thread-like Wounds



DISEASES OF CATTLE

Abdominal hernia Abdominal rupture Abnormal Calving Abortion, contagious Abortion, non-contagious Abscesses Absence of milk Actinomycosis Acute cough Afterbirth retention Amaurosis of the eye Anthrax Apoplexy, parturient Ascities Bacterial dysentery Bag Inflammation Barrenness Big head Black leg Black quarter Bleeding Bloating Blood poison Blood suckers Bloody flux Bloody flux in calves Bloody milk Blue milk Brain congestion Bronchitis Bronchitis verminous Calf cholera Calf scours Calving Casting the withers Cataract of the eye Catarrh Chapped teats Choking Chronic cough Chronic dysentery Colic Congestion of the brain Congestion of the lungs Congestion of the spinal cord Congestion of the udder Conjunctivitis Contagious abortion Cough Cow pox Cud chewing Dehorning Diarrhoea Dropsy Dysentery Eczema Epizootica eczema Ergot poisoning Ergotism Eversion of the womb Eye inflammation Eyelid laceration Failure to breed Fluke, liver Fluke, lung Foot and mouth disease Foot rot Foul in foot Founder Garget Grub Hard milkers Hematuria Hemorrhage Hernia, abdominal Hollow horn Indigestion Infectious abortion Infectious aphtha Inflammation of the bag Inflammation of the eye Inflammation of the heart sack Inflammation of the kidneys Inflammation of the penis Inflammation of the womb Joint ill Jones disease Kidney inflammation Laceration of the eyelid Laminitis Laryngitis Leeches Leucorrhea Liver fluke Loss of cud Lumpy jaw Lung congestion Lung fever Lung fluke Mammitis, simple Mange Measly beef Milk fever Navel ill Non-contagious abortion Obstruction of the esophagus Paralysis Parturient apoplexy Penis Inflammation Pericarditis Pharyngitis Physiology of rumination Pneumonia Pyemia Red Water Retained afterbirth Rheumatism Ring worm Round worm Rupture, abdominal Scabies Scum over the eye Septicaemia Sore throat Spinal cord congestion Stringy milk Suppression of milk Tape worm Teats chapped Texas fever Ticks Tuberculosis Twisted stomach worm Udder congestion Umbilical Pyemia Umbilical Septicemia Variola Verminous bronchitis Warts Warbles Whites White scours in calves Wolf in the tail Womb inflammation Wooden tongue Worm, lung Worm, round Worm, stomach Worm, tape



DISEASES OF SWINE

Abortion Administration of medicine Bag inflammation Black tooth Blood poisoning Bronchitis Castration Catarrh Choking Cholera, hog Cold in the head Congestion, kidney Diarrhoea in young pigs Heat stroke Hind quarter paralysis Hog, administration of medicine Hog cholera Hog lice Hog regulator and tonic Indigestion Inflammation, bag Inflammation, lung Inguinal rupture Jaundice Kidney congestion Kidney worms Lice on hogs Lung fever Lung inflammation Lung worm Mange Nasal catarrh Navel rupture Nettle rash Paralysis of the hind quarters Pig diarrhoea Pig scours Piles Pin worm Pleurisy Prolapse of the anus Pyemia Regulator and tonic Rheumatism Rickets Round worm Rupture, inguinal Rupture, navel Rupture, scrotal Rupture, umbilical Septicemia Scours in pigs Scrotal rupture Sore feet Sore mouth Sows eating their young Sun stroke Thorn headed worm Thumps Tonic and regulator Urticaria Worm, kidney Worm, lung Worm, pin Worm, round Worm, thorn headed Worm, whip Yellows



DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS

Abortion Acute indigestion Acute typanitis Apoplexy, pulmonary Black scours Bloating Bronchitis Catarrh Cold in the head Congestion of the liver Congestion of the lung Congestion of the udder Diarrhoea Dysentery Dyspepsia Foot rot Forage poisoning Foul in foot Garget Gastritis, verminous Gid Grub in the head Head grubs Head maggot Hoven Indigestion Indigestion, acute Inflammation of the liver Inflammation of the udder Jaundice Lamb disease Liver congestion Liver fluke Liver inflammation Louse fly Lung congestion Lung fever Lung worm Mange Pneumonia Poisoning, forage Pulmonary apoplexy Scab Scours, black Strongylosis Sturdy Tick Typanitis, acute Udder, congestion of Udder, inflammation of Verminous bronchitis Verminous gastritis Worm, lung



DISEASES OF POULTRY

Abortion Abscesses of the feet. Air sac mite Apoplexy of the brain Aptha Ascites Baldness Beak and throat obstruction Black head Body lice Body scabies Brain apoplexy Bronchitis Bronchitis verminous Bruises of the feet. Bumblefoot Catarrh Catarrh of the crop Chicken pox Cholera of the fowl Congestion of the liver Constipation Corns Crop impaction Diarrhoea Diarrhoea, white Difficult laying Diphtheria Diphtheritic roup Double yolked eggs Dropsy Egg bound Egg eating Egg incomplete Eggs with two yolks Eggs without shells Enteritis Favus Feather eating Feather pulling Feeding of young poultry Fowl cholera Gapes Gastro intestinal catarrh Gout Head lice Hemorrhage of the brain How to feed young poultry Impaction of the crop Incomplete egg Infectious entero hepatitis of turkeys Inflammation of the crop Inflammation of the mouth Intestinal obstruction Jaundice Leg weakness Lice, body Lice, head Liver congestion Mange Mite, red Mouth inflammation Obstruction of the beak and throat Obstruction of the bile duct Obstruction of the crop Obstruction of the intestines Obstruction of the oviduct Paralysis of the crop Paralysis of the legs Pip Pulmonary congestion Red mite Rheumatism Roup, diphtheritic Scabies of the body Scabies of the legs Scaly leg Soft shelled eggs Sore head Sore mouth Throat and beak obstruction Thrush Tuberculosis Vent gleet Verminous tracheo bronchitis Warts White diarrhoea Worms



MISCELLANEOUS

Average Period of Gestation Average Period of Incubation Deposit or Investment Table Drenching of Animals Evolution of Stock Hereditary Tendencies Medicine in Capsules Normal Purse Throbs Normal Respiration Normal Temperature Prevention of Contagious Diseases Six Per Cent Interest Table Table of Valuable Drugs and their Doses Veterinary Facts and Advice to Remember

THE END