POULTRY FOR PROFIT 149 



of mites besides the tick or dovecot bug, and several 

 kinds of fleas. 



Lice 



Lice are the most widely distributed parasites of 

 poultry and are to be found in almost every flock that 

 is not frequently and persistently treated with lice 

 powder or some other means of removing them. The 

 common body louse is yellow and may easily be seen 

 in the fluff below the vent. 



The dust bath is of first importance in handling 

 these pests. In every hen yard there should be a 

 place where the soil is kept moist by sprinkling, and 

 frequently spaded, so that hens may dust themselves 

 freely. Wood or coal ashes added to this dust bath 

 make it still more effective. Some hens will almost 

 keep themselves free from lice when they have un- 

 limited opportunity for dusting, but there are few 

 flocks where other treatment is not necessary. 



There are three methods of treating lice : dusting, 

 dipping and greasing. Dusting is the method most 

 generally employed. Buhach or any good louse 

 powder rubbed well into the fluff around the vent 

 and under the wings will keep down the lice for a 

 time, but the dusting must always be done twice at 

 intervals of five or six days, so that the nits which 

 hatch after the first dusting may be killed. 



Dipping in sheep dip, tobacco water or kerosene 

 emulsion is very effective, and, it is said, will keep 

 fowls free from lice a whole season or longer, but it 

 is not generally practiced, because it is very trouble- 

 some and can be done only in the warmest weather. 



Blue Ointment — A mercury preparation which is 

 recommended by many experiment stations, is said 

 to be very effective in ridding the hens of lice, but 

 must be used with great care for it is a powerful 



