Limber-neck
Categories:
Poultry Keeping
A very peculiar disease is taking off my fowls. The head of the fowl
bends down to the breast and the fowl looks like dead, there is also a
slight discharge from the mouth. The head and tail droop and if the fowl
could stand up they would almost touch.
When a fowl loses partial or entire control of the muscles of the neck
the common name of the affection is limber-neck. In medical science
limber-neck is r
garded as a symptom rather than a disease, and may be
due to a number of causes, such as derangement of the digestive organs,
intestinal worms and ptomaine poisoning. The affected fowls should be
given immediately a full tablespoon of fresh melted lard or sweet oil,
to which has been added a scant teaspoonful, of coal oil. In an hour
repeat the dose. For a few days the fowls should be fed on some light
food, such as shorts scalded with sweet milk in which has been dissolved
a level teaspoonful of baking soda to every pint of milk, and also
allowed plenty of crisp, tender lettuce or similar greens. A little
Epsom salts should be added to the drinking water for a few days. This
treatment, if resorted to at the start, will be effectual, but if the
poisoning has had its course long, nothing will save the bird.