CHAPTER VII 

 Insect Pests, Diseases and Predatory Animals 



The principal difficulties experienced by turkey raisers 

 in maturing their stock aside from those occasioned by 

 faulty management are insect pests, diseases and pred- 

 atory animals. Of course suitable management will 

 also prevent or greatly reduce the losses vhich would 

 otherwise be occasioned from these sources. 



Lice 



There are four different species of lice which occur 

 quite commonly on turkeys in the United States. Two of 

 these seem to be native to the turkey itself and it seems 

 probable that they occur on turkeys in the wild state. The 

 first is the head louse which is so extremely injurious to 

 young poults if allowed to get a start. The second is an- 

 other form of turkey louse which occurs through the 

 feathers in various parts of the body. It is especially 

 likely to be prevalent on the neck and the breast. In addi- 

 tion to this there are two other species of lice which are 

 not native to the turkey but which occur where the tur- 

 keys are or haVe been associated with chickens. The first 

 of these is the common body louse of chickens, which may 

 occur in considerable numbers on the turkeys. Usually, 



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