16—Lancaster Farm'in; Poultry disease (Continued from Page 1) flock owners should take the following precautions. There is a need for all poultry house doors to be kept locked, absolutely. This is done so that the flock owner can control who en ters his poultry houses. Poultry servicemen and others should stay out of buildings and restrict their visits to the porch or kitchen of the farm house. This will help in reducing the chances of spreading the disease. Hired help and weekend caretakers should have no backyard poultry at home. This could create a real danger. Crates of travelling poultry buyers should be kept off the farm unless they are obviously dean and disinfected. Disease-carry ing crates is an increasing hazard among small flocks state-wide. There are several im portant reasons why LT exists and is being spread in Pennsylvania. Many factors must be considered by poultrymen when trying to prevent the disease. Reasons include: the existence of normal looking survivor but LT carrier chickens in many small backyard and commercial flocks scattered throughout Pa. and other states; the breakdown in security of some poultry farms where labor is exchanged between farms or where friends, relatives, servicemen, salesmen, pets, visit from farm to farm and poultry house to poultry house; the practice of allowing a few chickens that escape depopulation to stay on the premises of commercial farms; the dangerous disposal of fead birds by throwing them out on fields; the placing of undisinfected poultry hauling crates onto farms for later pick-up by travelling buyers and haulers, and the poor control of rats, mice, and wild birds. Movement of LT virus contaminated egg filler flats from infected to susceptible Saturday, December 31,1977 flocks and poor LT immunity due to carelessness or shortcuts in vaccine ad ministration are factors that also appear to be mvolved. To further prevent LT, poultrymen should take the f ollowuig measures: All backyard and fancy or bantam chicken flocks where some birds are kept over from year to year should be regularly vac cinated against LT. This should become a routine procedure repeated once and preferrably twice annually with eye drop administered LT vaccine. Poultrymen, besides, locking their poultry house door, should put up signs that will detain all visitors, such as, salesmen, ser vicemen, (plumbers, meter readers, exterminators, repairmen, tenants, etc., tec.) - until can one per sonally be certain that iheir presence in or near the flock is safe. One should be certain that the caretaker’s home flock is healthy at all times. LT virus can survive and spread from farm to farm on human hair and clothing. Stray chickesn, dogs and cats should be kept off the farm. In commercial flocks one should make certain that no survivors are left over when the old birds are finally sent to slaughter. Also, any bantams or pet chickens should be eliminated from commercial chicken farms. BIG SALE ON WOOD BURNING STOVES Rt 212 Pleasant Valley, Quakertown, Pa. 18951 215-346-7894 Holiday Hours: lues., Wed., Thurs. & Fri. 8 to 8; Sat. 8 to 3 Workers on commercial farms should be strongly discouraged from keeping backyard 01 hobby chickens at home. Chickens that have recovered from LT may look perfectly normal but just one left-over LT carrier chicken can still spread the disease two years after it was first infected. One should make sure no such walking bombs threaten the farm income. A farmer should construct a disposal pit or purchase and use an incinerator for dead birds. If this is not possible, he can arrange for dead bird pick-up by a local rendered who may service others neighbors in the community. Hauling to a properly operated official sanitary landfill is ac ceptable but only as a last resort if the other safer methods cannot yet be arranged. Allow no hauling crates or coops on the premises until they have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected or until one can be very certain that they have not carried birds with any history of LT. One should never never allow any crates on the farm that may have been used by auctions or travelling poultry buyers until he is absolutely sure that they have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Poultrymen should step up the control of rats and mice and wild birds. These creatures can carry LT virus into poultry houses on their fur and feathers. One can contact his county agent or professional exterminator loi guidance Wild birds would be screened out. One should use only cleaned and disinfected filler flats or new. unused fiber flats if marketing eggs through a dealer. Farmers do not want filler flats in laying houses that might have been contaminated with LT virus on another farm. Farmers should strengthen the immunity against LT in chicken flocks if it is near or associated with outbreak areas. Strong, dependable immunity can be obtained with LT vaccines only if they are carefully administered in full accord with manufacturers in structions. One should obtain veterinary professional guidance or assistance in selection and use of LT vaccomes. LT immunization requires greater care and percision in administration for success than is ordinarily required for Newcastle and brochitis vaccinations. It is important for poultrymen to remember that LT carrier birds will most probably be m the- Lancaster Farming area for many years in the future, and each of the steps mentioned need to be con tinually followed in the years to come. Average Diet The average American diet contains about six milligrams of iron per 1,000 calories while the average sedentary women requires about 18 milligrams daily
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