Milford chronicle., 1915-12-24

Now that Nature has divested hel
summer attire and donner her winter
clothing, we must naturally look fol
cold weather-nor will our looking be
in vain. Yes. winter is here, and while
it is cold now, it will certainly be mucl
colder as the season ages.
| But don't reach the conclusion thai
! the weather will be sufficiently colo
to freeze the lice and mites that might
be lurking about the houses, for this
is not true. Lice thrive in winter
time as well as in the summer, and
while they may not seem to worry
and bother the hens as much as dur
ing the warmer weather, they are
nevertheless just as much a pest.
The coldness of the weather natur-
ally aids the birds to a large extent
in their efforts to fight the lice, be-
cause they can keep healthier during
the cold weather than they can when
the weather is hot and sultry. The
effect upon the hens constitution
however, is just the same whether il
be cold OF hot, and for that reason it
behooves the careful and attentive
poultryman to be on the job in the
winter as well as during the summer
months.
From the above it will be readily
seen that keeping down the lice and
mites is equally as much a winter job
as a summer one, and should there
fore receive just as much attention
at this season as if the reverse were
true. This warning need not be given
to the careful and attentive poultry
man, but then, not all who engage in
the raising of poultry are attentive to
their business and for that reason
it is just as well to jog their memory
and perhaps save a deal of trouble
later on.
If you desire to be classed among
the list known as successful poultry
men, let me remind you that the job
of keeping down these ravenous para
sites is a permanent one and must re-
ceive your undivided attention.
More than half of the average diff
ficulties incident to raising poultry
are due to the presence on the fowls
and in their houses of these pests
therefore, to eliminate them means
much toward success. The aim of ev-
cry person who engages in raising
poultry should be to fight them con-
tinually, and while it is almost i'm
possible to destroy every vestage of
the pests, yet both the fowls and
houses can be kept reasonably free
from them, thus giving the birds
chance to keep in the pink of condi-
tion and in a productive stage.
Hens live in cold weather, and so
do the lice and mites-and this fact
should be born in mind to such an
extent that you will not lay off your
fighting clothes, but continue to give
battle. You may OF may not have
given the houses their annual fall
cleaning. If you did not, don't think
that your labors are ended until
spring, but keep after them through
out the long winter months. If you
failed to indulge in the fall cleaning,
it only means that your work for the
next few months is far greater than
it otherwise would be. Then do it!
Start right away with that general
and thorough cleaning which should
have been done before and then keep
up the fight until spring, when anOth-
er general attack should be made.
How to rid the premises of lice
seems to be somewhat of problem
to many who are raising poultry,
when, as a matter of fact, it is most
simple, provided you are anxious to
have success and determined that the |
little pests shall not get the better of
you. If you are afraid of work. don't |
bother in trying to get rid Of these |
parasites, because your work will not |
AMOUNT to much and will not be sue
,essful.
Fighting lice is hard work, a real
OBJ, and must be done in a systematic
way in order to get results. In fight
ng lice with the idea of getting them
lown to the minimum there are two
eparate and distinct points of attack;
me, the birds themselves, the other,
he houses, nests, roosts and all other
ixtures within the houses.
Two things are really necessary to
id the birds of lice. The first might
,e termed the work of man, while the
ther is for the fowls to perform. You
hould first dust each individual bird
thoroughly with some good louise
owder, taking care to rub it well in
o the roots of the feathers. This
hould be repeated each day for sew {
raj DAYS, and in addition to this sup s
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yallow in. When this is done you Z
eed have no fear that the birds will !
eep themselves clean.
But, the chasing of lice and mites s
rom the houses is by far a more {
ificult Job. The cracks and crevices {
f the houses and other furnishings
royide comfortable abodes and breed '
1g places for these parasites and un- I
sss you thoroughly clean them out l
nd dislodge them you might just as ]
yell not take the trouble with the
irds. One is necessary to the success {
( the other. '
Every louse-infected bird naturally l
as deposited among its feathers
lany eggs of the pests, and unless ]
he application of louise powder is ap- t
lied for a period of several days the S
ggs will be Matched and the bird will q
e equally as lousy after the operation S
s before it.
Thus you can readily see the neces-
Ity for continual attack.
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