Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-02-21
DAIRY AND POULTRY.
INTERESTING CHAPTERS FOR
OUR RURAL READERS.
How Successful Farmers Operate This
Department OF the Farm - A Few
Hints IA to the Care OF Live Stock
and Poultry


Sensible Use OF Iuberculu.
1t is TO be hoped that when new
state veterinarian is appointed in Illi-
nois he will be a fully graduated prac-
titioner and a man who has at heart
the best interests OF the stock owners
of the country. Owners of dairy and
breeding COWS in this state have been
up in arms for a long time past as a
result OF the way in which the tuber-
culin crusade has been carried out
against tuberculosis. They have seen
their animals tested and condemned
and have received only small amount
Of the real value OF such cattle killed
for the alleged benefit of the people
OF the state at large. They have ar
gued with a good deal OF reason that
il the cattle must be killed appar-
emily healthy, well-doing cows, show
ing no emaciation and no trouble OF
the udder, should be condemned and
killed for the sole reason that they
showed a rise in temperature when
tuberculin was injected They have
rebeled all the more when they fol-
lowed these cows to the shambles and
found that the alleged evidence of
tuberculosis was some small spot the
size Of bean or altogether absent so
far as they could see. They have con-
sidered it unfair 10 attribute the rise
in each case to the effect Of the tuber-
culin injected when they have known
that the COW fretted under the test,
was sometimes in heat or near preg-
nancy when tested or unaccustomed
to stay in a barn without water In hot
weather when grass had been the food
prior to the test and shady places the
resting place OF the victim during hot
days. 1t is alleged by the state veteri-
marian that during the past year no
cows have been tested without the
owner having first asked that the cows
be so treated. We doubt this asser-
ton when we remember that agents OF
! the state authorities, accompanied by
police officers, visited ignorant owners
of COWS and asked CD them to sign
papers requesting that their COWS be
tested by the state officials! This was
voluntary asking in a vengeance! The
| parties have since told the writer that
| they were Of the opinion that they had
| to have the cattle tested and had no
voice in the matter. The Farmers Re
view is not opposed to fair means OF
| attempting the eradication Of danger
Gus cases of tuberculosis, but it is OPP
| posed to wholesale destruction of other
peoples cows for the alleged benefit
of the public at large without due re-
| endorsement of the owner of cattle
ordered slaughtered. 1t is opposed to
such tests being carried out by ignor-
ant, uneducated men who do not give
the apparently healthy COW the benefit
| of the doubt when she is in heat, nerv-
| Gus, pregnant or unaccustomed to
stabling during the test. 1t is OPP
posed to the condemning to death Of
all cows reacting to the test when
/ there is no sign Of emaciat.un, no sign
| Of the udder being involved, no sign
Of anything being the matter with the
COW. 1t is opposed to the methods OF
coersion in obtaining the consent OF
owners to having their cattle tested.
We believe that every COW that
shows suspicious symptoms OF tubercu-
! osis should be tested, and that such
symptoms should be discovered by
veterinary inspectors, whose duty it
should be to inspect dairy herds under
the supervision of local boards of
health. We believe that all reacting
COWS should be watched and retested,
but not slaughtered at once after re-
acting, and proper hygienic measures
should be taken in every herd to iso-
late all cows that have reacted, and
that such cows should be put out Of h ?
milk supply business and be fattened
for sale and slaughtered under ex-
pert inspection. We are of the opin-
ioS further that the whole business
should be conducted upon a common
sense basis. rather than fanatically
and wastefully, and that every pre-
caution should be taken to make each
test with tuberculin fair to all con-
eerneC.