Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1897-06-04
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SWINE RAISING.


Keep u Herd Healthy.
Paper rcnd nj the meeting OF the Kentucky
Swine Breeders association ut Bowling Green,
April 10, 1897, by j. l., Iisle.
One of the first and most important
things toward keeping u herd healthy
Is to have good, clean, airy, comforta-
BILE quarters, well ventilated and with
plenty of sunshine. Hogs frequently,
like men, manage to live under, the
most adverse circumstances, but If you
wish to ward off disease care must be
exercised at all times to keep their
sleeping quarters free from dust.
Many hogs die annually from pneu-
monia and other diseases Of the
lungs, but the cause Is generally
attributed to cholera or swine
plague. Hogs that are compelled to
sleep in dusty beds, and every time
they breath take into their lungs more
or less dust can not thrive. We notice
this quicker in young pigs where the
sow is allowed to have her bed around
an old straw stack. | consider dust
one of the worst enemies that young
pigs have to contend with. Their
bed should be removed once or twice
week, and each time sprinkle little
disinfectant over it, Air-slacked lime,
crude carbolic acid and sulphuric acid
are all good and cheap disinfectants.
The best breeders seem to differ in
their opinion as to what make the
best floors and bedding. / have
found that where the houses are
permanent the most satisfactory
floors to me have been good, we'll
packed clay. In the fall dig up and
haul eout about six inches of the old
floor and fill in with fresh clay and
pack well. Where the houses are NOV
able this is not necessary. And for
bedding, l have used this past winter
shredded fodder with the greatest sat
isfaction. Sunshine is almost impor-
tant as good air. The houses or stalls
should face the south, and have win
dow, if possible, and if not, then SO
that the doors can be left open for the
sun to shine in.
The next thing in Importance to good
quarters is good, pure water. With
the human family many diseases are
directly traceable to the use of impure
water 1t does not follow by any
means that because supply of water
Is from spring, that 1t is pure and
free from various microbes. Our best
physicians tell us that there is no pre-
ventive equally as effective as drinking
pure filtered cistern water. | am so
thoroughly convinced of the impor-
lance of good, pure water, that while
have on my place one of the best
springs in Kentucky, hope soon to
have all of my lots supplied with els.
tern water only. Is it strange that
many hogs die annually when they are
compelled to wallow in and drink the
vilest of water? Some people seem te
think that water is all right for 9
hog if it is only wet
In this day of cheap petroleum II
man to allow his hogs to be loaded
down with lice. Lice always seem t,
me to be forerunner of disease. They
seem to thrive best on n sick hog, or i
may be that a hog can not thrive anc
the lice also. have found nothing 81
effective against this pest as crud,
petroleum, with little crude carboli,
acid added. A regular application o
this once week is sure death TO lice.
Every man must be his own judge a
| 10 hot ,e haut fn,. h;,,, 10 faaI lAhu
is most available and cheapest in on,
section of the country may be entire
ly too expensive in another section
But there are some things that ar
available to all and are at all time
necessary. Salt, charcoal, wood ashe
and slack coal should be kept wher
the hogs can go to it as they want.
have seen some farmers who though
it never necessary to salt their hogs
Whatever may be the principal foo
used change of diet occasionally i
very beneficial and will whet up thei
appetites.
In this latitude there is no reaso
why we should not always have some
thing green for our hogs. They ar
by nature grazers, and nothing so regu
lates the bowels and is relished b
them as fresh pasture of clover, blue
grass or rye.
A mistake that is probably made b
more people than any other one is tina
of overcrowding. Many person ha,
ing done well with one or two sowi
figures it out on paper that he can
equally as well with ten or twenty, an
Immediately stocks up his place wit
a large number of hogs. Nine time
out of ten he only sends out and allul
: ing invitation TO disease and diseas
comes Hogs will not stand too muc
|, crowding, nor do believe that tn
same lots ought TO be used year afte
{ year without blowing. Nothing so pur
fes the ground like blowing. Give thel
a change Of pasture; pillow the old LOT
and let the cultivation, the rain an
| sunshine thoroughly disinfect then
Always have some grazing for you
hogs; don't let more than Is or 20 be |
e one lot together, watch them closel,
S and, If at any time hog shows an
Y signs of being off of his feed, immed
4 ately remove him in to separate Il
!. away from the Others
I by watching closely, and keeping {
e your motto, to prevent disease instea
e of curing, / believe you can expe,
l generally good results.