The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1915-03-18
tBy F. C. BISHOP

confront the poultry raiser In the
southwestern portion of the United
States none surpasses in importance
that of the fowl or chicken tick. 1t is
very common to meet people in many
sections of the infested areas who have
disposed of their poultry mainly on
account of the losses caused by this
tick. The damage occasioned to the
man who is raising poultry on a con-
siderable scale is very small when
compared with the losses sustained by
the hundreds of individuals in town
and country who keep a few fowls for
home use. This is partly due to the
lack of attention given their poultry
by those who do not attempt to go
into the industry commercially.
It is much easier to exclude the
fowl tick from premises which are
not already infested than to eradicate
it after an infestation has become es-
tablished. Hence it is advisable, when
poultry raising is being started. to
choose site at some distance from
where chickens have roasted II 1t is
possible to have the entire poultry
farm we'll separated from other farms
the exclusion of the tick is made more
certain. No chickens, or coops which
have contained chickens, should be
| brought near the site of the new yards.
This demands the use of the incuba-
tor for starting and replenishing the
flock. When the chicken yards are
built in proximity to infested premises
extreme care should be exercised by
the poultryman to exclude his fowls
from these premises as we'll as to
prevent foreign poultry from entering
the tick-free yards. Frequent and
careful inspection should also be
made of chicken houses to be certain
that an infestation has not occurred
from unguarded sources If it is de-
sired to bring stock in this should be
kept quarantined at some distance
from the chicken yards for ten days.
The temporary coops in which the
poultry is kept during this period
should then be burned or dipped in
boiling water to insure the destruction
of all ticks. The seed ticks may re-
main attached to the host for a period
ton that fowls be quarantined for that
period. At the expiration of the ten
days all of the ticks will have dropped
and hidden themselves in the cracks
of the coop. They may then be de-
stroyed by the methods mentioned.
When poultry is to be moved from an
old chicken house into a new one the
same method of freeing them from
ticks should be employed
The chicken tick has been found to
be one of the most difficult forms of
animal life to destroy II is able o
survive applications which would kill
practically any forms of insect life.
Insect powder, ker~ enc emulsions,
and creosote dips used at the ordinary
strength and fumigation with such
poisonous substances as hydrocyanic
acid gas are entirely inadequate to
destroy the pest. On account of the
ability of the ticks to crawl far into
very narrow cracks it is practically I'M
possible to strike all of them with any
substance applied. This neeessitates
repetition of the treatment at intervals
of a week or ten days, until the tick
is brought we'll under control
Ii is of much Importance to deter
mine as early as possible whether or
not the tick is present in the chicken
house 0ftentimes the small blue
ticks are observed upon the skin of
poultry which is dressed for consump-
ton. This should always cause the
10 hn
chicken coops. Frequently severe
losses are sustained without the pres
ence of the pest becoming known to
the poultryman 1t is. therefore, nee.
essary to make frequent careful
examination of the cracks in the vi
cinity of the roosts to determine II
an infestation exists. Wherever the
combs or gills of chickens appear pale
or signs of weakness are exhibited the
cause can often be ascertained by
making an examination of the roost-
ing places.
In the first place. if ticks are found.
all unnecessary boards and boxes
which form protection for the insects
should be removed Then spray the
house thoroughly with pure kerosene.
crude petroleum. creosote, or some OF
the standard tick dips, used at a
strength of one part dip to three parts
water. A thorough spraying OF white
wash containing carbolic acid has also
been recommended.
A very simple and inexpensive
method of protecting fowls from the
tick is to suspend the roosts from the
ceiling by means of small wires Wires
should also be run from the roost TO
the side of the building in order TO
prevent the framework from touching