The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-01-05
DISEASE SUBJECT To
CURIOUS WS|1AT|ONs
HAIRLEssNEss IN PIos SEEMS TO
FOLLOW NO KNOWN PLAN OF
CARE OR FEEDING IN STATE
IODINE WILL PREVENT LOSS
stockmen Who Feed Pots sslpm lodlde
To Pregnant Animals May Be
Sure Of Saving Youna.-cost
Ia Small


subject to curious yisitations, says DR.
Howard WEIGH, veterinarian Of tn.
Montana Experiment Station. 4
rancher one year may lose 05 per cen
Of his pigs and the next year, with Tbs
same breeding stock, the same rancf
conditions and feed ana water from me
same source, raise an entirely normal
bunch OF pigs Pigs born In March
and April are much more frequently
affected than those born In May and
June and fall pigs are frequently nor
NAL In even the badly affected districts.
The most puzzling feature is the
possible variation In single pen Of
pregnant sows. II, for instance, six
sows are kept in the same pen, fed and
cared for under identical conditions in
the affected area, the results at farrow-
ing time may be as follows: three
sows may produce normal, vigorous
littsrs /; two Slows may produce pir that
are hairless and weak, and which die
in few hours; the sixth SOW, produe-
Ing nine pigs, may have four hairless,
three normal and two partly haired
out These last may live If cared for,
but WIN be slow to grow and develop.
In affected areas sows win produce
hairles pigs under the widest range of
conditions; when kept in pens or run
ming at large; fed on any combination
of grain, hay or roots; ranging on al
kali land or land free from alkAli;
fed alfalfa or not. The occurrence of
hairless pigs appears to be independent
of any system Of feed, care or manage
ment yet praoticed In this state.
Hairless pigs are not the result of
abortion. The pregnant SOW carries
the pigs to the full term of the CESSATION
period. Many ranchers report that the
pregnant sows carry che pigs four to
seven days longer than the average
period and that many sows die at far |
rowing time. Some Of the pigs are |
born dead, others die In an hour or |
two and very few affected pigs live
more than day.
Investigators of goitre in man and |
animals have demonstrated that iodine |
s the chief physiological constituent OF |
he normal thyroid and that iodine Is
either lacking or very low in an en-
arged gland. 1t was found In our ex-
)eriments that pigs with the least hair
lad thyroids with the lowest iodine
ontent. The natural conclusion was
hat for some reason the sows were
ot getting the requisite amount OF
1dine from their feed and water. Ex-
eriments showed that the iodine con-
emit Of the thyroid gland was markedly
by feeding daily two grains
potassium iodide. II
From Investigations at the Montana /"
experiment. Station 1t is determined | r
rat disturbance Of the thyroid gland :,
ppeaYs to be the immediate cause OF
in pigs, lambs, and Calves
nd Of weakness In colts The en-
rged thyroid glands are very de-
cient in iodine. e
Iodine supplied to the female duringl
lie CESSATION period Is effective as a
of goitre in new born AMI !,
ais. The feeding of iodine to preg- :
ant domestic animals In sections of
e northwest where goitre is prevalent g
recommended by the Montana Ex-I
sriment Station.
DR.. WEIGH and R. B. Millin, extern
on livestock specialist, have Joined In
campaign to get stockmen of Mon
ma to feed potassium iodide to preg-
mt animals this winter Last yearj
any stockmen who regularly had been
eding the potassium iodide got care
ss and failed to feed 1t. Last spring
big increase in hairlessness in pigs
as reported from many sections of
Q state, an increase that meant the
IS Of thousands Of dollars to stock at
en- Of the state.
County agents and druggists Of the
lte have been supplied with infor-
alton dealing with the feeding Of
line to pregnant animals. These I'M
ents or druggists will instruct any
'ckmen concerning the use of potas- SCI
I'm iodide. The cost Of feeding Co
agnant SOW during the CESSATION
Rod amounts to but few cents 1t
pointed out, so there is no excuse
continued loss of pigs through hair As
cnaoe 40