Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-07-18


course this does not apply to pre-
yentive treatment which the careful
poultryman gives his building from
time to time to keep mites from get
ting a foothold therein.
Unlike the mites, the true poultry
lice remain on the bodies Of the birds
at all times, and in order TO get rid of
these one must resort to the more
troublesome individual treatment.
Each bird must be handled and treat
ed Quite a task where the flock Is
large. but If the work is done system
atically it can be completed in a sur
prisingly short time. There can be no
ouestion that the results fully justify
the effort.
The lice. are unlike the mites, also
in that they are not blood suckers.
But they have biting jaws with which
thew attack the scales of the skin
and sharp claws with which they
cling to the skin. This combination
of biting and scratching causes end
less irritation. or these lice there are
three kinds of primary Importance, as
follows:
Head lice, which are relatively large
and dark in color. The favorite haunt
of this species is the feathers OF the
head and neck. The individual lice
are commonly found clinging to Il
feather with the head pressed close TO
the skin of the host. The eggs are laid
singly, attached to the feathers, ana
hatch in four or five days. The young
| reach maturity in about two weeks.
Body lice, which are also compara-
tiyely large in size and yellowish in
color. They remain on the skin OF
the birds, being found in greatest
numbers in the region Of the vent.
These big lice are especially trou-
blesome They lay their eggs in clus-
ters on the base of the feathers, the
egg masses being white or grayish
white in color and often large in size
After about a week the young lice
hatch and become adults in seventeen
TO twenty days. They cannot live
very long when off the body Of the
fowl.
Feather lice, the last of this list are
smaller than the body lice and lighter
in color. This is the most common
species, and, fortunately, the least
| ,,.,,, r,,1 I,oo,,ar lira npnorently FEED
exclusively on the barbs of the feath-
ers and scales along the quill and dt
not trouble the birds as much as tho
two kinds first referred to.
Now as to methods OF riddinG poul'
try of these pests. First, give The
birds chance to help. If they have
access to dust baths, either dry dust
ing places outside or boxes of fine dr.!
earth indoors, they will do much TO-
wards reducing the numbers of th'
lice on their bodies.
Lice Killing powders are widel!
used Persian insect powder is YER!
coed but bit expensive. At pOultr.
supply stores one may secure com
mercial preparations which are les
expensive and give excellent results
Apparently the best of these have
tobacco dust base.
When applying the powder. the bir
should he held by the legs, head down
ward, so the feathers will fall apar'
Then the powder should be busted o
and worked we'll through the plum
age. In order to kill the young lie
which will hatch later, it is necessar
to repeat this treatment several time
ct intervals of four or five days. Aft
er the lice are all killed there will b
no more eggs, then no more lice un
less they come from birds which hav
not been thoroughly deloused.
| personally prefer TO use the lie
salvc method. Again we find CONNER
cial preparations of this kind read
prepared for our use, or 4 good art
Gle may he made by thoroughly mixin
equal parts of blue ointment and vas
cline.
the salre about the size of pea an
rub It on the skin beneath and abOl
tie vent. 4 little may be rubbed c
the head and beneath the wings, ais
For growing chicks use cOrrcspOndir
smaller quantities. The salve will n
main on the skin for quite a time. !
three, or at the mes, four trcatmcn
per year will do the work well.
For head lice or young chicks mcr,
ly rub melted lard or vasclinc on Il
feathers of the head and upper pa
of the neck.
The lice and mites are fighting "
day and night, Mr.. Poultryman, III
eating into your profits. You can Z
rid or them if you will IFS IN