Imperial Valley press., 1917-03-02
I | log tuberculosis
Dangerous to the
Valley Pig Raiser

To rid the country of tuberculosis
Of hogs, disease which is costing
millions of dollars annually, is prac-
ticable and relatively easy.
determination should be attained
without delay before the disease,
which appears to be increasing, has
gained too much headway, is the ad-
vice of the specialists Of the United
States Department of Agriculture.
The official figures show that per
cent of the hogs slaughtered during
the fiscal year of 1916 at establish
ments under federal meat inspection
were affected with tuberculosis in
some degree. In the case of hogs
from certain localities, especially
some of the dairying sections, how
ever, over 25 per cent, or one out
Of four hogs slaughtered, had the
disease. In fact, so serious has hog
| tuberculosis become in some localities
that hog buyers for packing houses
area voiding certain regions known
to be badly infected, and some pack
ors already are buying hogs subject
TO post mortem inspection, with the
loss for tubercular hogs falling on
the feeder. Other buyers who do
not buy subject to post mortem in
spection protect themselves by offer
ing a lower price on all hogs, in
which case the careful breeder suf-
fers equally with the careless one.
! The following information regarding
the control of this disease is taken
from Farmers Bulletin 7S1, ''Tuber-
culosis of Hogs" by John R. Mohler
and Henry J. Washburn.
The two principal ways of prevent
ing hogs from becoming tubercular
are by keeping them away from tu-
bercular cattle and by cooking or
pasteurizing all skim milk and cook
ing all garbage before it is fed to
the hogs.
On dairy farms, unless the cattle
have been tuberculin tested and are
known to be free from disease, hogs
should never be allowed to follow the
dairy cattle or to drink raw milk.
In any event, it is safer to cook skim
milk or buttermilk or to pasteurize
it, by holding it at 145 degrees Fab
lenheit for thirty minutes or at 176
degrees Fahrenheit for one minute.
That raw milk from tubercular cows
will convey the disease to hogs is
fully established by adequate tests.
Raw milk of any kind from a cream
cry is particularly dangerous for
! hogs, because if there is but one tu-
bercular herd on the creamery route
the milk from this herd may affect
all the skim milk collected at the fac
tory. This explains why tuberculo-
sis is most common in hogs in dairy
regions where milk is taken to CEN
tral creamery and raw skim milk
brought back to the fran from the
general stock.
The droppings of tubercular cattle
also convey the germs 10 hogs which
are allowed to follow them. For this
reason hogs should be kept out of
cow lots. On the other hand, hogs
can follow steers with comparatively
little danger. Steers are not kept
indoors as much as dairy cattle and
commonly are sold before they are
old enough for the disease to develop
to the point where it spreads germs
through the droppings.
Raw garbage, especially garbage
collected from cities, may carry the
germs of tuberculosis and infect hogs
to which it is fed. The germs in
such garbage will be rendered harm
less if the garbage is cooked before
it is fed. Such garbage, if it has
not reached the putrefactive stage,
is admirable for feeding purposes,
provided the containers are kept
clean. Piggeries, where sterilized
garbage is prepared and fed, should
be so constructed that they may be
readily cleansed.
No hog should be allowed to eat
carrion, such as dead chickens or
other animals, or to eat raw offal
from slaughter houses or farm butch
ering. All slaughter house waste be-
fore being fed should be thoroughly
| cooked, as this will kill the germs of
tuberculosis and other diseases. Care
full investigation shows that slaughter
house tankage does not spread the
disease, as the preparation of this
tankage involves thorough sterilza-
tion by heat.
1t stands to reason that no person
affected with tuberculosis should be
allowed to work among hogs, and
that hogs, like other animals, have a
much better chance Of withstanding
fbic dicaaca if 0;yap ,,Iapt,r Of f,oel