Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-04-30
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SWIM E.

How to Prevent Disease Among Them-An
Observation as to Their Habits.
1t is much easier to prevent than to
cure disease in swine. After the sys-
tenn of the animal becomes thoroughly
impregnated with the germs of disease
a cure is usually difficult. The spores
of disease may be taken in and lie in
the system for long time, awaiting
favor able conditions, before germ;nat
ing and manifesting themselves. Farm
ers may raise large herds of hogs.
which may fatten, prosper and yield a
large profit to the feeder Then the
seasons change, water becomes scarce;
only polluted pools of sloughs are ac-
cessible where the hog may drink and
wallow. All at once the hogs become
sick, refuse to eat, tremble, have the
'thumps,' swell up under the neck, or
have so-called hog cholera and die.
The farmer can not see any apparent
cause He calls the veterinarian, who,
after viewing the premises, says that it
is only a matter of surprise to him that
the people living in close proximity to
that filthy, polluted cesspool in the hog
yard, which has become the receptacle
of all the wash from the animal otfal,
and those feeding and taking care of
the hogs are not sick with typhus
fever. Yet these cesspools are, in many
cases, all the hogs have to drink from
and wallow in. Looking over the pool
yonder one will see a countless swarm
of insects; they are busily depositing
their eggs in the mud and filth; the hog
while drinking swallows the spores,
which hatch in their stomachs and in
testines, and are distributed all through
the animal system. causing great ir-
ritation, pain and fever. The animal
is sick, has the cholera and dies. The
pork of swine drinking the water
in such pools is no more lit to eat than
the mud they wallow in; the meat will
look dark and dingy and smell and
taste like the mud.
"Well, now" says the farmer. you
have told me the cause of disease, also
that my pork is nasty and unhealthy;
now tell me how to remedy all this
trouble" Take up the hog yards, carry
the material upon knoll or rise of
ground, eXcavate a shallow cellar, build
pens over 1t; use this in summer only
for shade and sleeping place. Do not
put any straw or other nesting in it;
build the pens opening to the south, to
let IN the winter SuuSnlne. n uOO WANTS
sunshine in winter and spring; in hot
summer he wants shade, not a wallow-
ing place of filthy mud. Give him pure
air, pure water and pure feed in sum-
mer, and let him have a nice pasture
range with but little strong feed. When
YOU shut him up to fatten, put him on
a good board or plank floor, with clean
bedding. Change often: keep his pen
cleaned every day; feed him sound,
clean corn or chop of corn and oats,
with lime and salt, in a trough, and
grass during summer and fall. In win
ter put second growth clover hay where
he can always have free access to it.
Never butcher him except while grow
inc, and | will guarantee you the ten
derest, sweetest and healthiest meat IN
the world.
have been close observer of the
habits and wants of swine for the last
thirty wears. l never have had sick
hog, nor lost one, within that time. 1t
is a grand mistake to suppose that 1t IS
a necessity for swine to have wallow.
Let them range in the pasture during
warm rain, to wash them, but during
cold storms keep them housed. Do not
allow too many to nest together-not
over six or eight in each bunch. While
my neighbors have lost heavily. some
all of their hogs, mine have been
healthy.-A6rahan Broacn, IN Chicago
Tribune.