The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-14


preventive measures at regular
intervals.
Lice and mites In the ina jority OF
cases arc more numerous on the gen.
cral farm and backyard flock than on
large commercial poultry plants. This
may be because there arc greater mum.
bers of small flocks than large ones.
| but it is true that one finds few real
~ modern commercial poultry plants
annoyed by ver1nin.
The reason for this condition in
small iocks is usually due to lack of
sanitation or absolute indifference to
methods of prevention. II CONNER
cial poultry farm treated the vcrInin
question with equal Indifference the
owner would soon face failure.
With modern methods OF Matching
and brooding artificially. the chicks
seldom come in contact with older
birds, consequently. there Is little eX-
cusc for either the birds or buildings
becoming seriously infested. Never
thelcss. preventive measures must be
practiced from the very first. Like
weeds, vcrmin seem to spring up from
nowhere.
Neglect the Cause Of Pests.
Lice and mites are the most com.
mon posts. and the ones that cause
the greatest trouble. Old hens show q
few lice even where preventive meas
urcs are plactccd. but this Is no rea-
son a',1 for allowing vs'"'" to ovefruS the
+ Young stock. artificially raised in
clean surroundings, should show no
signs Of lice until they arc a year old.
Chicks infested with lice mean neglect
and nothing else.
Lice that attack poultry arc of two
kinds, common chicken lice and head
lice. The common lice are smaller and
attack chickens of all sizes. These
pests live on the sccrctions of tho
7 body. skin and feathers. Frequently
! they become so thick as to cause death.
especially in the case Of young chicks
| and sitting hens. A pair Of these pests
under favorable conditions will easily
| breed thousands in a few months. Fe-
| male lice lay their eggs on the fowl.
| ccmenting them to the feathers near
| the skin. In about 10 days these eggs
| hatch and 1t is only a short time till
| the young mature and breed more.
! busting the Hens.
| The best way to fight lice on the
| fowl is with u busting powder, such as
| can be made from equal parts OF air.
| slakcd limo. flowers of sulphur. tobac-
| co dust and road dust well mixed In
busting, the bird should be held by the
feet head down. and the powder APP
piled with the hands, first to the legs,
then the fluff, breast and under the
wings turning the bird over to do the
back ana neck. The powder should be
thoroughly rubbed in. particularly
about the fluff and under the wings.
The work can be accomplished much
quicker If two persons work together.
one holding the bird while the other
does the busting. II the person doing
the busting will hold the fowls head,
keeping the hand over the eyes. little
trouble will be experienced by the bird
fluttcring during the operation. To be
effective the busting should be repeat
cd in about three weeks to catch the
new brood of vermin, and in bad cases
a third treatment is often necessary.
Il F'umisation and spraying will de-
stroy all lice and mites about the
house. and if reasonable cleanliness
:. and diSinfection are praCticeu, the
busting of the hens will rarely be
= necessary.
Il Most dust boxes arc not very CT
fcctivc. Left to select their own dus,
! bath, hens usually pick Il slightly
moist dust instead of the dry stuff
most dust baths afford. This slight,
, moist dust, if we may term 1t dust
!, has the effect of cleaning all scruf anG
dirt from the base OF the feathers
, leaving the skin of the fowl as If il
were washed.
The larger louise, known as the heat
louise, attack young chicks about TIN
head, frequently causing death. Hen
hatched chicks are usually the great
est sufferers. Grcasing the top of eacl
chicks head with a little lard nike,
o with few drops of creolin will b'
:. found effective. The lard should
n melted and the creolin added while j
d is liquid. Then use when cold as
Il grease.
Mites are smaller than lice. usual
: red In color. though this color come
chiefly from sucking the blood OF IL
fowls. Their habit il to live In Il
cracks of the house during the da
and attack the flock on the rOOst ;
night. They lay their eggs In II
cracks about the roOstS and nests
the house and multiply much fast
. than lice.
Effective Gas for Fumisation.
When the quarters arc badly infest
with lice or mites it is best to Gle;