Gapes—­Cause: Small Y-shaped worm, about one-half inch long.  May be either pale or red in color.  Attaches itself to interior walls of windpipe, weakening the chick by sucking the blood, and also causing strangulation.  This apparently double-headed worm is really two worms, one of each sex, joined together. Symptoms: Usually afflicts young chicks.  Frequent gasping; gaping; coughing; discharge of mucus and worms from throat. Treatment: Use Pratts Gape Remedy.  Disinfect floors of coops and runs with Pratts Disinfectant.  Move to new ground and keep chicks off wet grass.

Intestinal Parasites (Worms)—­Symptoms: Dullness, poor condition.  Worms found in droppings. Treatment: Fowls regularly receiving Pratts Poultry Regulator are almost invariably free from this trouble.  See details of individual treatment in The Poultryman’s Complete Handbook.

Leg Weakness (Chicks)—­Cause: Feed lacking in bone and animal matter; close confinement; lack of exercise; over-heating in brooders. Symptoms: Chicks walk in a wobbly, weak-kneed fashion, often resting or hobbling along on the joints. Treatment: Feed young chicks on Pratts Baby Chick Food.  Give fair amount of beef or fish scrap and bone meal.  Afford opportunity for exercise, especially on the ground.  Avoid bottom heat in brooders.  Feed liberally on green food.  Add small quantity Pratts Poultry Regulator to the ration.

Liver Disease—­Cause: Improper food, as overfeeding of corn or animal food, lack of exercise, general inactivity of intestinal tract. Symptoms: No prominent ones.  If flock is not doing well and birds are lazy and sluggish, kill one or more and examine the livers.  If found diseased, treat the flock. Treatment: Use Pratts Poultry Regulator to improve general condition.  Feed plenty of green food.  Disinfect the buildings, and admit a big volume of fresh air.  Induce the birds to exercise.

Rheumatism—­Cause: Exposure to dampness, and cold. Symptoms: Swelling of joints, stiffness, lameness. Treatment: Make house dry and sunny.  Use Pratts Poultry Regulator to improve general condition.  Rub affected parts with Pratts Liniment. (This fine liniment should be in every household.  It has a hundred uses.)

Roup—­Symptoms: Bad-smelling discharge from the nostrils; sticky discharge from the eyes; feathers under wings and on back smeared and sticky, where bird has wiped its head; sometimes coughing and sneezing; eyes stuck shut; eyes closed and swollen out; mouth forced open by cheesy growth; patches of canker in mouth and throat. Treatment: The disease is very contagious.  Remove all birds showing symptoms.  Clean up and disinfect the quarters, using Pratts Disinfectant liberally.  Give sick and well birds Pratts Roup Remedy.  Give the healthy flock Pratts Poultry Regulator.  Treat the sick with Pratts Condition Tablets in addition to the Roup remedy.  Burn all dead birds and all material removed from the hospital.