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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.



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