Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-23

poultry house and yard is a matter
OF the utmost Importance.
Mites are sucking insects. They
derive their nourishment from the
blood Of the hen and the little chicks
as we'll: They visit the hen at night
when she is on the roost, or during
the day very likely, when she is on
the nest: When they become ingorg-
ed with blood they leave the SIrd and
seek shelter and protection in cracks
and crevices about the roost. In
fighting the mite, therefore, it is of
little value to treat the bird. On the
other hand, If we spray the house
very thoroughly. with kerosene oil
emulsion we destroy most of these
mites. Repeated treatments of this
character will certainly get rid of
this pest. The spraying must be care
fully done and must include not only
the house but the roosts and the
nests as we'll. What is known as a
five per cent solution of any strong
disinfectant will do equally as well
as kerosene oil. In cases where the
house is heavily infested the spray
ing should be repeated about every
have been given. The cost of this
treatment is very little. The labor
involved does not amount to much.
Free your hens and chickens from
this miserable pest. You can easily
accomplish the end desired in the
manner indicated.
Lice, in contradistinction to mites,
are. eating insects. They live off the
scales at the base of the feathers, 1t
is as easy to see that they irritate
the bird, make her very nervous, and
produce emaciation. This insect
It lays its eggs on her body and
lives permanently thereon, through
out the cycle Of its life. About the
best and most effective treatment to
use for this pest is pinch of sodium
Horde placed in the fluff feathers
curial ointment mixed on the basis
of half and half is also used to ad-
vantage in destroying lice on birds.
Take a piece about the size of a gar
den pea and rum it into the skin
about three inches below the vent.
The busting of the birds very thor
oughly with any good insect powder
Will also prove beneficial. Here again
a very simple treatment will destroy
one Of the most troublesome pests
which attacks our hens and chick
ems.
themselves to the head parts of the
hen. They hold on so tenaciously
that they are sometimes called stick
lights" It is possible for them to
pore into the skin fora considerable
depth. This is a very troublesome
causes chickens to become blind. They
may even starve. This pest thriyes
best on sandy or dry soils. It is
common in weed patches, dry brush
and old boards. The treatment is COM
paratively simple. The first thing is
to clean up the brush and weeds.
Trash of every kind should be re-
moved from about the house and
yards. Next, grease the comb, wat
ties and face. A very good mixture
70 use for this purpose is three parts
lard and one part of kerosene Oil.
Care must be exercised to see that
this mixture does not find it's way
into the eyes.
Through the exercise of a little eff
ford the three pests. therefore, that
prove most troublesome and annoy
ing TO our poultry, particularly dur
Ing the summer and warm weather,
may be brought under control.
There is another suggestion which
is worth while making to poultry
ra1sers at this time. The breeding
season is now oyer. All males should
therefore be sold or confined and
kept away from the hens. More eggs
are obtained when this practice is
followed than when the rooster is
left with the flock. Strange to say,
many people do not believe this to be
true, but it is a fact nevertheless.
The sooner we recognize the import
ance and deSirability of the practice
indicated, therefore, the better it will
be. The reason for this is self-evi-
dent. The embryo in a fertile egg
starts developing at temperature
of seventy degrees. Naturally it
causes the egg to spoil rapidly. AS
summer temperatures average some
thing around seventy degrees and
sometimes higher, the Importance of
having infertile eggs becomes self
evident. 1t has been clearly demon
strated that at least half a million
dollars worth of eggs are destroyed
each year in Georgia because males
are allowed to run with the flock. The
remedy is so simple it would seem
made to save the half million dollars
to remove the rooster. If he is worth
care for him properly. If not, fatten
and sell.
Theoretically we have one or two
seasons of poultry production in the
year, the primary one coming in the
spring and early summer. Then it
we give the flock reasonable care
there may be some chickens and eggs
to sell again in the fall. AS rule
the summer months are the slack or
off months. During the fall and
early winter there is also a period
when the production of eggs and
chickens falls to a low ebb. It has
been amply demonstrated that there
is no reason why this condition
should prevail in our state. If we