OCR Text |
Show Sanitation Prevents Losses From Blackhead A few years ago the entire turkey-growing industry of the United Unit-ed States was threatened by blackhead. black-head. Since the cause has become better understood, the disease is ' largely preventable through the application of sanitary measures, says Carl Frischknecht, poultry specialist at the Utah State Agricultural Agri-cultural college. Blackhead is a parasitic disease that affects, p.incipally, young turkeys in the early summer and1 late t all. It may also cause losses j among chickens and older turkeys.! The term "blackhead" has been I applied because of the common dscoloration of the head of the bird that dies of the disease. However, this symptom is seen also al-so in other diseases, and does not always occur in blackhead. The most common symptoms are sulphur-colored, foamy droppings, droopness loss of appetite, and an invariable loss of weight. Many turkey breeders now rear their poults artifically in order to prevent losses from blackhead. They keep the poults first in coops and runs that can be easily cleaned clean-ed and later on pasture that is known not to have been ranged on by turkeys. Any turkey which shows symptoms of disease are promptly removed and isolated, and those which have died are burned promptly. Chickens may contract the disease, dis-ease, says Mr. Frischknecht but they usually recover and remain as carriers of the organisms which are discharged in their droppings. These organisms may infect other birds if picked up in contaminated feed or water and, as young turkeys tur-keys are especially susceptible, they should never be allowed to run with chickens. It is a dangerous practice even to fertilize with chicken manure the ground on which turkeys are allowed to range as they may pick up the organisms organ-isms in sufficient numbers to cause serious losses. |