Poultry Notes.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 25 September 1912, Page 4

Poultry Notes.

KEEP OUT LIOE. Nowhere is the old saying that "a j stitch in time saves nine" more true than in the fight against litfe. As far as the struggle with the poultry house lice, or red mites, is J concerned, there is not the slightest excuse for their beooming a unisance, and their prevention is so much onsier than their owe that directions for ridding a poultry house of mites ought never to he called for. If the perches are thoroughly oiled three or four times a. year, us-' ing kerosene, and if the nests aro treated once or twice during th« summer season, mites will.,never get a foothold. It is necessary at this season, however, to see to it that mites are not brought into the houses by setting hens or by hens that have raised a, brood of ch'cks and are then returned to the laying pens. This is a good time, therefore, to the perches and the nests and use kerosene liberally. All setting or brooding hens should bo thoroughly treated for lice before being placed in the flock again. When the house has liecome infested ivith mites it Is very difficult, to get rid of them. Whitewashing sometimes is successful, spraying with insecticide is goos, and somewhat moro expensive. Any good dip used as directed will do the work. A writer 111 an English poultry paper says: For lice on hens the most satisfactory preparation that I have found is mercurial ointment, which can be purchased at any drug etere. Tt may be applied under the vent and wings and rarely fails to promptly rid the fowls of all lie®. It is not safe to use it on very young chicks, and 1 should be used sparingly at all times, as an excess vie n.m'ount may injure the fowls. For I hens with young chicks or setting hens it is much safer to *e insect powder or any good lice-killing powder tluit win he dusted on the fowls. The lice powders may be used on the chicks at any time, but for the chicks just hatched and affected, as they nearly always are when hatched under heng, with large head lice, I prefer to use lard or olive oil, applying a small quantity on the top of the head and under the wines. There can bo no question of the fate of all the lice with which tlio grease or oil comes in contact; afterwards a. good lice powder applied at occasional intervals will answer every need. It is rather important that all brood coops or brooder houses should be given a little more attention than I have recommended for houses for mature stock. Young chicks are particularly attractive to lice, and the chicks do not seem to be able to co-operate■ effectively. It is much safer therefore to clean their quarters frequently and spray with some good preparation at every cleaning. Once every two weeks is not too often in hat weatlior. It is only necessary, of course, to spray the part of the coop or bouse in j which the chicks hover at night. After they are large enough to take to porches the period of greatest danger is past. CHANGE IX FEEDING. For the chicks there are many ways of providing a change at feeding time, such as rice boiled with skim-milk in the same way that one would make a rice pudding; or it can be boiled with water if milk is not obtainable, but a small lump of fat should then be placed in the pan with the rice, says one authority, as it will help to prevent the rice from sticking so readily to the sides of the pan. Where skimmilk is obtainable, this can be curdled, making what is known as "curds," mid this also is greatly greatly, relished by the chicks. Rico is far better feed to chicks in this way than given dry, for this grain also is very starchy. There is a cheaper kind of rice which is obtainable for chicken rearing than sold for homo nee, and is reasonably' cheap. One could go 011 for a few more columns with different variations in the menu of the poultry yard, hut the foregoing are sufficient for the present to show that there are possibilities in poultry feeding far beyond the regular use of dry grains alone. Prepare for the mild spring months and grow a supply of green foods for summer use.