The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-06-03
DESTROYING LICE ON W
Active Measures Should Be Taken 70
Keep Poultry Free From InJuri.
Gus Little Pest.

Inc iosS vi liCOIue uue 10 Tue pres
nee of lice on fowls, while probably
not as large as that due to the CON-
mon chicken mite. Is yet enormous
Fowls which are infested with lice
cannot produce as many eggs nor as
many pounds Of flesh as can those that
free from these vermin. Lice are espe-
cially harmful to young chicks.
Because the lice live, eat and breed
upon the body of the fowls, means of
eradication must be such as to reach
them beneath the feathers. This Is
accomplished in two ways, by the APP
%plication of powders which suffocate
the lice. and by liquid preparations
which stifle the lice with their fumes.
or kill by coming in direct contact
with the parasites.
If fowls have easy access to a dusty
earth wallow where they al work
the fine dry particles of dust into their
feathers they will keep themselves
fairly free from lice, but eradication
will not be entirely complete In the
majority of cases. A good dust wallow
may be made of equal parts of sifted
dry loan and coal ashes. Wood ashes
should not be used as they may bleach
or burn the shanks and feathers.
For the eradication of lice quickly
and completely, as upon show birds
and sitting hens. 1t is usually neces-
sary to work a fine dusty powder
into the feathers. The method of ap-
plicaffnn ic m hnld tho fDu, With orn
hand by the legs. head downward, and
work the powder into the fluffy feath-
ers around the vent, on the body.
under the wings and on the neck,
with the free hand.
An excellent powder at low cost
may be made as follows: To a mix
ture Of three parts gasoline and one
part OF crude carbolic acid stir In all
of the plaster of paris 1t win moisten.
When enough plaster has been added
the powder will be dry, brownish pink
in color. and have a pronounced odor
Of carbolic acid and gasoline.
A second application OF the powder
should be made at the end OF one
week TO catch any lice that escaped
the first busting or had Matched from
eggs In the meantime.
Sitting hens should be thoroughly
busted when eggs are placed u nder
them and again at he end of the
first and second weeks. This insures
them being free from lice when the
chicks are Matched.
To kill the lice upon chicks dust
the mother hen or paint the walls OF
the coop with some liquid lice killer
or d~isinfectant.
Especial care should be taken to
dust the male of the flock thoroughly
as the quickest way to spread lice
through a flock Is by means of a lousy
male bird.
LIQUID lice killers are used primar
lily to paint the roost and dropping
boards. Their fumes rising through
the feathers Of the birds cause the
lice to drop off. The practise is tC
paint the roosts about four o'clock In
the afternoon before the fowls go te
roost. This also prevents mites from
attacking the fowls. Most of the
LIQUID lice killers are coal tar products
and are sold AS coal tar d~isinfectants
Some Of them do cause the lice Il
drop from the fowls. but whether OF
not they always kill the lice is no
certain.
II has been found that when a TOW
was placed upon a roost coated with
cresol soap formula, the lice would
drop In large numbers and could b.
caught upon a paper spread under
meath the roOst. In the majority O
cases. however. the parasites were no
killed. Where this method is uset
the droppings should be removed ant
dropping boards cleaned early the fol
lowing morning to prevent the 10,
from reaching the fowls again