The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1904-12-31
Inocuiatins for Texas Fever.
Bulletin 90 of the South Carolina

lnocuiatino for Texas Fever.
Bulletin 30 of the South Carolina
Experiment Station says:
incubation is process by which
northern cattle are rendered immune
to Texas fever by injecting hypo-
dermically into each about one cubic
centimeter (15 drops) of fresh blood
drawn from immune southern cattle.
The death rate among northern cat
tie exposed to ticks In the South with
out incubation. IL from 60 to 30 per
cent. Tnis rate has been reduced to
7.6 per cent In 4.760 head by inocula-
ton, and 1t IL highly probable that
hereafter the death rate among inoc-
ulated cattle will not exceed per
cent.
The term northern cattle" a. used
in this bulletin refers to cattle raised
north Of the government quarantps
line. and always free from tick ne
term might be applied to southdf lat
tie raised south of this line II they
have never carried ticks. ~ they are
Just as susceptible to Texas fever ~
II they had been raised in the North.
II either northern or southern cat
tie raised free from ticks are to be
exposed to them they should be inoc.
ulated before exposure. II Buscep-
tible cattle are never going to be ex-
posed to ticks incubation Is not neces-
sary.
Only young cattle for breeding pur-
poses should be inoculated. generally
after calves are weaned and up to
about eighteen months old. The best
time Of year is in the fall and winter
from October to March.
incubation has q slight dwarhing
effect by depicting the system and
hindering growth for two to sig
months. but does not produce such
bad results as Texas fever. 1t some
times causes abortion and prevents
COWS from breeding for limited time.
but does not permanently injure the
breeding powers of cattle.
1t is not practicable to inoculate
cattle in the North, and after being
shipped South they should be pro.
tected from ticks before incubation
and for at least sixty days afterwards.
During the reactions the principal
symptoms to be overcome are con-
stipatton and high fever. Do not feed
cotton seed meal and bulls as an ex-
elusive diet, keep bowels open with
| green feeds, roots or occasional doe
of salts, and reduce the fever With
Quinine.
They should be exposed to gradual
tick infestation within SIX months AZ
ter incubation. and 1t is best to put
them out to pasture in early spring
and keep them with native immune
cattle. They should never. be kept
free from ticks until midsummer and
then put into badly infested pastures.
incubation gradually loses its power
to protect cattle against Texas fever,
and II the animals are not exposed
the first year after incubation they
should be reinoculated before being
put on infested pastures the second
year.
This bulletin contains the records
of 1888 head of cattle inoculated by the
veterinary division OF the South Caro-
lima Experiment station. OF these x56
were northern and 1872 southern
raised. One died from inoc ilatiop
and two from subsequent exposure to
ticks, making the total loss three, or 4
little over three-fourths of one per
cent.
At the time this work was begun
there were only two or three herds of
pure bred beef cattle in the state.
They can be found now in almost ev-
cry county. In five years more South
Carolina will have q good supply of
steers for her feed pens. and can DOS
sibly spare few to feeders in neigh.
boring states.