OCR Text |
Show THE DUST HAITI. In every poultry-houso there should bo a dust-bath, where tho hens may get rid of lice. Poultry-lice breathe through pores in their sides, and fine dust fills theso pores and suffocates tho vermin. Road-dust, hard-coal ashes, or do dirt of any kind, will accomplish ac-complish tho purposo. Wood ashes. If damp, may stain tho feathers and othorwiso harm the fowls. Sometimes Some-times If the hens aro badly Infested, Persian insect-powder may be added to tho material In tho dust-bath. A tight box, 3 ft. x 3 ft. and one foot deep, is a good receptacle f o tho dust. It should be placed' where the sun can shino on it, as many houra as possible; possi-ble; for, when tho hens aro not exercising exer-cising by scratching; for thoir "feed, they will spend a good deal of tlmo In tho dust-bath, which induces exorcise. The hens will not uso 'the bath freely unless tho air is warm, frr they dls-llko dls-llko to open thoir feathers and exposo their bodies to air below CO degrees. One end of tho box may bo put on tho window-sill, and the other supported ,on legs, with a canopy of denim or duck, open on ono sido Di.d toward tho window. This will confine tho heat, and make the tempcraturo in the box many dogrecs higher than the temperature of the house. The canopy can-opy should slant down from tho up-, per part of the window, of course, and be dosed up on all sides but one, so that there will be no draft to carry off thq heated air, Such a dust-bath can bo easily and cheaply made and will add much to tho health and happiness of tho hqn Tho hen that Is comfortable comfort-able Is the ono that makes money for her owner. N. JE. Chapman, Minnesota. |