Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-03
DAILY HINTS ON
FARM TOPICS
BY K. A. Kirkpatrick
Trouble With Mites and Lice on
Poultry.

A party called yesterday and asked
Tor advice on RIDING poultry from
parasitic pests. II seemed that the
lice were very bad. causing the hens
In cases to leave the nests or to die
on the nests.
In an earlier article in these col
umns, q number OF remedies and pre-
parations for combating poultry par
Asues were given. In case the para
sites are as bad az this party says, 1t
would probably be necessary to clean
out the poultry house thoroughly
and saturate the roosts and all the
interior parts of the house with kero-
sene. The roosts should be taken
out and the nests also II possible,
and thoroughly washed and cleaned
and then soaked with kerosene In
which all the fake naphthaltne has
been dissolved that the kerosene will
take UP. Or one may use kerosene
one gallon, carbolic acid two ounces
mixed together to make . paint to
coat all parts Of the nests and in
terror of the building. In making up
new nests the kerosene-naphthaline
mixture may be used to wet sawdust
or soil which should be placed In the
bottom OF the nest. This should then
be covered with straw Q thDt tho
eggs will not touch 1t at any time.
Naphthaline IL not poisonous and
may be handled without danger.
TO rid the birds themselves Of bod!
lice, the fowl should be caught ane
hefd by the feet with the head down
ward. Use q sitter top can, and sift
pyrethrum insect powder or some
good lice powder into the feathers
The feathers should be f1uffed Will
the hands in order to get this powder
distributed all over the body OF tho
fowl. This treatment should be re
peated twice Or three times at inter,
walls of or s days, In order to ee'
rid Of the lice which hatch from tht
eggs and could not be destroyed a.
one application.
II one wishes to make his own lies
powder for Q for the purpose me
toned above the Lawry recipe Il
given herewith. This has beer
found to be q most excellent prepar.
alton by both the Maine and the Cor.
nell Experiment Stations. Take
three parts of gasoline and ono par,
of crude carbolic acid. Stir II
enough Of plaster Of paris to take W
all the mixture. II crude carbolit
acid can not be obtained, substitute
cresol. This may be used as suggest
ed in the preceding paragraph.
One farmer recently stated to me
that he was going to dip his birds
using a stock dip preparation for the
purpose. This practice is all righl
on q warm day, when the birds VII
dry OF quickly and not catch cold
1t should be pointed out here that
one dipping however will not be sui.
ficient. It will require two OF three
In order to get rid Of the parasites
az the eggs which are attached to the
feathers would not be harmed BY the
first dipping. In case one plans tc
dip, a wash tub or small tank should
be used to contain the liquid pre-
pared according to the specifications
on the package. The fowl should be
held in the liquid with its head jdst
above water. The feathrs should be
thoroughly lufed with one hand 80
that the liquid comes In touch with
the body and feathers at all places
AS a final act In the operation plunge
the head beneath the liquid for JUS
an instant. Then lift the bird Wy
and allow 1t to drip as we'll as pos
sible and turn 1t loose to plume -
self and to dry.