OCR Text |
Show , METHODS USED TO ) 1 COMBAT BLACKHEAD The following letter relative to ietliods used in combating blockhead m turkeys was received by John T. Woodbury Jr. from J. H. Wittwer, district dis-trict extension agent, at Las Vegas, Nevada- The information contained herein should prove helpful to all turkey growers in Dixie: The following has been recommended recommend-ed by our Mr. L. E. Cline, county extension ex-tension agent at Fallon, Nevada, who has been doing some very good work Kith disease control among turkeys in jj,at vicinity. It should be understood that investigations show that the blackhead organisms do not produce blackhead disease except in the pres-'ence pres-'ence of the eggs of the common cecum Korm (heterakis papillosa) . It is there-lore there-lore important that fowls should be kept free from this intestinal worm that there will be no worm eggs, consequently con-sequently no blackhead disease. Tobacco Used to Combat Blackhead." Black-head." Pulverized tobacco is an excellent ex-cellent vermifuge and is generally usee' to keep poultry free from intestinal round worms. The methods of tobacco treatment employed have varied considerably.- Persistence in its administration, admini-stration, however, is of vital importance. impor-tance. Tobacco should be fed at quite regular intervals to the entire flock of turkeys from the time the breeding season begins until the crop of turkeys are put on the market. Some turkey growers feed pulverized tobacco (which should contain lV-i per cent nicotine guaranteed) in the proportion of two pounds of pulverized tobacco to one hundred pounds of ground feed and keep it before the turkeys continuously. Others have reported equally as good results by feeding from two to four per cent pulverized tobacco in ground feed over a period of ten days to two weeks, and omitting the tobacco for a two or three weeks interval. With either method of feeding tobacco' a good purge of epsom salts (one pound to 100 birds) should be given occa sionally while the tobacco is beins fed. The epsom salts helps to frei the intestinal tract of blackhead in fection and intestinal worms. It should be remembered that i chickens are allowed to run with turkeys tur-keys they must be treated the same a the turkeys. While chickens are no very susceptible to blackhead disease they act as carriers for the diseas and serve as a source of infection foi the disease. . Persistence in combating blackhead is the price of success witr turkeys. Pulverized tobacco can be secured from Chas. W. Miller, 825 Merchants Exchange, San Francisco. This pulverized pulver-ized tobacco should be purchased ir small sealed cartons. The pulverized tobacco costs from 10 cents to 12 cents per pound. It costs a little more in sealed packages, but it is very important impor-tant that this tobacco be not exposed to the air a long while before using it, as the nicotine sulphate volatilizes and the strength of the tobacco is much reduced. This tobacco is put up in 10c1 packages and smaller ones. It is also put up in burlap sacks. Ordinary smoking tobacco is used, but it costs a lot more and is not near so efficient. If smoking tobacco is used, it is used at the rate of lf per 100 adult birds. The tobacco is steeped steep-ed in warm water for about an hour, and then the water and tobacco is mixed with about a third ration of mash feed. Any kind of ground feed is satisfactory to use with the tobacco. Some of our people keep a mash oi ground feed containing 2 tobacco before be-fore their turkeys all the time. I believe be-lieve now that it is better to feed 4 per cent or 5 per cent of tobacco in mash at one good feeding, followed by epsom salts in 5 or 6 hours, and repeat re-peat this about once every 10 days or two weeks. It is thought now that turkeys become tolerant of a steady diet of tobacco, and the effect of the tobacco as a vermifuge is not so good. 4 per cent or 5 per cent tobacco mash means 4 pounds or 5 pounds of tobacco in 100 pounds -of ground feed. Our people give epsom salts in the drinking drink-ing water or in the milk. For big flocks 1 pound dissolved in 5 gallons of milk or water with the turkeys having free access to it for about an hour or two after they have been kept off of water for four or five hours. This serves as a good purge following the tobacco treatment. |