72 



CHICK BOOK 



To Get Bid of Lice 



Pure, fresh-ground, Persian insect (flowers) powder, 

 also known as Pyrethrum or unadulterated Dalmation pow- 

 der, is the very best dusting powder to use in getting rid of 

 all body and feather lice. It must be pure and fresh. If 

 old and adulterated with flour, dust, etc., it is practically 

 valueless. It ought to be made from the imported, partially- 

 opened flower heads and some reputable importing druggists 

 make a business of grinding it fresh in quantity. It costs 

 from 25 to 35 cents a pound in from five to twenty-five pound 

 lots and" is well worth the price. This powder should be 

 applied at night when the birds are quiet. It should be dust- 

 ed and well worked into the feathers, down to the skin, in 

 every part all over the bird. Begin at the tail and work all 

 over the bird up to the last feather on the head and the last 

 bit of down on the toes. Treat each fowl thoroughly and 

 place it gently back on the roost so that most of the powder 

 wiU be well retained in the feathers. One application prop- 

 erly made in the early spring will insure freedom from lice 

 for many weeks. Often you will not need to treat them 

 again for three months. Make a thorough job of it; it does 

 not pay to slight the work. Don't be afraid to use plenty 

 of the powder. Hold the fowl over a clean, paper-lined box 

 while dusting to prevent waste of powder. Any that falls 

 in the box may be used over again. Other insect powders 

 cost less and may be used in the same manner, most of them 

 are quite effective but they usually have to be used much 

 oftener. Sitting hens should always be well dusted when 

 set and again a day or two before the chicks hatch. Always 

 have a dust bath for your fowls in a bright, sunny corner. 



Nearly all liquid lice killers are more or less effective 

 when applied to roosts and drop boards but they do not get 

 rid of all the lice as the fumes do not penetrate to all parts 

 of the plumage in suflScient strength to dislodge the lice. 

 When they are depended upon and insect powder is not dusted 

 into the pliunage there are always enough lice left to work 

 serious trouble. The best use for liquid lice killers is to get 

 rid of mites, fleas and parasitic flies. For this purpose they 

 are necessary and very effective. We have tried a consider- 

 able number of these liquid lice killers and have found all of 

 them qmte effective. 



To get rid of red mites and other poultry bed bugs use 

 kerosene or a good liquid lice killer freely about the roosts 

 and dropboards about once a month or as often as you find 

 any signs of mites. -Use the liquid in the morning so that 

 the roosts will be dry by roosting time. If you allow fowls 

 to roost on perches wet with kerosene or other insecticide 

 it may blister the soft parts or cause sore feet. 



Fumigating 



In old poultry houses where the wood is loaded with 

 mites even out under the shingles, you will have to fumigate 

 and then whitewash with a spray pump. Before fumigating 

 get all live stock out of the house and shut it out. Provide 

 material to stop up all openings where fumes can escape. 

 Use sulphiur candles or formaldehyde candles for fumigating 

 and use enough to take care of all the space in the building. 

 Always use a few more than the directions call for. Burn 

 the candles in an old tin placed on a pan or wet ashes and so 

 located that it cannot set fire to the building. After candles 

 are well started burning, lock up the building for from twelve 

 to twenty-four hours and keep all persons or fowls out of it. 

 After that period let the building be thrown wide open for 



at least twelve hours to air out before it is used for fowls. 

 One large size "Lister's" formaldehyde fumigating candle 

 will serve for a poultry house 10 by 16 ft. and average six 

 ft. stud. For the same size building burn not less than three 

 pounds of sulphur and have the air of building moist. To 

 moisten the air of the house and to render the sulphur fumi- 

 gation more effective spray the whole interior of the building 

 with a solution of chloride of lime. To make this solution, 

 dissolve five ounces of chloride of lime in one gallon of water. 

 Use in a spray pump, throwing a coarse spray. 



Scab Mites and Scaly Legs 



Scab or itch mites are common enemies but are easily 

 gotten rid of with a little care. For those that attack the 

 head and body, causing loss of feathers and accumulation of 

 unsightly scales, use sulphur ointment well rubbed in. If 

 a large area is affected do not cover too great an area of skin 

 at one application. Divide up the territory and give several 

 treatments a day apart. For scaly leg try "Hebra's itch 

 ointment" recommended by Dr. Russman of Kentucky. 

 Any druggist can prepare it for you. The formula is: 



Precipitated Calcium carbonate, 10 parts. 



Sublimed Sulphur, 15 parts. 



Oil of Cade, 15 parts. 



Soft Soap, 30 parts. 



Lard, 30 parts. 



Thoroughly mix. 



Sig.— 



Label "Scaly Leg Ointment.'' 



Directions : Apply freely once a day or every other day 

 for three or four applications. Rub well into the affected 

 parts. After fourth application wash legs with warm water 

 and soap. If any scales remain the ointment may be applied 

 once or twice more to remove them. 



To Get Bid of Fleas 



Poultry fleas breed all the year around. Frequent use 

 of whitewash, kerosene oil and liquid lice killers is an effective 

 means of getting rid of them. Fumigation with sulphur is 

 often a very satisfactory method of ridding a house of these 

 pests. Persian insect powder will keep the nests free from 

 them and will not injure or taint the eggs. When fleas are 

 plenty the dark, sandy corners of houses and runs will be 

 found to be loaded with flea maggots (larvae) and have their 

 cocoons (pupae). Wetting down with thick, fresh white- 

 wash or mixing plenty of fine powdered air slaked lime with 

 the dirt is an effective means of destroying these pests. Sun- 

 shine in large quantities is also helpful. If let alone these 

 flea maggots soon pass through the pupal stage and becomes 

 full-fledged active little blood-sucking demons that are 

 dangerous to the health and hfe of poultry of all ages. Poul- 

 try fleas are common in most climates in warm weather. 

 We have seen some otherwise well kept poultry plants that 

 were fairly alive with the little pests. 



Where fleas abound "wood-wool," "excelsior'' or shav- 

 ings make better material for nests than hay or straw. For 

 some reason this sort of nesting material seems objection- 

 able to fleas and they usually keep away from it. Sawdust, 

 soaked with a saturate solution of napthalene in kerosene, 

 placed in the bottom of nests underneath other nesting 

 material is a simple method of keeping nests free from 

 vermin. Only a small quantity should be used, as it is 

 liable to "taste" the eggs unless well covered with nesting 

 material. 



