Poultry Diarrhea

Categories: Poultry Keeping

Will you kindly tell me the cause and cure for bowel trouble among hens?



The "quick cure" for chick diarrhea has not yet been found. Prevention

is the only sure remedy. The first treatment in diarrhea (which must not

be confused with simple looseness of the bowels) should be a mild physic

to clean out the digestive tract. Epsom salts is probably best for this

purpose where a number of fowls are to be treated. This is sually given

in the drinking water, but Dr. Morse, who has charge of the

investigation of poultry diseases in the Bureau of Animal Industry,

gives the following directions for administering the salts: "Clean out

by giving epsom salts in an evening mash, estimating one-third to

one-half teaspoonful to each adult bird, or a teaspoonful to each six

half-grown chicks, carefully proportioning the amount of mash to the

appetite of the birds, so that the whole will be eaten up quickly." For

a few days afterward, feed only lightly with dry grain and tender

greens, such as fresh-cut mustard and lettuce leaves. Keep plenty of

pure, cool water, with just a thin skim of coal oil - one drop to each

pint - for drinking; also plenty of sharp grit and fresh charcoal broken

to the size of grains of wheat.