FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X. 723 



they should be carefully examined for lice. These parasites usually ac- 

 cumulate under the throat and upon the top and back of the head. If 

 any are found, rub a little sweet oil, pure lard, or vaseline with the fin- 

 ger over the parts where the lice are. Thfs kills the lice by obstructing 

 their breathing pores and does not harm the chicks. 



By beginning in this manner, a flock may be obtained which is practi- 

 cally free from disease germs^and parasites, but in order to keep it in 

 this condition the premises must be frequently cleaned and occasionally 

 disinfected. There are a number of reasons for this. First, there are 

 certain germs generally present in the intestines of healthy fowls and 

 that are scattered with the manure, which when they are permitted to 

 accumulate and become very numerous may cause outbreaks of disease; 

 secondly, the germs of contagious diseases may be brought to the poul- 

 try yard by pigeons or other birds which fly from one poultry yard to an- 

 other, or by mice or rats; thirdly, it is seldom that grounds are ob- 

 tained for the poultry yard which are entirely free from infection with, 

 the eggs of parasitic worms and the spores of disease-producing microbes. 

 To keep these germs and parasites from developing and increasing their 

 numbers to a dangerous extent, the houses should be kept clean, the 

 drinking fountains and feed troughs should be washed every day or 

 two with boiling water or other disinfectant, and, if any lice or mites 

 are found on the birds or in their houses, the roosts and adjoining 

 parts of the walls should be painted with a mixture of kerosene, 1 quart, 

 and crude carbolic acid or crude cresol, 1 teacupful (1 gill). Or the 

 house may be whitewashed with freshly slaked lime or sprayed with 

 kerosene emulsion. The fowls should be dusted every three or four days 

 with lice powder until these parasites entirely disappear, which should 

 be within two weeks, if these measures are properly applied. 



LICE PPOWDEES AND THEIK APPLICATION. 



Very good lice powder may be made at little cost by mixing fine 

 road dust, 2 quarts, and tobacco dust, 1 pint. In place of road dust, 

 anthracite coal ashes well sifted may be used, and Persian insect powder 

 or flowers of sulphur may be substituted for the tobacco dust. The im- 

 portant point is that all the ingredients should be in the form of a very 

 fine dust. 



A powder much recommended is made by mixing 3 parts gasoline 

 and 1 part crude carbolic acid (90 to 95 per cent pure) and adding to 

 this mixture slowly, while stirring enough plaster of paris to take up all 

 the moisture. It takes about 4 quarts of plaster of paris to 1 quart of the 

 liquid. When enough plaster is added the mixture should form a dry, 

 brownish powder. Those who make this powder should remember 

 that gasoline is very inflammable and may cause an explosion if there 

 is any fire near; also that crude carbolic acid of this strength may burn 

 the hands, face or eyes if it comes in contact with them. 



Lice powders are best applied by putting them into a tin can having 

 a perforated top like a pepper box, but with larger holes. A news- 

 paper is spread on the fioor to catch the surplus powder, the fowl is held 

 by the legs, head downward, so that the feathers will loosen up and fall 



