Perosis, or Deforming Leg Weakness, in the Chicken

Abstract

THE purpose of this paper is to present some of the results of a study of a particular type of leg weakness which occurs among young chickens reared in confinement, and which is neither cured nor prevented by including as much as two or three percent of high-grade cod liver oil in their diet. The Development of Perosis Before presenting the experimental results, a brief description of the condition and its development will be given. The first readily noticeable symptom of perosis is a tendency on the part of the chick to rest for long periods of time in a squatting position. If its metatarsal-tibia joints are carefully examined, a slight puffiness may be observed. Within a few days the joints become appreciably enlarged and very frequently the skin covering them has a bluish-green cast which, apparently, is caused by small hemorrhages in the underlying tissues. This condition has been . . .