Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29

OF space, say, six or seven feet long
and three or four feet wide. Enclosed
with low pen of small-mesh poultry
wire and covered with the same to
the barrels as well-every three or
four days to new locations. so as to
give the chicks fresh, clean soil and
grass to run on. Feed them outside
their food. and give the mother her
rattons close enough to the Slated end
OF the barrel that she can eat with
her head thrust between the stats. Sup
mother and chicks alike, and, If posi-
BILE, give the chicks all the sour milk
or buttermilk they want at a place
where the hen cannot reach it.
Look Out for Insects.
Keep a constant and unremitting
watch on hen and chicks for poultry
vermin. than which nothing is more
fatal to young chicks or more weak
ening and facilitating to grown fowls.
Even If no vermin are found. dust the
mother hens at least once a week with
some reliable insect powder, of which
many are to be had from dealers in
poultry supplies. By busting the hens
be kept free from these pests
To apply the powder. remove the hen
from the coop. hold her gently but firm
~ IN such a position as to make it pos
slole to turn up the feathers under her
wings and on her breast, and sift the
powder on thickly, rubbing il in clear
to the roots of the plumage. Apply the
powder thickly in the soft fluff around
the vent. at the roots of the tail feath-
erS and along the back also rubbing it
in well. Sift little on the hens head
and at the roots of the neck feathers.
Do this once a week in moderately
warm weather and twice in three weeks
in summer If this treatment is begun
few days before the hen is placed on
the eggs. and repeated at least twice
during the period of incubation, the
chicks will be free of vermin and the
continued treatments will keep them
free
Treating the Chicks.
IT, however, the chicks should be
found to be infested with the large
white head lice, they will require spe-
cial treatment. as the insect powder on
the mother hen will have little or no eff
feet on these destructive insects on the
chicks. In such case there are two or
three simple remedies that are prac-
tically specifics If thoroughly applied.
One of these is mixture of lard and
sulphur. tablespoonful of lard thor
oughly mixed with a teaspoonful of
ordinary MOWERS OF sulphur makes SUI
f1cient ointment to treat hundred or
more chicks once. The ointment is to
be applied to the heads of the chicks
and rubbed into the down. clear to the
skin. One treatment usually suffices
to kill the insects, though another
greasing a week later will be required
to get rid of those Matched later from
eggs not destroyed by the ointment.
Another even simpler remedy is plain
lard rubbed in in the same manner. This
will kill the insects, but has effect
| whatever on the eggs, and must be re-
peated several times before the vermin
| are all disposed of.
third remedy is lard to which a few
drops of crude carbolic acid has been
| added. About three drops of the acid
| to tablespoonful of lard is the proper
proportion. The unguent is to be APP
piled in the manner described above
The writer has had excellent result
from all three of these.
II usually is not advisable to use coal
| oil and lard for this purpose. as fire.
quently the mixture is made too strong
with the kerosene. the result being
that the down comes off the heads OF
the chicks, leaving them bald as buzz
yards until the real feathers grow.