The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1909-12-17

Probably the most common poultry
disease is roup. This Is really q germ
disease. but the germs cannot Well
get foOthold except under special
| '"nditi"nS. These are found Whcn the
bird catches cold. The germs work
mostly In the nasal passages. causing
e cheesy secretion that has a very dis
agreeable odor The head swells, the
eyes often being swollen entirely shut.
An affected bird may live for long
time and sometimes even get we'll, but
it is seldom worth anything. The
treatment consists in killing the af-
fected birds and removing the cause.
Exposure to cold and danpnesS IS
among the chief causes. A dry, warm
house, especially one with curtain
front to provide for plenty Of ventila-
tion without drafts, is one Of the best
preventive measures. The curtained
roosting apartment also helps to keep
the fowls from catching cold in severe
weather.
Lice and Mites.
The most troublesome parasites OF
poultry are lice and mites. These
pests are very different in their habits.
The lice remain on the bird all the
time, eating the feathers and skin.
They are not usually present In large
enough numbers to do any consider
able damage, except to sitting hens
and small chicks. One Of the most
effective means Of combating lice Is
the dust bath This IS simply q con-
venient sized box filed with fine dust
in which the hens can roll. Lice and
Their insects breathe through tiny
holes along the sides Of their bodies.
The dust fills these holes. and they die
Of suffocation A little turpentine add.
ed to the dust bath makes 1t more eff
fectiye.
The dust treatment is usually all that
is required to keep the lice in check.
Where they get unusually bad pyre-
thrum or tobacco dust blown in among
the feathers Is effective This plan
takes too long to be used extensively,
however. Lice frequently make their
way from the hen to the chicks at
Matching time and often cause the
death Of many Of them. The best way
to prevent this, Of course, Is to see
that the hens are free from lice be-
fore the chickens hatch. One Of the
best remedies IL to dust the chicks
with insect powder OF paint them
around the neck and under the wings
with sulphur and lard mixture.
Mites are much worse pests than
lice. They live in the crevices in the
walls and roOsts. attacking the fowls
at night. They do not eat the skin,
but bore through it and suck the blood.
hardly be seen with the naked eye, but
the damage they do is not measured
by their SIZE Half the so called dis
eases to which poultry are subject are
caused by mites. When fowls sicken
and die without any apparent cause it
Is time to look for mites. Painting the
roosts and adjacent walls thoroughly
with crude petroleum or kerosene will
destroy many Of them. The same
treatment should also be applied to
coops and nest boxes The litter IN
der the roosts is often breeding place
for mites. 1t should be cleaned out
frequently and hauled away. After
cleaning out. the floor should be thor
oughly soaked with a strong solution
Of some coal tar dip. II the poultry
house Is fairly tight burning sulphur
In it will effectively destroy all mites
within reach Of the fumes. Keeping
vermin and disease in check requires
considerable work and constant vigi-
lance. but 1t Is work that will be we'll
repaid in the improved health Of the
flock