Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-07-30

their intestineS examined to note whether
parasites of this kind are present. The
most common summer parasites of poul-
try are known as external. They live on
lhe outside of the body. Some Of them
suck the blood Others feed on the skin
and waste products, while still others
consume the quilts of the feathers They
multiply very rapidly in nsanitarv
houses. The most common parasites
which every poultryman should know ar"
body lice, red mites, deplumng mites and
scaly-leg mites.
BODY LICE
Body lice are common to all poultry
IT is almost impossible to find flock
that is not affected to a greater or less
degree. The body lice are yellow in
color. They are about one-eiehth of an
inch in length and rather narrow They
are found under the wings and in the
body fluff of the adult birds. The louise
lives on the outer portion of the skin
and especially on the dried-up particles
of the skin which have been thrown off
The louise is essentially a biting insect
1t does not suck the blood y small
number of lice on a bird do not seem
20 have any injurious effect. When they
irritate the birds and cause them to lose
hucton. The body louise lives on the bird
all of the time. For this reason it is
rather hard to combat. There are three
methods which it is possible to use to
rid the birds of lice. The first and most
common practice should he to provide
dust boxes in which the birds can have
access to a dry loan or fine powdered ma
teral. They will dust themselves into
this material, working it well into the
feathers. The lice are killed or driven
away by the presence of this dust filling
up their breathing pores. Every poultry
house should have dust box. good
material to put into it is dry loan, fine
road sand and sifted coal ashes, equal
parts Of each.
The dust box should he kept free from
coarse Jumps or litter. 1t Is we'll to
locate the dust box in sunny place.
The birds will naturally dust better in
the sun thar in dark corners Another
method of rididng them of lice is to dust
them with good lice powder. The best
practice is to hold the birds by tho feet,
This allows the Gathers to relax and
makes 1t easier to get the powder clear
70 the skin. IT should be worked well
into the base Of the feathers If a thor
oueh busting is given each hen indi.
vldually every other day for week It
will keep the number Of lice down for
six or eight months. Two such dustings
each year will keep the flock clean
Professor Quisenberry, of Mountain
Grove, Mo, has recommended the use Of
blue ointment This preparation can be
secured at any drug store. A small piece
about the size of a pea should be worked
into the base of the feathers and into
the fluff This will Kill the para sites by
poisoning them when they come for
moisture. Any Of these three methods Is
efficient. A dust bath is more economical
RED MITES
Red Mites, when allowed to accumulate
in large numbers, do more damage to
poultry than any other parasite. They
are a product of unclean and insanitary
houses. In appearance they are very
minute yellow spiders. After they are
filed with blood they turn dark red IN
color. The mite lives on the bird Mt night
and In the daytime may be found in
cracks, and crevices about the roostins
uuarters. They cOngregate together i'm
large numbers in one place. The body
mites get nourlshmont by sucking the
blood from the birds body. They SAP
vitality very quickly Their presence in
great numbers Will make production fall
20 a low point Owing to the fact that
the red mite only spends part Of the time
on the birds II is an easy matter to com
bat them They can easily he killed by
spraying the roosting quarters with n
fve-per-cent, solution of carbolic acid. A
good plan is to put the solution ON with
a spray pump, forcing it into all the
cracks and creyices. Crude petroleum or
kerosene, If sprayed on the woodwork in
undiluted form, will have good results.
There are many commercial wax prepare
tons for use on perches which are very
efficient, Oftentmes when mites are pres
ent in large numbers they will be found
In the nesting material. Special care
should be taken to look the birds over
carefully in the summer to see that all
lice and red mites are kept under con-
troll,
DEPLUMING MITES.
Depluming mites are the least common
of our poultry parasites Whore they are
present, however they will do consider
able damage These mites live on the bird
all the time. They can be found just at
the base of the feathers, They work on
the puills Of the feathers and cause them
70 drop off Birds affected show spots