Smyrna times., 1931-06-10
EGG REPORT TO POULTRYN1EN
April Report of Delaware Farm
Egg Record Club Sent Out

The eighty-one poultry raisers in
Kent county who are cooperating
with the extension service of the
University of Delaware in the
keeping of egg records of their
f1ocks this year received recently
their copies of the April report of
/ the Delaware Farm Egg Record
Club which was prepared by H. S.
Palmer, extension poultryman, and
mailed from the Office of county
agent Russell E. Wilson. Of the
44,904 birds representing 136
poultry farms in the state whose
egg records have been included in
this report, the 21,098 pullets pro-
duced on the average 17.7 eggs
each, and the 12,404 hens laid 15.5
eggs each, while the IL ,402 puIlets
and hens in mixed fiocks laid on
the average of III eggs per bird.
The egg production in April of last
year was III eggs per pullet, 1876
eggs per hen, and 1871 eggs per
bird in the mixed flocks of hens
and pullets, which compares very
favorably with this record for the
corresponding month this year. In
addition to the egg production
statistics, this report also includes
the recommended prevention and
control practices for red mites and
body lice on poultry, and a warn
ing to all poultrymen to watch
their houses and fiocks carefully
now that warm weather is here
and temperature conditions are
becoming ideal for the appearance
of these pests. During the day
time red mites hide in the cracks
and dark crevices in the poultry
houses, and during the night they
crawl onto the birds and suck
themselves full of blood and then
they return to their hiding places
before morning. Unless a thor
ough search is made for these
mites, therefore, they will become
so numerous before discovered that
they will cause much injury to the
young chicks. AS a control for
these pests, it is recommended that
the perches, walls and all interior
equipment be thoroughly covered
with such material as old crank
case oil, carbolineum, or gas house
tar. If either of the last two
named materials is used, the appli-
cation should be made in the morn
ing and the birds kept outside of
the house until roosting time, and
care should be taken to get the
treatment into all the cracks and !
crevices if an effective control is to /
be secured from any of these prep
arations. AS almost all f1ocks are 1
infested with body lice at this
time of the year, poultrymen are
being advised to apply nicotine /
(Black Leaf 40) to the
roosts just before the birds enter
the houses for the night This ma
terial should be applied when the
temperature is so degrees or high
er, as it will not be effective in kill
ing the lice if applied under cool
weather conditions. The lice are
killed by the fumes that are re-
leased from the nicotine sulphate
by the heat of the birds bodies as
they sit on the roosts during the
night, and some poultrymen use
this material for the control of
red mites by disolving one table
spoonful in gallon of water and
adding one-half ounce of laundry
soap, and spraying this solution
over the roosts, dropping boards
and other parts of the house where
these mites may be hiding. Nico-
tine sulphate may be applied with
a small paint brush, or with an oil
can, and one ounce of this material
is enough to treat about 25 linear
feet of roosts. Before its applica-
ton, however, the roosts should be
wiped with a damp cloth in order
tO remove the dirt and dust and