THE
OKLAHOMA FARMER, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, l9llV
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« 7bis Department Is open to readers *
h* o/ The Farmer tor discussion of tnetb- «
* oda and results io Poultry Raising. $
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DESTROYING LICE ON FOWLS
(By H. C. Pierce ami K. I.. Webster, i
The loss of Income due to presence
of lice on fowls, while probably not
as large as that due to Hie common
chicken mite, is yet enormous. Fowls
which are infested with lice can not
produce as many eggs nor as many
pounds of ilesh us can those that are
free from these vermin. Lice are es-
pecially harmful to young chicks.
Because the lice live, eat and breed
upon the body of the towls, means of
eradication must be sue!* us to reach
them beneath the feathers. rl Ins is
accomplished in two ways, by the ap-
plication of powders which sufflcate
the lice, and by liquid preparations
which stifle the lice with their fumes
or kill by coming In direct contact
with the parasites.
If fowls have easy access to a dusty
earth wallow where they can work
the tine dry particles of dust into tlteii
feathers they will keep themselves
fairly free from lice, but eradication
will not be entirely complete in the
majority of cases. A good dust wallow
may be made of equal parts of silted
dry loam and coal ashes. Wood ashen,
should not be used as they may bleach
or burn the shanks and feathers.
For the eradication of lice quickly
pud completely as upon the show
birds and sitting hens, it is usually
necessary to work a tine dusty powdei
into the feathers. The method of ap-
plication is to hold the fowl with one
hand by the legs, head downward, and
work the powder into the fluffy leath-
ers around the vent, on the body, un-
der the wings and on the neck, with
the free hand.
An excellent powder at low cost
may be made as follows: To a mix-
ture of three parts gasoline and one
part of crude carbolic acid stir in all
<vf the plaster of paris it will moisten
When enough plaster has been added
the powder will be dry, brownish pink
in color, and have a pronounced odoi
of carbolic acid and gasoline.
A second application of the powder
should be made at the end of one
week to catch any lice that escaped
the first dusting or had hatched from
egg-s in the meantime.
Sitting hens should be thoroughly
(dusted when eggs are placed undei
tthem and again at the end of the first
and second weeks. This insures theifn
toeing free from lice when the chicks
are hatched.
To kill the lice upon chicks dust the
mother hen or paint the walls of the
coop with some liquid lice killer 01
disinfectant.
Especial care should be taken to
dust the male of the flock thoroughly
as the quickest way to spread lice
through a flock is by means of a lousy
male bird.
Liquid lice killers are used primarily
to paint the roosts and dropping
boards. Their fumes rising through
the feathers of the birds cause the
lice to drop off. The practice is to
paint the roosts about 4 o'clock in ti e
afternoon before the fowls go to roost
This also prevents mites from attack-
ing the fowls. Most of the liquid lie,
killers are coal tar products and arc
sold as coal tar disinfectants. Some
.if them do cause tlie lice to drop fron
the fowls, but whether or not they al-
ways kill the lice is not certain.
It has been found that when a fowl
was placed upon a roost coated with
cresol soap formula, the lice would
drop in large numbers and could be
caught upon a paper spread undei-
neath the roost. In the majority of
cases, however, the parasites were not
killed. Where tills method is used the
droppings should be removed and
dropping boards cleaned early the fol-
lowing morning to prevent the lice
from reaching the fowls again.
The cresol soap disinfectant for
painting the roosts is made as fol-
lows: Shave one ten-cent cake of
laundry soap into one pint of soft wa-
ter. Heat or allow to stand until a
soap paste is formed. Stir in one
pound of commercial cresol and heaf
or allow to stand until the soap paste
is dissolved. Stir in one gallon of
kerosene. Cresol is a coal tar product
and may he obtained from any drug-
gist. Care should be taken not to get
any of it upon the hands or face as it
will cause intense smarting. iFor use
as a lice paint apply undiluted.
Some poultry raisers have rid theii
fowls of lice by dipping in a diluted
stock dip. This is, however, probably
no more satisfactory than a thorough
dusting and is much harder upon the
fowls. If it is deemed advisable t<
dip the fowls, the cresol formula
given above, diluted with BO parts 01
water, makes a good solution. Dipping
should be done in the morning of a
bright, warm, sunshiny day, in ordei
that the birds become thoroughly dry
before night.
ers, mostly pure white, with a small
per cent of greenish tinted eggs. 1* or
table or culinary use the Indian Run-
ner duck eggs are fur superior to lien
eggs in flavor and for making cust-
ards, froslings ' r omeletts, anil in tin.
Kastern markets where well known
bring from live to ten cents a dozen
more than hen eggs. The eggs aiv re-
markably fertile when one drake is
allowed to from four to six ducks
Recently in testing out 104 Indian Run-
ner eggs after incubating eight days,
I only found 4 infertile eggs.
The Indian Runner ducks are much
easier raised than chickens. More of
the eggs hatch, and the young, not
having any lice, and subjuct to no dis-
ease, are easily brought to maturity
with very little loss. The Indian Run-
ner needs no more space than would
be required for the same number of
chickens and the expense of feeding is
about the same, while they eat more
than chickens, they require courser
and cheaper food.
The Indian Runner is not a noisy
duck like the Pekin, while they occa-
sionally quack, the most of the time
if they are well cared for they make
a soft purring noise yvhich is very
pleasant to hear.
In conclusion let me add that for
the farmer a small flock of Indian
Runners will prove much more profit-
able than hens—they will devour
more insects and will not scratch up
the garden and flower beds, and for
the city lot they are the ideal fowl for
eggs and meat for home consumption
INDIAN RUNNER DUCKS.
(By F. (1. B'lod, Montclair, Colo.)
The Indian Runner duck was intro-,
duced into England in 1893 and Into
the United States a few years later
They are not as large as the Pekins
—color, brownish grey on top and
sides of head, breast, base of wings
and tail; balance white.
The Indian Runners are the most
active for ages among the duck fam-
ily, they are not content with the
ordinary waddle of most ducks, but
actually run after bugs and insects,
obtaining by their activity a great
amount of insect food that would only
aggravate the sight of the less active
species. It is from this natural a'*
tivity that they obtain their name.
The Indian Runner is a success as a
dry land duck. It is not necessary
that they have water in which to
swim, but it is essential that they
have plenty of it to drink.
The flesh of the Indian Runner is
in a class by itself, its gamy flavor
making it a table delicacy which com-
mands the highest market price
wherever introduced.
Where the Indian Runner particu-
larly shines is as an egg producer
If well cared for they will begin lay-
ing at from four to five months of
age and with proper care will lay
from 225 to 270 eggs a year In ex-
treme cold weather they must he
warmly housed and must not be al-
loyved to get their feet in snow or on
cold wet ground. The Indian Runner
eggs are good sized and splendid look-
ergy and lay by a little surplus fuel
in tl *- form « t" fat-
"The ration must consist of foods
which furnish the nutrients at the
lowest possible cost.
The food in the tatloii must nof
have an injurious effect on the color
or the flavor of the product.
"It is not how much a fowl eats,
hut how much it can digest, that de-
termines the value of the food.
DONT'S.
Don't throw feathers away, even If
you pick only a few at a time. Soft
cushions are food for boils.
Don't scald legs and heads of poul-
try. It makes ti.em appear like sick
stock.
Don't think ambition unbacked by
determination will carry you througn.
If at first yon don't suck eggs, try,
try again.
Hen's won't lay unless they are hap-
py, and they won't be happy unless
they are well housed.
Candidate—If elected I shall carry out
the policies of the present administra-
tion.
A Vojce from the Rear—"Don't take
the trouble to carry them out. Throw
•em out!
PROPER RATIONS FOR POULTRY.
(By Prof. James E. Rice.)
Feeding poultry of any kind is an
important problem, and with a full
understanding of its principles, any
intelligent person ought to be able to
apply them to his own conditions. No
set rule can be made because condi-
tions differ in so many ways.
The following important points
should be observed in making a ra-
tion:
"It should be composed of foods
every one of which the fowls like.
"It should contain a sufficient
quantity of .digestible nutrients to
supply the needs of rapid growth and
large production.
'It should have enough' bulk to en-
able the digestive secretions to act
quickly upon it.
"It should not contain an excess of
indigestible fiber, which must be
thrown off by the system, thus caus-
ing a waste of energy.
"A certain portion of the feed
should toe of whole grain in order to
provide muscular activity of the di-
gestive organs. This is made neces-
sary in grinding the grain.
"Under certain conditions a quan-
tity of the ration should be of soft
ground food. This is for tne purpose
of providing quickly available nutrient
to supply the immediate demands of
rapid growth or heavy continuous egg
yield.
"It must provide a good variety of
foods in which are included grain,
green food, meat and mineral matter,
in proper proportions.
"The age of the fowl, the breed and
the kind of product which it is de-
sired to produce, must be taken into
consideration, as to whether the food
is intended to grow muscle and bone,
or to produce eggs, or to fatten.
"The ration must provide the two
classes of food nutrients, the protein
and carbohydrates, in such proportion
that they will supply the daily need
of the fowl's system; it must also
provide sufficient digestible protein to
repair the waste of tissue with new
growth and to produce eggs, and pro-
vide the proper amount of digestible
carbohydrate food to furnish' heat, cn-
WYANDOTTES
^ SANITARY fOULTRY YARD
J. N. BURTON, Prop.
Sterling, Kansas.
Breeder of Standard
White Wvandotts of the
Trap Nest Strain—Prize
winners in Exhibition
Coop, also prize winners
in laying contest. Eggs
reasonable.
RHODE ISLAND REDS.
STO W B ' S
S. C. RHODE ISLAND REDS
Red To The Skin.
The hen for the farmer is the
lien that lays, 240 eggs strain
Winner's in four State shows
Eg'gs for hatching, fertility gu-ir
anteed.
1?. J. STOWU
BOX 246. Wynatwoed, Okli
EGGS
for hatching from a fine laying strain oi
SS. C. R. I. W15DS
One dollar for 15 : $4.50 per 100
Mrs. I^izzle Wilde
Route 1, GUTHRIE, OKLA.
ORPINGTONS.
WHITE ORPINGTON EGGS.
Foundation Stock From England.
Pirize winners wherever shown. If
you want good White Orpington Eggs
at a moderate price, write me. All
correspondence promptly answered.
J. Y. WHEELER,
Wynnewood, Oklahoma.
LEGHORNS.
S. C. RHODE ISLAND REDS.
Choice matings from best prize
strains; fine winter layers; eggs $1,
$2 per 15, $16 per 100, from selected
pen, not flock. Write for mating list.
MRS, A. G. BOYLE,
R. R. 3. Bentonville, Ark.
ARE YOUR HEN8 E A Y I N G y
If not it is your own fault. They are either lousy or sick, either of which is sufficient cause to prevent egg production.
The only self applying remedy in the world is
"THE ELECTKIC COMPOUND"
It kills lice, mites and all insects on poultry and a sure preventative for Roup, Cholera, Limber Neck, Swell Head and
Gapes. Chickens will wallow in it and clean themselves. Manufactured and sold by
BUCK «Ss WILBBH, Guthrie, Oklalioma
Hlrzcl Bros Guthrie. Wilbur Com. Co., Guthrie. Bean and Fleming, Perry. Barteldes Seed Co., Oklahoma City.
Renfro Drug Co., Guthrie. Kolburn Com. Co., Stillwater. C. H. Holiday, Kingfisher. Stewart & Son, Edmond.
A. L. Druee, Guthrie. Washburn & Sower*, Cashion Turner Produce Co., Prague. Clark & Keller, Shawnee.
Local Dealers: