20 Farmers' Bulletin 801. 



PIGEON LICE. 



Considerable annoyance to pigeons has been reported by poultry- 

 men in different parts of the country. While a number of species of 

 lice have been reported as occurring on pigeons, most of the trouble 

 seems to be due to the slender pigeon louse ^ and the broad pigeon 

 louse.^ The former sometimes occurs in great numbers, attacking 

 both the old birds and the partially feathered squabs. 



For measures of control see the discussion of this subject in subse- 

 quent pages. 



LICE OF THE GUINEA FOWL AND PEAFOWL. 



The guinea fowl and peafowl are both subject to the attack of 

 several species of lice. Most of these are of kinds different from those 

 found on the common chicken and other domestic fowls, but the 

 guinea fowl has been found to become infested with four of the 

 species found on the chicken. It does not appear that either of these 

 hosts is materially injured by lice, but it is necessary to bear m mind 

 the risk in allowing guinea fowl to remain untreated when eradicating 

 lice from other poultry on the same farm. 



CONTROL OF POULTRY LICE. 



It has been generally felt that poultry lice are more or less a neces- 

 sary evil and that the best that can be expected is to keep them m con- 

 trol by repeated treatment. A few have attempted, with varymg 

 degrees of success, to start with clean premises and clean fowls and 

 keep them free from vermin. This is most feasible in the case of per- 

 sons going into the poultry business on a rather extensive scale and 

 with entirely new equipment (see page 28). For the average farmer 

 and the poultryman already established the situation has resolved 

 itself largely mto a fight against the various pests already present. 



There is no fundamental reason why a jiock should not he entirely 

 freed from lice and maintained in this condition. Reinfestation 

 comes principally from stray fowls which gain access to the poultry 

 yards and from purchased stock added to the flock. Stray fowls 

 can not always be excluded, but in the case of added stock it is 

 advisable to treat all chickens, old or young, when they are first 

 brought on the premises. 



The time of year for starting a campaign against Uce is another 

 point to be considered. The writers would favor the treatment of 

 the entire flock during the late gummer or early fall. At this time 

 of the year weather conditions usually are favorable to dipping, most 

 of the young fowls are well matured, and much of the superfluous 

 stock has been disposed of, so that there are fewer birds to treat. 



1 Lipeurus baculus Nitzsch. 2 Goniocotes compar Nitzsch. 



