POULTRY 



2 33 



necessary in the winter, as well as giving the poultry 

 needed exercise. Cracked oyster shells, crushed glass or 

 other forms of grit, should be placed where the chickens 

 can get all they want. This helps in the digestion of 

 other food, and forms the bones of the poultry and the 

 shells of the eggs. 



Parasites. Poultry are often afflicted with lice and 

 with mites. The lice breed on the chickens, and live 

 upon them. The mites live in the cracks in the roosts, 

 in the nests, and in the walls. They come out in the 

 night time and suck the blood of the fowls. To destroy 

 the lice, sprinkle the chickens with insect powder fre- 

 quently. To destroy the mites, the poultry house should 

 be kept thoroughly clean. The entire inside of the house, 

 including roosts and boxes, should be washed with coal 

 oil every other week. Roosts, boxes, and platforms 

 should be made movable, so that they may be taken out 

 for thorough cleaning. 



QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 



1. How may larger profits from the poultry business on 

 the farm be secured? 



2. Make a list of the various breeds of poultry raised in 

 your neighborhood. 



3. Why do chickens need grit? 



4. What is the value of the dust bath? 



5. Why should all the fixtures in a poultry house be 

 made movable? 



