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LICE. 
There are two kinds of lice which infest pigeons: (l) The long 
variety, which coniines 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 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 the propriety of using it is doubtful. 
The worst affliction of lice the writer’s pigeons ever suffered was when 
he used sawdust. The nest pans fairly swarmed with them. When 
he got rid of them, which required heroic treatment with kerosene 
and dusting the birds with Persian insect powder, after thoroughly 
cleaning the house, he never used sawdust again. 
Attention to cleanliness and regular baths for the birds are essential 
in avoiding these pests. Birds that have three baths a week, houses 
well cleaned weekly, carbolated lime scattered in nests, and tobacco 
stems for nests will not be troubled with body lice. 
In buying new stock carefully examine for lice, and if any are found 
dust with Persian insect powder or snuff, keep them separate, and be 
sure that you have killed all lice before placing them with the breeding 
flock. 
CAUSES OF CHILLED EGGS AND DEAD SQUABS. 
During the very long and severe winter of 1903-04: many squab 
breeders met with heavy losses by eggs becoming chilled in nests and 
squabs dying shortly after being hatched. 
To show the extent of these losses, the writer will cite a few instances 
which came under his immediate notice: One breeder with 500 pairs 
in the month of January, 1904, lost 148 eggs and 64 squabs, marketing 
only 166 squabs. A second flock of the same size suffered a loss of 
106 eggs and squabs during a single week in February, with very 
heavy losses for several previous weeks. In a third flock of the same 
number of birds, the owner marketed as few as 24 squabs in a week 
and seldom had more than 40. Yet from a fourth flock of the same 
size there were sent to market in January, 1904, 303 squabs, and the 
losses from chilled eggs and dead squabs amounted to only 16. The 
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