OCR Text |
Show County Agent Warns Chicken Raisers To Guard Against UewcastSe Disease No experience is by far the best experience with the Newcastle New-castle disease, according to Louis A. Jensen, county agent of Duchesne Du-chesne county. Growers who have not yet had trouble will be wise to go to considerable trouble to keep it off the premises. Block off as completely as possible every channel by which the virus can get to a healthy flock. Experience Exper-ience has shown that the disease can be spread both directly and indirectly. The virus is long-lived and durable. Some channels to watch are: (1) Visitors and buyers: The virus can be carried on shoes, clothing, crates and trucks. Keep visitors out and tell the poultry buyer to slop in the road. Carry out birds and eggs and sell them away from the yard. - (2) Shipment of exposed birds should be avoided. (3) Require dealers to sell feed in new bags or show that they are reusing old bags only after thorough sterilization;' (4) Crates returned from market mar-ket should be thoroughly sterilized steri-lized before they arc allowed on the premises. (5) Foison rats, and keep cats and dogs out of yards and feed rooms. They may act as mechanical mechani-cal carriers of the disease. (6) Now slock should be added only after a quarantine period of several weeks to insure that they are free from disease. (7) Fairs, shows, and laying contests are hazards. It is very unwise to return these birds to the farm. They should always be sold for slaughter. (8) Buy chicks only from hatcheries (preferably local) that apply rigid sanitary control. Some cases of Newcastle disease in Utah have been traced to shipments of started chicks from out of state hatcheries, according accord-ing to W. R. Jenkins, Utah Slate Agricultural College extension poultryman. (9) Attend strictly to prompt disposal of all birds dying from any cause by deep burial or burning. Plans for poultry disposal dis-posal pits are available at the USAC. These precautions have always al-ways been in the line "of good poultry management. The presence pres-ence of Newcastle disease makes them far more important than ever before. |