DISEASES 
t 
Gapes is given in every poultry book as one of the promi- 
nent poultry diseases, but are not common in the Northern 
and Westerti States. Gapes are caused by a parasitic worm 
in the windpipe. Growing chicks are affected. The remedy is 
to move the chicks to fresh ground and cultivate the old. 
Limber neck is not a disease, but is the result of the fowl’s 
eating maggots from dead carcasses. It can be prevented by 
not allowing dead carcasses to remain where the chickens will 
find them. No practical cure is known. 
Lice and Mites. 
The parasites referred to as chicken-lice include many differ- 
ent species, but in habit they may be classed as body-lice and 
roost-mites. The first, or true bird-lice, live on the body of the 
chicken and eat the feathers and skin. The roost-mite is simi- 
lar to a spider and differs in habits from the body-louse in 
that it sucks the blood of the chicken and does not remain 
on the body of the fowl except at night. 
Body-lice are to be found upon almost all chickens, as well 
as on many other kinds of birds. Their presence in small 
numbers on matured fowls is not a serious matter. When 
pody-lice are abundant on sitting hens they go from the hen to 
the newly hatched chickens, and may cause the death of the 
chicks. The successful methods of destroying body-lice are 
three in number: First, dust or earth wallows in which the 
active hens will get rid of lice. Such dust baths should be 
especially provided for yarded chickens and during the winter. 
Dry earth can be stored for this purpose. Sitting hens should 
have access to dust baths. Second: The second method by 
which body-lice may be destroyed is the use of insect powder. 
The pyrethrum powder is considered the best for this purpose, 
but is expensive and difficult to procure in the pure state. 
Tobacco dust is also used. Insect powder is applied by hold- 
ing the hen by the feet and working the dust thoroughly 
into the feathers, especially the fluff. The use of insect pow- 
der should be confined to sitting hens and fancy stock, as the 
cost and labor of applying is too great for use upon the com- 
mon chicken. The third method is suitable for young chick- 
ens, and consists of applying some oil and grease on the head 
and under the wings. Do not grease the chick all over. With 
vigorous chickens and correct management the natural dust 
bath is all that is needed to combat the lice. 
The roost-mite is probably the cause of more loss to farm 
poultry raisers than any other pest or disease. The great dif- 
ficulty in destroying mites on many farms is that chickens 
are allowed to roost in too many places. If the chicken-house 
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