CHAPTER XIV. 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN, LEGS AND FEET. 
1. Lice. 
When once hen lice gain a foothold they increase very 
rapidly and become a perfect nuisance to the hens and the 
owner. In some cases they spread to other buildings and 
get on the stock. Hen lice are very small and have a red- 
dish appearance. 
Causes. — Dirt, filth, neglect of disinfection and proper 
care is usually the cause. Lice may be introduced into a 
clean house and healthy flock by birds that are infected 
with the parasite. 
Symptoms. — These are at once apparent — ruffled fea- 
thers, constant picking and finally loss of vitality. We have 
seen cases become so bad that the hen simply sat down in 
a corner, gave up entirely and died. 
Treatment. — The first step to be taken to get rid of the 
hen lice is to drive all the hens out of the hen house, close 
up the windows and doors, put a pound of sulphur in a pot, 
put some coals in it to start the sulphur 
burning, and keep it burning for about 
half a day. The fumes from the sulphur 
will go into all the cracks and thoroughly 
fumigate the place and kill the lice. After 
this open the doors and windows and 
clean the place out thoroughly and put 
in plenty of hardwood ashes and coal 
dust for the hens to roll about in. This 
kills the lice on the hens. In the course 
of a week drive the hens out of the hen 
house again and burn sulphur as you did 
before ; this will rid you entirely of the 
pest. Watching the hens and giving them 
Fig. 107. Brahma. A plenty of ashcs and coal dust to roll in 
Chicken Louse Magnified, ^-jj ^^^^ j-^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^.^ 
is also a good plan to feed plenty of sulphur and new milk, 
give every night, two tablespoonfuls of sulphur to a quart 
