Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-01-28
CARE OF THE POULTRY


poultry mite which takes on a dis
tinct reddish cast after the meal Of
blood, is one of the worst of the
scourges that bother the fowls. It
Is commonest in dark, damp, dirty
poultry houses, where It thrives upon
filth, and the logical remedies rec
commended by T. j. Talbert, of the
Missouri College OF Agriculture. ere
sunshine, ventilation and cleanliness.
The hen house should be so con-
structed that It can easily be kept
clean, and there should be no cracks
or crevices in the roosts or else
where to furnish hiding places for
the mites during the daytime when
they are not on the fowls. They feed
at night, crawling from fowl to fowl,
so that one infested bird may intro
duce them to the entire flock.
Sunshine is one OF the best disin-
fectants. as well as great foe to
mites, and 1t should be given access
to just as much OF the hen house as
possible. Regular spraying with a
kerosene emulsion, strong tobacco
solutions, or commercial stock dips
will help greatly. Commercial lime
sulphur and miscible oils put on the
market in such forms that they Will
mix readily with water for use in
spraying orchards are also helpful
in combating the mite.
One application is not enough, and
the spraying should be repeated in
about week IN order to kill the
young which have developed from
the eggs laid about the roosts or in
the fifth before the first spraying.
It should be applied with sufficient
force to penetrate all cracks and all
crevices,
Kerosene emulsion properly pre-
pared at home will give as good re-
suits as anything which can be pur-
chased Mr.. Talbert gives the fol-
lowing directions for making it:
Dissolve half a pound of laundry
soap, or a pound of lye soap, in a
gallon Of soft water; take the solu-
tion off the fire and add two gallans
of kerosene before cooling. Mix
them thoroughly by churning them
ten or fifteen minutes and use one
part of the emulsion to eight parts
OF water when ready to apply One
part Of the boiled lime sulphur made
exactly as for orchard sprinkling may
be mixed with eight parts of water,
and the commercial stock dips may
be used in accordance with printed
directions usually furnished with
them. Strong tea, made by boiling
tobacco stems in water gives good
results. and whitewashing should not
be neglected.
Spray pumps OF many different
styles and sizes will give good re-
suits. Bucket pumps. knapsack
srrayers. and automatic sprayers will
be useful in the garden and orchard
as well as in the hen house, although
a longer hose or extension rod will
be needed in the orchard. A barrel
pump or power sprayer may be used
with good results, If it is already on
hand. but it is more expensive than
the average farm needs for hen
house work.
Don't overlook the fact that lice
and mites are likely to be in your
hen house and on your hens in the
cold weather. Examine a bird once
in while and satisfy yourself that
the plaques are not Just simply a
little dormant on account of the cold
and are prepared to resume their
ravages as soon as they regain their
normal temperatures.
Don't expect too much. from the
eggs If you allow them to remain in
a chilly hen house during the day. A
slight chill kills the germ.
Remember that the incubator is
only machine, after all; and that it
needs intelligent attention. Nearly
any of the standard incubators on the
market will do the Matching work
well. and hatch as large or a larger
PNANNhAa6O VI tue V56S dp q ncus u
they are treated as we'll as hen
should be treated. always allowing
that you are exercising as much
brains in the operation of the incu-
bator rs the hen would with a nest
full of eggs.
-
Breeders are fine things. but they
also are machines. They will save
the chicks if you will use the heat
right. as the hen does her body heat.
Also remember that little chicks are
very ignorant of things in general,
and you cannot expect the brooder to
30 out and round them up when it
rains or the. weather turns suddenly
cold. Use a little hen sense in your
dealings with the brooder, as we'll as
with tho fnorhotnp