396 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



ing the body clean. The dust shampoo rids the hen of the 

 scurf of the skin ; besides it is nature 's protection against 

 the pestiferous louse that has no object in life but to make 

 living a burden to the hen. A dust bath at evening gives 

 biddy a restful sleep ; a dust bath during the day gives her 

 new hope and happiness and permits her to lay her daily 

 egg in peace and to chase and devour other larger insects 

 that prey upon the crops of the field. 



The hen louse must breathe to live, and it breathes 

 through the pores of its skin. A knowledge of this simple 

 fact was doubtless the clew for some ancient Edison to 

 invent dust. There are some objections to dust, but there 

 is always some bitter with the sweet, and to biddy dust 

 tastes sweeter than plum jam to the average human young- 

 ster. The hen must have her daily dust bath. If she can- 

 not get it in the fields or the yards it must be furnished in 

 a box artificially, but she must have it to cleanse her body 

 in the old natural way. It fills up the pores of the louse 

 and prevents breathing, thus killing it. 



The addition of sulphur, pyrethrum or lime to the dust 

 makes it more effective on account of their irritating nature. 

 If the poultry premises are kept in a sanitary condition, 

 the fowls will keep themselves practically free from lice if 

 they have access at all times to a good dust bath. By dust- 

 ing the hen by hand with a good insect powder, the lice may 

 be gotten rid of sooner, but this entails too much labor to 

 be practicable on a large or commercial scale. 



Sulphur and slaked lime may be used as a dust powder. 

 Another good powder may be made by mixing crude car- 

 bolic acid 90 to 95% strength, with enough plaster of paris 

 to make a dry powder. 



Head lice on small chicks, which make their appearance 

 a day or two after the chick is hatched, may be killed by 

 rubbing the head and throat of the chick with lard. A few 



