The Essentials of Poultry Raising iii 



the walls, then spray the house thoroughly with a 4 per cent 

 solution of some disinfectant dip of a coefSciency of at least 

 five. Saturate the perch poles, on all sides and at the places 

 where they rest on their supports, and the wall for a con- 

 siderable space around with kerosene, carbolineum, or gasoline. 

 Repeat this once every day till the mites disappear. Spray the 

 house once a week till it is certain that no mites lurk around. 



306. Lice of Poultry. There are one or more kinds of lice 

 for each kind of poultry. 



307. What the Louse Looks Like. The louse is light in color 

 and rather thin and narrow. It is about five or six times as 

 large as a full-grown mite and can be seen running around next 

 to the skin of an infested hen. 



308. How to Tell When Hens Are Infested With Lice. Catch 

 the hen and push the feathers back the wrong way. Examine 

 in the region of the vent and body fluff. If lice are present 

 they will be observed. 



309. Where Lice Are Found. When lice are present, they are 

 always found on the birds unless brushed off accidentally. 



310. How Lice Multiply. Lice multiply by laying eggs and 

 cementing them to the feathers. Here they hatch in a few days 

 and then soon develop into the adult stage, to multiply again. 

 The eggs are laid in clusters and can often be seen on the welj 

 of the feathers, especially in the region of the vent. 



311. How to Treat Hens With Lice. Birds with lice should 

 be dusted with lice powder containing at least one-fourth of one 

 per cent of free nicotine. This louse powder can be made as 

 follows : Take two pounds of tobacco stems or leaves and place 

 in a pan and cover with water. Boil for thirty minutes and pour 

 off the liquid. Boil down 'this liquid to about one-half of a tea- 

 cup. Put this into a half teacup of crude carbolic acid and 

 add an equal amount of gasoline. To this mixture add plaster 

 of Paris till the plaster is only slightly moist and pass the entire 

 amount through a fly screen sieve. U.^e at once. This quantity 



