106 SQUABS FOR PROFIT 



this is observed the bird must be carefully caught, 

 the water gently squeezed from the crop, and a drop- 

 perful of the cod liver oil and creosote mixture ad- 

 ministered. 



If the whole flock is diseased, put 10 drops of car- 

 bolic acid to a gallon of their drinking water for two 

 mornings. Be very careful what you feed, and watch 

 the flock very closely, because if this trouble gets a 

 foothold the entire flock may die in a short time. After 

 having used the carbolic acid, use a tablespoonful of 

 tincture of gentian to the gallon of drinking water 

 three times in succession. If birds are well cared for 

 this disease need cause very little anxiety, but lack of 

 cleanliness and unsound food and impure water invite 

 the disease in its worst form. 



Lice. — There are two kinds of lice which infest 

 pigeons : ( i ) The long variety, which confines itself 

 to the wings and is seldom troublesome; and (2) the 

 small round louse, which preys on the head and body 

 of the bird, and, if allowed to increase, will deplete 

 the blood and cause death. 



These pests breed at so astonishing a rate in warm 

 weather that, if they once get a foothold, vigorous 

 measures must be promptly used, or all weak or ailing 

 birds will be literally eaten up. If a loft becomes 

 infested, clean out thoroughly and use kerosene oil 

 freely in nests and perches, seeing that the oil saturates 

 all surfaces and gets into all cracks and crevices, and 

 that the corners are not forgotten. Then at the weekly 

 cleaning scatter powdered lime well saturated with 

 crude carbolic acid in the corners of all the nests. 



Sawdust should not be used for the bottoms of nests 

 and on the floors, as is sometimes suggested, unless it 

 be first treated well with carbolic acid, and even then 



