Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23

One of the worst things to contend
with in brooding chicks with hens Is
lice. Many hens harbor the pests and
If the brood hen has them 1t is certain
they will quickly pass to the chicks
And the summer season, naturally. Is
the time when these pests are worst
The best treatment is to kill the pests
on the hen before the chicks are
Matched. If this is not done. however.
the next best thing is to get rid OF
those on the hen and the chicks alike.
To do this it is often sufficient to
dust the mother hen at frequent inter-
walls with reliable insect poWoer.
The remedy must be sifted into all the
fluffy feathers. under the wings, on the
back and especially around the tan
feathers. If this treatment Is persisted
in for three four weeks at weekly
intervals the pests will be eXterm1nated
on mother hen and chicks alike.
For the big head lice that often are
fatal to young chicks use little lard
or yaseline rubbed we'll into the feath-
ers of the chicks heads. A particle OF
the ointment, about as big as the head
of a pin. will be sufficient. If 1t does
not kill all the parasites the first time,
repeat the treatment in rev Gays.
Some poultrymen report that they have
used carbolated vaSeline with great
success in fighting these pests
After all is said and done. however.
Cleanliness scrupulous and unremit-
ting, is the best means of exterminat-
ing insect pests and keeping free from
them. Clean the hen houses. laying
houses. brood coops and everything
about the plant at least once week.
In hot weather daily cleaning, or
cleanup every other day, is better.
Once or twice month go over the
roostS with strongly carbolated white
wash or a mixture of about Twenty-Five
parts of kerosene to one part OF crude
carboliC acid. Make sure that the mix
ture. whichever is used, penetrates
every crack. Granny and creVlce OF the
roosts and their supports, because poul-
try mites harbor in such places, only
coming out at night to attack the fowls.
Cleanliness applies to all utensils
about the poultry yard. as well as to
buildings, coops, etc The water yes
sells should be thoroughly scrubbed and
cleansed every day during the summer.
and they must be located in such po-
sition to make it impossible for the
fowls to pollute them. Many plaques
OF poultry diseases of various kinds
may be traced directly to pollution Of
the fowls drinking water, either by
droppingS falling directly into the YES
sells, or by such matter being carried
into the water on the feet of the fowls.
The drinking vessels should also be
protected from the sun, SO as to keep
the water cool, and the fowls should
be given fresh, cold water containing
a trace of permanganate of potash two
or three times a day during hot
weather. !
The Pennsylvania state department
of agriculture suggests new way of
supplying an all-day. everyday sup
ply of fresh green feed to poultry that
cannot have grass range. This method
is the simple one of having a carrier
attached to a lawn mower and feed
ing the clippings immersed in a pan
of fresh. clean, cold water. Many tests
Of the method have proved that the
fowls are very fond of the fresh, wet
grass and will be found consuming 1t
all day. Results show that the eggs
laid by hens fed in this manner are
larger and better, the yolks especial
1y having a much better texture and
color, while the grain and mash feeds
are considerably reduced, with conse-
quent reduction of feeding cost. A re-
duction in the cases of sickness and the
deaths in the poultry yard also fol-
lows the Introduction of this method
of green feeding, according to the
Pennsylvania department authorities.
Extreme care is necessary in ham
ding chicks during the growing sea
son in order to produce sound. strong
productive stock. Chicks. If they are
to be a source of profit rather than
loss. must be kept in a healthy condi-
tion. growing steadily. and free from
vermin. 1t must be recognized that
proper feeding is only one factor in the
successful rearing of chicks. Sour and
moldy feeds are responsible for heavy
losses each year all over the country,
and too great care cannot be exer-
cfsed to see that all feed given to the
chicks is free from any trace of mold
or fermentation.
But other factors also enter into the
question. lack of attention to any one
of which may mean the difference be-
tween success and failure, profit and
loss. Some of these are proper feeding
of the breeding stock and proper Sc
lection of such stock in mating up the
pens; proper methods of incubation and
brooding, proper attention to cleanli-
ness in every phase of the work of
Matching, brooding. feeding and at
tending the stock. and looking care
fully after all details. emitting nothing
that VIII keep the flock growing stead
lily.
1t is a great deal more economical in
the long run to throw away all tainted