PARASITES AND DISEASES OF POULTRY 



vermin. The hens wallow and fluff their feathers 

 in the dust, and the pores in the louse's body, 



through which it breathes, are closed 

 Body Lice . , i r 



thereby, and death takes place from 



suffocation. The dust bath also is valuable for 

 cleansing the fowl's body from dirt and impuri- 

 ties; it provides much healthful exercise for the 

 fowls, and they get a great deal of enjoyment and 

 pleasure out of the bath in addition to the practical 

 benefits. The finer the dust the better. Road dust 

 is excellent, but no better than any other kind of 

 dust or dirt that has been made very fine and free 

 from clods and pebbles. In the summer, each flock 

 should have access to several places in the yards, 

 each two or three feet square, which have been 

 spaded up and made quite fine. In the winter, 

 boxes should be provided in the house. Observe 

 this requirement, as it is important. 



While dust baths, used constantly and continu- 

 ously, will often prevent lice from getting a start, 

 yet once the pests become numerous, a quicker and 

 more effective way of fighting them must be 

 adopted. There are many brands of louse powder 

 on the market; most of them are all right, but 

 some are not. Use nothing but a well-advertised 

 and approved brand, and even then closely watch 

 the results, to make sure that the powder is doing 

 the work. Where a large number of fowls are to 

 be treated, it is a tedious, unpleasant task to dust 



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