The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-06-20
Sanitation In The Bos
Lot and General
Preventative Measures
By
]. T. PITTMAN,
County Agent.

Having inoculated hogs on the
farms and inspected many more herds
in the county, have some knowledge
OF the general condition with the hog
raisers. Knowing this as | do it is
my purpose to try to point out a
few OF the reasons the people are not
getting as much out of their hogs
as they should, and to give some sug-
gestions that may be helpful No
disposition on my part, understand, to
criticise, my only desire is to help
you get more profit and to develop
the live stock industry.
If we will study the business lit
tie we will be surprised that we even
do as we'll as we do 1t is a wonder
that the hogs live when we see the
places they are compelled to stay in
some times. When hogs are forced
to stay in low, marshy place, filled
with cess pools and mud holes and no
grazing plots to run on and some
times no food OF any kind only what
they manage to exc out OF these waste
places, it is impossible to get salts
factory results. Give the hogs the
poorest place on the farm and no pro-
lection whatever and expect him to
pay you handsome returns.
Again, we have never seen so many
parasites of various kinds preying up
on the hogs. Frequently the hogs
are almost covered with lice and the
mango mites have burrowed into their
skin until they have very little hair.
Pigs are often killed by these para
sites and hogs cannot be half so thrift
ty and healthy as they would be if
they were kept free of these pests.
A practical understanding of the
best general methods in sanitation
and disinfection is as important as
any other feature of profitable swine
husbandry. The hog raiser who neg
lects to care for the health and clean
illness of his animals is likely to see
his own profits vanish and to affect
those of his more careful nenghbors
as well. He owes it to his community
as well as to himself, to be alert and
energetic in preventing and eradicat-
ing diseases of vermin.
A great danger to hogs exists in
specific germ diseases distributed by
bacteria and which cannot be direct
ly caused by either breeding or feed
ing. Such diseases are encouraged by
filthy and carelessly kept houses and
feed lots, and constant cleanliness is
the most effective means of prevent
ing their dissemination.
All that is necessary to prevent hog
cholera is to keep the germ of the dis
ease away from the herd. In most
cases these germs are transported
mechanically, in the bodies of sick
hogs and on the feet of men or ami
mails, including birds. 1t thus fol-
lows that the chances of an outbreak
of hog cholera will be greatly lessen
ed, if not completely avoided. if a
/ herd is protected fom the carrier OF
| the infection.
In addition the hogs should be pro-
vided with clean, dry sleeping places
and the lots and feeding troughs be
kept clean. By dry sleeping places,
do not mean under dusty houses and
sheds. 1t is well occasionally to scat.
ter slaked lime about the lots and to
wash and disinfect the troughs. All
dead hogs should be burned.
An abundance of grazing and for.
age crops should be grown to sup.
plement the little grazing they may
get in the woods lots, and fresh, clear