— 
Feburary: 1, 1908 
The Poultry Vaid 
iff 
Diseases of Fowls. 
(Continued from last issue), 
Any of the above mixtures will be effec: 
tive in abolishing the mites, but one of 
them must be occasionlly usec to keep 
the places clean; this, however, can be 
easily done. Perhaps the simplest of any 
for the perches is to give them a painting 
once a month with a cheap liquid known 
as coal-oil). At the late Rockdale egy 
laying competitions this was used ‘ocea- 
sionally, the supervisor attributing the 
cleanness of the fowls throughout the two 
years’ tests to this simple preventive, 
The above remedies apply to the verinin 
mites and fleas only. These visit the 
‘fowls for their food but do not liye on 
them. 
Lice are of less consequence, but dan.’ 
gerous withal. A vermin infested hen 
will not lay well, and, it has been said, 
will not hatch well, frequently leaving 
the nest before the esgswre due, and what 
is nearly as bad, should she hatch them 
lice are itmiied ately transmitted to the 
chickens, many of them dying from the 
effects. Lice are nore easily exterminated 
than the mites, « few dustings with one of 
the many insect powders being effective, 
-Pyrethrum powder is the best, and it is 
“said this forms the basis of many of the 
insecticides. Tobacco dust, which can be 
had for as low as 3d.per pound,is also very 
effective, and a handful of this placed in 
the setting hen’s nest, aud another hand 
ful added when within a week of bringing 
- 6ut her chicks will keep her free from 
these irritating pests. Another good dust: 
ing. powder is 1 oz. of 90 per cent, car- 
bolic acid toa peck of fresh air-slaked 
lime,and stir thoroughly. In using dust- 
ing powders,the simplest way is to spread 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDEN ER. 
out a newspaper; hold the hen by her legs, 
with the body and head hanging down; 
the powder can then be worked into the 
feathers down to theskin. The struggling 
of the hen will assist in working in the 
powder,ind what falls on to the paper can 
be used again. Indeed,to be effectual, 
there should be two or three dustings at 
intervals of a week. 
If the fowls are healthy, the premises 
kept clean, and.a dust bath of ashes pro- 
vided, lice rarely get the upper hand, it 
being through the brood hens transmit- 
ting them to the chickens that most harm 
ensues. A hen with many or few lice on 
her when sitting transmits them to the 
chickens immediately they ave hatched 
and remarkable to tell,they do not wander 
over the chickens body,ay on the hen, but 
are to he found stationary on the chick- 
ens’ head,above the beak and eyes, and in 
a few days, when they get more plentiful, 
are to be found behind and on top of the 
head and throat They are diffienlt to 
find,the best plan being to take the small 
blade of a pocket knifeyand separate the 
fluff or small feathers at the top of the 
head or near the beak, and they will be 
found deposited ther , frequently with 
their heads buried into the skin; such an 
unusual thing for lice, that they have been 
termed chicken ticks. Mr.E Cobb.F.Z.S,, 
for a long time on the staff of the 
Feathered World,England,in his book on 
the rearing of chickens, says :—*“This in- 
sect, which we have failed to discover a 
mention of in any work on poultry,some- 
what resembles the sheep tick, a by no 
means unfamiliar object amongst sheep- 
breeders, Its habits are also very similar 
to its more developed cousin,for in each 
case does it bury its head into the flesh . 
of the animal or fowl, and in pulling it 
away the body will at times separate and 
I5 
leave the head still embedded in the flesh. 
When taklng some off in order to examine 
them while still alive, the chick has often 
called out in evident pain. They suck the 
very life blood from the youngsters, and 
we have no hesitation in saying that the 
primary cause of nine out of every ten 
deaths in young chicks is caused by these 
ticks. For it can readily be understood 
that if the chick is infested with a number 
of these insects, all living by the suction 
of its: blood, its system is lowered and its 
blood is poor,and that the first chance it 
has of taking roup ‘or other disease will 
‘not be missed, and baing almost exhausted 
by its previous troubles it quickly suc: 
cumbs, and the real cause of its dyinz is 
Often lost sight of. In the first place ticks, 
Unless in yery great numbers,are exceed- 
ingly hard to find. We mention this to 
show how careful one must-be in order to 
detect them, and that if one in a brood is 
discovered with any, it may be taken for 
granted all the rest have some. Ticks 
generally make their appearance when 
chickens are from one to three weeks old, 
and they collect only on the head, neck, 
and throat of the bird. -The hatching 
ground for ticks is on the front of the 
head, close to the base of the upper man- 
dible of the beak; there the eges will be 
found deposited, being of a whitish color, 
and much longer than they are broad, 
When the tick hatches it removes toward 
the back of the head, and as it increases 
in size goes down the neck and undgr the 
thrvat,and the largest and most developed 
ones will usually be found at the base of 
the ear. Insect powder we have found to 
have little or no effect in killing ticks, 
Salad oil. or any other oil, will kill the 
ticks but does not destroy the eggs. 
Paraffin will not only kill the ticks and 
eggs but the little chicks as well. Tho 
following is a simple recipe and will be 
found effective in destroying the eggs: 
Take three-quarters of a cup of water and 
when boiling pour in a quarter of a cup 
of paraffin, stir well together, and let it 
boil for 2 or 5 ininutes; remove to cool 
somewhat, and continue to stir whilst 
applying it to the chickens. Take the 
chick in the left hand and let the head 
be placed between the two first fingers 
and in this way the nec< can be extended. 
Then with the right hand dip a finger 
into the solution and anoint the head, 
THE AUSTRALIAN 
BEE BULLETIN 
A Monthly Journal devoted to 
Bee-keeping, 
Edited and Published by E. Trrrzr, West 
Maitland; Apiary, Willow Tree, N.S:W. 
Circulated in all the Australian Colonies, 
New Zealand, and Cape of Good Hope. 
Per Annum 5s., booked 6s. 6d., in Aus 
tralasia, outside N.S.W., add 6d, postage, 
7 
