The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-10-23
POultry XprInin.

After chicks and turkeys are three months
cid kerosene may be used for lice and no ill
results follow--provided the oil is used in
sensible manner. Do not wet the chickens
all over, but rub little Of the oil on top Of
the head, under the wings, and into the
feathers on the under part of the body. Don't
mix any sulphur with the coal OIL the oil it.
self is sure death to lice. But let me tell you
that if chickens are kept free from lice until
they are three months old, and after that age
furnished with a wallow of dust and ashes,
and their coops occasionally treated to white
wash or coal oil, they will not be troubled
with lice enough to hurt.
About those red mites or spider lice--well,
l do think they are just the meanest "critters"
that ever veXed fowls and their owners
When they once get in a fowl house nothing
but "stern, unrelenting warfare will clean
them out, They don't stay on the fowls
during the day, but hide on the under side
side of the perches, and in cracks and crevices
about the roosts and nests. At night they
come forth from their retreats" and lust
swarm on the fowls. To begin the war of
determination catch all your fowls and rub
coal oil into the feathers on the under part Of
the body, and under the wings. You needn't
be so particular as with chicks, for a little
kerosene more or less won't hurt old fowls
After you get through with the hens,
stop a minute and think how uncom-
Portable you feel with million hen
lice crawling up your arms then
carry everything that is loose ont Of the hen
house, and whitewash the house thoroughly
If there is an earth floor in the house, or u
floor covered with EARTH scrape off the top
nd mt Cp,,n1pha,,, y,ba h,
not get at it; then spread on fresh earth and
scatter lime freely. This part of the work
done, shut up the house US close as possible,
carry in an old iron kettle half full of live
Goals, pour on a pound of sulphur, shut the
door, and turn your attention to the nova
bles' out of doors. Wet the perchcS thor
oughly with coal oil and set fire to them If
you can get new perches just as well as not,
better let the old ones burn all up, but ii you
must use the old ones again, put the fire out
with and old broom and IA pail of water, and
the lice will be out too.
Whitewash the nest boxes and pour coal
oil into all cracks where the lime does not
reach. After you get through with this and
have changed your clothes, the house will
be smoked enough, and you can open it to
the air.
The next day, and about every day for a
week after this house cleaning, examine the
under side of the perches after the fowls have
left the roost: if you find single mite, wet
the roost thoroughly with coal oil, for if but
half dozen of the little bloodthirsty wretches
escape destruction they will bring forth after
their kind with astonishing rapidty, and,
next thing you will know, the house will be
Just swarming' with red mites again.
While | am talking about lice, | may as
well tell the poultry keepers who do .iot even
suspect the presence of red mites in their
fowl houses, that it wouldn't do bit of harm
if they were to examine the under side of the
perches for the "dari, red patches" which nre
simply millions of red mites.-Famie Field
in Prairie Farmer