LICE, MITES, AND CLEANLINESS. 



LICE AND MITES are common pests that usually can be found 

 J wherever poultry is kept. They are a source of continuous 

 annoyance, and if present in large numbers cause slow or stunted 

 growth as well as death in young chicks and reduce flesh and egg 

 production in mature birds. For this reason every boy and girl 

 must keep the fowls as Avell as the poultry houses, nests, brood coops, 

 etc., free from lice, mites, and other vermin, if he or she is to succeed 

 with poultry or poultry-club work. 



KINDS OF LICE. 



More than 40 distinct species of lice infest the different varieties 

 of domestic poultry. Seven species are commonly found on hens and 

 chickens, 4 or 5 on pigeons, 2 or 3 each on ducks and geese, 3 on 

 turkeys, and several each on guinea fowl and peafowl. The kinds 

 most common on hens and chickens, however, are usually classed in 

 three groups, known as body lice, head lice, and feather lice. They 

 intermingle to a considerable extent, and their habits are very similar, 

 but all are a pest and an annoyance to the fowls, and should be 

 destroyed. 



These different species of lice never leave the bodies or feathers 

 of the fowls. They differ somewhat in size and appearance, but all 

 are fitted with peculiarly arranged legs which permit them to move 

 about rapidly through the feathers. They have sharp, strong, biting 

 mouths, but unlike the red and gray mites are not fitted for sucking 

 blood; instead, they feed on portions of the feathers and on scales 

 from the skin. 



BODY LICE 



The body louse is much larger than the red or gray mite, and is 

 straw or pale yellow in color. It lives and breeds almost entirely 

 on the body of the fowl, centering its activities on those sections that 

 are not closely feathered, although it may sometimes be found on 

 the head, neck, or other parts of the body. It is usually found in 

 greatest numbers undc^r the wings and around the vent, and often- 

 times the skin of the fowl where the lice are thickest will appear red 



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