Show EXPERT TELLS OF r- r f Poultry News 1 By BYRON ALDER Poultry Husbandman Utah State Agricultural College Rapidity with which are attempting to bring pullets into production is one cause of increasing increasing increasing ing according to studies throughout the country The trouble trouble trou trots ble has become more moro promInent with advancement of commercial flocks is the of the shell gland or lower end of the oviduct The condition is a direct cause of some obstruction in the laying channel The birds strain to force foree eggs out turning the oviduct oviduct oviduct ovi ovi- ovi- ovi duct inside out and a mass of tissue Is then visible from front the vent The condition is not necessarily the result of heavy production In fact if the birds are developed normally normally normally nor nor- mally they will wiIl seldom be found to tobe tobe tobe be suffering from It is without question the fault of the operator in a large majority of the cases when the birds are afflicted is Isone one sure method of preventing serious trouble from the affliction When the birds are In Inthe inthe inthe the nest they cannot be released until the operator opens the latch He is then given an opportunity to examine the bird carefully If It she shows evidence of blood the hen should be studied more closely and steps taken to relieve the trouble Seriousness in is the resultant death rate of cannibalism Picking usually starts with two or three birds in in th the flock lock suffering irom pro paIs us other OIlier birds pick at the protruding tissue causing it to bleed Soon infection sets in or orthe orthe the picking continues until the vital organs of the bird become exposed causing death Eggs usually reach their maximum maximum maximum maxi maxi- mum size in March and April the heaviest season of production Yet there is usually very little trouble from unless the obstruction obstruction obstruction tion is caused by a broken shell or similar irregularity Eggs are n not t normally large enough when the pullets first come into production to o causa cause obstruction |