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Show LOSSES THROUGH SWiNE DISEASES Cholera. Tuberculosis and Parasites Para-sites Are Drawbacks. simple mims m. mm Farmer May Avoid, to Large Extent, Decimation of His Herd by Epizootics Epi-zootics Sanitary Preventive Measures Are Favored. Hog cholera and swine plague, both highly fatal diseases characterized by fever and heavy mortality, are so very similar that the breeder may regard them as identical so far as his practical prac-tical management of the herd is con-f, con-f, corned. Positive differentiation he- tweeu the two diseases can only he made by the most careful bacteriological bacteriolog-ical tests, and by employing the assistance as-sistance offered by a fully equipped laboratory. However, sanitary preventive pre-ventive methods which are found beneficial bene-ficial with one of these diseases will prove equally efficacious with the other. There are a few fundamental facts which the breeder must remember if he is to avoid losses through hog cholera chol-era or swine plague. The first is that they are specific diseases caused by germs, and the contagion cannot be spread from one animal to another or from one herd to another except through the agency of these minute organisms. or-ganisms. They may be carried in n mullitude of ways by the hogs themselves, them-selves, on the clothing of persons, on vehicles, in feed, by birds, dogs, and other animals, or by streams. The breeding or feed of a hog cannot cause either disease, although bad methods may So weaken the constitution and vitality vi-tality that the animal becomes more susceptible to them than would otherwise other-wise be the case. Since these diseases dis-eases can only arise from the presence pres-ence of these specific causative agents, it can readily be seen that dentition and the presence of supernumerary teeth or black tusks cannot, as has been suggested by many, play any part in their development. A second fact to be borne in mind is that diseases dis-eases caused by germs may be hesf prevented or controlled by thorough disinfection and scrupulous cleanliness. cleanli-ness. Tuberculosis Increasing. Tuberculosis is rapidly increasing among hogs in the United States, and every owner of swine should be on his guard against the introduction of this serious malady upon his premises. Unlike hog cholera this disease is in-cidious in-cidious in its attack and slow in its development, de-velopment, so that it may be present for months in a herd without exciting the least suspicion of the owner, and will be revealed to him only at the time of slaughter. Until recent years tul roulosis has been looked upon as of uncommon occurrence and only of Importance from a meat-inspection standpoint; but today it must be recognized rec-ognized as a serious menace to the owner of hogs, and especially to the one who allows his hogs to run with cattle that have not been proved to be free of tuberculosis, or who feeds them upon nonsterilized products as part of their ration. As tuberculosis of hogs is chiefly contracted through eat ing infected feed, the importance of this statement is obvious. Tuberculosis of hogs is closely associated as-sociated with the same disease in cattle, cat-tle, the reason being apparent when one considers- the close relations of these two species of animals upon nearly every farm. Tuberculous cattle cat-tle may scatter great numbers of tubercle tu-bercle bacilli with their excrement; cows that are tuberculous may produce pro-duce contaminated milk that is subsequently sub-sequently fed to pigs; and carcasses of cattle that have died from tuberculosis tuber-culosis are sometimes eaten by hogs. Any of these conditions make the Infection In-fection with tuberculosis of the hogs concerned a very easy matter. Sources of Infection. The feeding of hogs upon creamery refuse is also a very frequent source of infection. In this way the milk of a single cow with a tuberculous udder, ud-der, if sent to a public creamery, may spread the disease to a number of hogs, and may also infect many farms, that have never previously been contaminated con-taminated with tuberculosis. An equally dangerous source of infection in-fection is likewise observed in the methods which obtain among some of the small country slaughter houses. It is not unusual for these houses to get rid of their blood, intestines, viscera, vis-cera, and other inedible parts by feeding feed-ing them to hogs, a herd of which is usually kept on the premises. This custom is pregnant with danger and serves to perpetuate the infection principle prin-ciple of various contagious and parasitic para-sitic diseases, particularly tuberculosis. tuberculo-sis. Hogs are also susceptible to tuberculous tuber-culous infection from affected persons per-sons and poultry, but these sources are undoubtedly of far less moment to the hog owner than those existing in a herd of tuberculous cattle. Intestinal worms, lung worms, and skin parasites also levy a burdensome tax upon the profits of hog raising. Absolute cleanliness will be found valuable val-uable in preventing and controlling these parasitic troubles, as well as the more serious diseases hog cholera and tuberculosis. Prevention of Disease. In dealing with the diseases of hogs, preventive measures must be most relied re-lied upon. The animals must be given dry and well-ventilated quarters, which must be kept eloaji. Contrary to common com-mon belief, hogs have some habits which raise them above other domestic domes-tic animals from the standpoint of cleanliness. For example, unless compelled to do so, a hog will act sleep in its own filth. If a part of the floor of the pen is raised and kept well bedded with straw, while the rest is not, all excrement will be left on the imbedded portion of the floor and the bed itself will be always clean. In addition to cleanliness close attention at-tention should be given to the feed, so that nothing may be fed that will convey con-vey the gertns of disease, especially tuberculosis, to the herd. If the hogs are fed milk in any form obtained ob-tained from cows kept upon the same farm, the cows should bo subjected to the tuberculin test. If they run with the dairy cattle of the farm a tuberculin tubercu-lin test of all the cattle is none the less desirable. Animals dead from any disease should not be fed to the hogs until the meat has been made safe by cooking. Skim milk or refuse from a public creamery should not be fed to hogs until it has been thoroughly thorough-ly sterilized. Feeding and drinking places should be clean and the 'water supply pure. Unless the origin is known to be tin-contaminated tin-contaminated and there has been no possibility of infection during its course, hogs should not be allowed access ac-cess to any stream. Wallows should lie drained out and kept filled up as much as possible. At least once n month the quarters should be disinfected disin-fected with air-slaked lime or a five per cent solution of crude carbolic acid. These precautions will be found valuable aids In the destruction of the various animal parasites. Advantage of Isolated Hog Houses. The advantage of isolated hog houses, each accommodating a few hogs, rather than one large piggery for the entire herd, has been referred to previously. In districts where cholera is prevalent these are undoubtedly undoubt-edly the best shelters. They make it more difficult to carry contagion to all animals in the herd, and the destruction destruc-tion of one of them in case of an outbreak out-break does not entail a great expense. An added advantage is that they may be moved from place to place as needed. need-ed. While more work is necessary in feeding, the convenience and safety from their use more than offset this disadvantage. |
