PRATTS PRACTICAL POINTERS
SHEEP HEADER
Many years ago the sheep industry of America flourished. Then came a period of depression in this line accompanied by a steady decrease in the number of sheep kept. But the tide turned again about 1914 and the sheep are rapidly coming back to American farms and ranges.
This change is doubtless due to the steadily increasing cost of grain and labor accompanied by correspondingly high prices of lamb, mutton and wool. Also to a general recognition of the economic value of sheep—both of the mutton and wool breeds—as quick producers of income, no little part of which should be profit. The latter point is due to the fact that sheep are inexpensive to maintain as they thrive upon the roughest of pastures and coarse feeds which will not sell to advantage, and their care consumes but little time. Low production costs—feed and labor—and high prices for the products make a most satisfactory combination.
Methods of successful sheep management vary in different sections of the country. The beginner may well consult the successful sheep-growers in his section and adopt the methods which give good results under the conditions existing in his locality. At the same time he should neglect no opportunity to secure more information from all sources, in order to know and use the most advanced methods and so make the maximum profits.
Here are a few basic facts:
Sheep raising requires careful attention, but does not demand a great amount of heavy labor or expensive equipment.
The best time to make a start is in the early fall when good breeding stock may be selected.
While pure-bred breeders are best, a pure-bred ram and ewes of good grade will prove very satisfactory.
A start may be made in a small way, but it is best to have at least twenty to forty breeders for economy of time, labor and other expenses.
As a rule it is most profitable to push the lambs for growth and market them when they weigh 65 to 75 pounds.
This weight can be secured in about four months.
If a very large pasture is available the flock will thrive on this. Otherwise fields must be fenced off and forage crops provided.
Breeding ewes must be exercised in the winter to insure strong lambs. But protect them from rain or wet snow as soaked fleeces cause colds and pneumonia.
SHROPSHIRE SHEEPSHROPSHIRE SHEEP
Thrifty condition and vigorous health must be maintained at all costs. Otherwise the lambs will be small and weak and fleeces of inferior quality. The regular use of Pratts Animal Regulator will improve condition, insurehealth and vigor, increase number and quality of lambs, promote growth of flesh and wool. And in large measure, it keeps common diseases away because Pratt-fed sheep are in condition toresistdisease.
Shearing should be done after lambing, usually in late spring or early summer. If lambing time is late, the shearing may be done before the lambs arrive. Tie up the fleeces separately, first sorting out dung locks and tags.
After lambing, the individual ewes should be carefully watched to see that they have plenty of milk and are in good condition. They should be kept in pens for about three days, when they may be permitted to run with the flock. Feed lightly for two or three days, then heavily to stimulate the milk flow so lambs will be well-nourished. They may profitably receive one to two pounds of grain per day during the nursing period.
Inferior ewes should be marketed as rapidly as they are identified. Get rid of the barren ones, producers of poor lambs, poor milkers, light shearers.
Sheep must be protected against blood-thirsty dogs and external and internal parasites. In many sections sheep growers have united to fight sheep-killing dogs and good results have been secured. United action against a common enemy is best, as public sentiment may thus be aroused.
Because of their thick fleeces and helplessness, sheep suffer greatly from the attacks of ticks, lice and other parasites. Ticks are particularly injurious. They annoy and weaken the adult animals, torture the lambs and check their growth. The result is always a money loss to the sheep owner.
Fortunately it is a simple matter to exterminate the ticks and lice and overcome the ordinary skin diseases of sheep. Merely dip the sheep in a solution of Pratts Disinfectant. It is non-poisonous, inexpensive—does the work!
MERINO RAMMERINO RAM
July and August is the popular time for dipping, but the work can be done as soon after shearing as the shear cuts heal. Two dippings are necessary, about twenty-four days apart. The first treatment may not kill all the eggs, but the second will kill the young ticks, thus completing the job. For successful results, it is necessary to use a dipping tank or vat large enough to hold sufficient of the solution to immerse and thoroughly saturate each animal.
Intestinal parasites, of which the stomach worm is perhaps the most dreaded, cause great loss to sheep owners. These worms live in the fourth stomach. They are easily identified, being from one-half to one and a quarter inches long, marked with a red stripe. Their eggs are found in the droppings of the sheep, so infection is secured in the pasture.
Augusta, Me.As a constant user of Pratts Animal Regulator, for sheep, I find that it not only helps them to put on flesh but keeps their system in fine condition. I take great pleasure in recommending it, knowing its benefit to Cloverdale Shropshires.H.J. O'HEAR, Samoset Farm.
Augusta, Me.As a constant user of Pratts Animal Regulator, for sheep, I find that it not only helps them to put on flesh but keeps their system in fine condition. I take great pleasure in recommending it, knowing its benefit to Cloverdale Shropshires.H.J. O'HEAR, Samoset Farm.
Augusta, Me.
As a constant user of Pratts Animal Regulator, for sheep, I find that it not only helps them to put on flesh but keeps their system in fine condition. I take great pleasure in recommending it, knowing its benefit to Cloverdale Shropshires.
H.J. O'HEAR, Samoset Farm.
PRATTS PRACTICAL POINTERS
SWINE HEADER
No other class of animals kept upon the farm brings returns so quickly as swine, with the exception of fowls. Swine are specially valuable for utilizing food that would otherwise go to waste. They are an invaluable adjunct to the dairy, particularly when the whole milk is separated on the farm.
You can grow big, healthy, profit-paying hogs, if you will merely meet certain clearly defined hog requirements. If you do this, and it's easy, you need never worry about profits. You aresureto succeed.
The world needs and will pay you well for all the hogs you can produce. Aside from the pork products required for consumption in America, the hog growers of the United States must for years export to Europe more pork in various forms, and more lard, than ever before.
The European herds of hogs have been sadly depleted. Dr. Vernon Kellogg, of the United States Food Administration, has personally investigated the situation. He reports decreases in hogs in leading countries as follows: France, 49 per cent.; Great Britain, 25 per cent.; Italy, 12-1/2 per cent. And, of course, conditions are even worse in Germany, Austria and the Balkan Nations, all of which are big producers in normal times.
Properly handled, kept healthy and vigorous, the American hog is a money-maker. Many farmers know this from experience: others fail to realize how useful and profitable the hog really is.
The experts connected with the United States Department of Agriculture make the following assertions in Farmers' Bulletin 874:
"No branch of live-stock farming gives better results than the raising of well-bred swine when conducted with a reasonable amount of intelligence. The hog is one of the most important animals to raise on the farm, either for meat or for profit, and no farm is complete unless some hogs are kept to aid in the modern method of farming. The farmers of the South and West, awakening to the merits of the hog, are rapidly increasing their output of pork and their bank accounts. The hog requires less labor, less equipment, less capital, and makes greater gains per hundred pounds of concentrates than any other farm animal, and reproduces himself faster and in greater numbers; and returns the money invested more quickly than any other farm animal except poultry."
The University of Minnesota, in Extension Bulletin 7, sums up the matter as follows:
"From a business point of view, the hog is described as a great national resource, a farm mortgage lifter and debt-payer, and the most generally profitable domesticated animal in American agriculture."
And this summarizes the general opinion of progressive hog growers and the experts connected with the United States Department of Agriculture and the various State Agricultural Experiment Stations and Colleges.
Breeds of hogs are divided into two general classes—bacon type and lard type. Where milk is plentiful, and especially where such foods as barleyand peas are grown, the bacon type will be the most profitable, as they furnish the largest litters and also make pork that brings the best price in the market. The lard type of swine are usually kept where corn is the cereal that is most grown.
The large Yorkshire and Tamworth are the leading bacon breeds. The Poland China, the Duroc Jersey, and the Chester White are leading lard types. The Berkshires, Cheshires, and Hampshires are intermediate between the bacon and lard types. When bacon sires are crossed upon sows of any of the other breeds, the progeny are excellent for pork.
The farmer who is about to adopt a breed should be sure to select one of the standard and common breeds of his own neighborhood. Many men make the mistake of introducing a breed new to the section, and when the time comes that a new boar must be secured much difficulty and expense are incurred before a satisfactory one can be found.
The bulletin quoted above further says: "To the production of pork, then, inthe largest amount, inthe shortest time, and withthe minimum of money and labor, all the details of the hog-raising industry are directed." Here is the whole secret—pork in largest amount, in shortest time, at lowest production costs. And the very foundation is perfect health and vigorous condition of the hogs, both breeding animals and market stock.
Health and vigor are necessary in the breeding animals if they are to produce big litters of sturdy pigs—in the market animals if they are to consume large amounts of food and economically and quickly convert it into fat and muscle. Weak, sickly, run-down hogs are a constant source of trouble and are never profitable under any conditions. Disease is one of the greatest drawbacks in the hog industry.
POLAND CHINA PIGPOLAND CHINA PIG
When selecting brood sows of any breed, the preference should be given to those which have reasonably long sides and limbs of medium length. When selecting boars make sure that vigor is present in a marked degree and also strong limbs. Any weakness in the back of male or female is to be carefully shunned.
During pregnancy two facts must be borne in mind. The first is that the sow is doing double duty. She is keeping up her own bodily functions, as well as developing her fetal litter. Therefore, feeding should be liberal. The mistakes in feeding breeding animals are more frequently those which keep such stock thin. The importance of ample feeding at this time is a demonstrated fact, as well as one which appeals to common sense.
In the second place the sow is building new tissue. Hence the kind of feed is important. Bran, peas, oats and barley and such forage plants as clover, alfalfa, vetches and the like. Ordinary pasture grasses are of much value.
All breeders lay great emphasis on the condition of the bowels during pregnancy, and particularly at farrowing. The special danger to be avoided is constipation. It is right here that Pratts Hog Tonic shows its great worth to hog raiser. It puts the digestion organs into healthycondition and the result is safe farrowing and a healthy litter which is not apt to suffer from scours or thumps.
DUROC-JERSEY BOARDUROC-JERSEY BOAR
Good health is inherited from vigorous, healthy ancestors. It is intensified and preserved by proper management. "The time to begin fitting pigs for market is before they are farrowed. For this reason it is advisable to pay particular attention to the feed and care of the brood sow from breeding to farrowing time." And "It must be understood that it is much easier to continue an animal (hog) in a thrifty, hardy condition than to bring the animal back to his normal appetite and rate of growth, once he is out of order." (Circular 90, New Jersey Agr. Exp. Station.)
These common-sense statements must appeal to the reason of every thinking hog producer. And they make plain the wisdom of regularly supplying Pratts Hog Tonic to the entire herd, to breeding stock, growing pigs, fattening hogs.
This remarkable natural tonic and conditionersis nota specific for any single disease. It is a health-builder and health-preserver. In this connection we wish to particularly mention that most dreaded and destructive of all hog diseases—hog cholera. We do not claim that Pratts Hog Tonic will entirely prevent or cure this scourge. But it will put and keep your herd in such fine condition that the individuals will be more resistant and will not as readily contract cholera or other germ diseases. It will prevent and control such troubles as indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation and the like, which are such a source of trouble in the average herd.
You may not appreciate the value of using such a conditioner, but the Kentucky Agr. Exp. Station, in Bulletin 181, contains the following statement which deserves the careful consideration of every thoughtful hog raiser:"General conditioners have been found to be advantageous in the maintenance of healthy conditions in hogs."
Brood sows should not produce their first litter under twelve months. Whether they should produce one or two litters a year will depend largely upon the conditions, especially of climate. Sows should be kept for breeding as long as they will produce good, even litters. Well-chosen sows should rear an average of eight to the litter.
Brood sows should have ample exercise. They get it in good form when they are allowed to turn over litter in the barnyard on which a little grain, as corn, has previously been sprinkled. Two-thirds of the winter rations may consist of mangels or alfalfa hay—the other third being grain or swill. Alfalfa for hogs should be cut before blossoming.
When sows farrow they should be fed lightly for the first three days. Later give all they will eat of milk-making foods. A combination of ground oats, wheat shorts, and some corn is excellent. And Pratts Hog Tonic will be found especially valuable during the nursing period. Meal is fed ground and soaked. As soon as young pigs will take skim-milk they should get it in a trough apart from the sow. They are weaned at seven or eight weeks where two litters are grown in a year, and at twelve weeks where but one is grown.
When pigs are weaned, and previously, there is nothing better than shorts and skim milk. They should be grown subsequently to weaning on pasture, with one to two pounds of grain added daily. In season, winter or spring rye, clover, alfalfa, barley, and rape all make excellent pasture.
The fattening period with swine covers from six to eight weeks. Unground corn and water will fatten swine in good form. The same is true of barley and rye, ground and soaked. They may be fattened nicely while grazing on field peas. They may also be similarly fattened by hogging off corn or gathering it from the excrement of cattle that are being fattened on it. Swine well grown should make an average gain of a pound a day. Bacon swine may be best sold at 175 to 200 pounds in weight. Lard types are usually grown to greater weights.
Swine breeders have long recognized the value of Pratts Hog Tonic as a disease preventive and fattener. Progressive breeders now consider it a necessity in profitable hog raising.
If a second litter is wanted during a year the sows should be put to the boar during the first heat after weaning. Many breeders do not like to pass periods of heat for fear that the sows may become "shy," and there is little reason why a sow should not have two litters a year. In any case, the sows should be carried on comparatively light feed until time to breed again, gaining a little in weight; and their treatment after breeding should be as already detailed for pregnant sows.
When the boar arrives at the farm he should be dipped in a solution of Pratts Dip and Disinfectant, as a matter of ordinary precaution against the introduction of vermin. As an additional precaution, a quarantine pen should be ready for him, especially if epizootics are prevalent. His feed before change of owners should be known, and either adhered to or changed gradually to suit the new conditions. If he has come from a long distance it will be well to feed lightly until he is well acclimated.
TAMWORTH PIGTAMWORTH PIG
Breeders generally advocate the practice of keeping a boar to himself during the entire year—out of sight and hearing of the sows. However, a boar is often allowed to run with the sows after they are safe in pig; but during the breeding season it is by far the best policy to keep him by himself, admitting a sow to his yard for mating, and allowing but one service. The litters will generally be larger and the pigs stronger.
The boar should not serve more than two sows daily, preferably one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and can serve 50 to 60 in a season without difficulty.
In order to keep the boar in vigorous physical condition, he should be given Pratts Hog Tonic regularly. The beneficial results will be seen in the way of larger litters and stronger pigs.
The greatest drawback to the hog industry which breeders in this country have to contend against is found in the losses which may be experienced through the infestation of the animals, especially young pigs, by parasites, through outbreaks of hog cholera or swine plague, or through the contraction of tuberculosis.
In dealing with the diseases of hogs, preventive measures must be most relied upon. The animals must be given dry and well-ventilated quarters, which must be kept clean. Contrary to common belief, hogs have some habits which raise them above other domestic animals from the standpoint of cleanliness. For example, unless compelled to do so, a hog will not sleep in its own filth. If part of the floor of the pen is raised and kept well bedded with straw, while the rest is not, all excrement will be left on the unbedded portion of the floor, and the bed itself will be always clean.
CHESTER WHITE BOARCHESTER WHITE BOAR
In addition to cleanliness, close attention should be given to the feed which is supplied, that nothing may be fed which will convey the germs of disease, especially tuberculosis, to the herd. If the hogs are fed milk in any form obtained from cows kept upon the same farm, the cows should be subjected to the tuberculin test, as by this means all tuberculous milk may be kept from the hogs. If they run with the cattle of the farm a tuberculin test of all the cattle is none the less desirable. Animals dead from any disease should not be fed to the hogs until the meat has been made safe by cooking. Skim milk or refuse from a public creamery should not be fed to hogs until it has been thoroughly sterilized.
Feeding and drinking places should be clean and the water supply pure. Unless the origin is known to be uncontaminated and there has been no possibility of infection during its course, hogs should not be allowed access to any stream. Wallows should be drained out or kept filled up as much as possible. At least once a month the quarters should be disinfected with a solution of Pratts Dip and Disinfectant. These precautions will be found valuable aids in the destruction of the various animal parasites, as well as a protection from some more serious troubles.
The methods of feeding and management outlined above have been successfully followed by hog growers for many years. They are conservative and safe. But during recent years a new method of feeding has been developed and is being generally adopted, especially by specialists who make hog growing a real business. This is known as the "self-fed" plan, under which system feed is kept before the hogs at all times and they are permitted to eat at will. In poultry feeding this is called "the dry mash system."
Just who deserves credit for originating or developing this plan cannot be stated. That it is a good one is evidenced by the fact that it has received the endorsement of the Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture; of many Agricultural Experiment Stations; of the specialty swine journals; of practical hog breeders in all sections of the country.
For this self-feed plan it is claimed that both feed and labor are saved, thus reducing production costs. That a 250-pound hog can be grown in thirty days less time than is possible where slop-feeding is practiced, thus getting the hogs to market earlier andavoiding danger of loss during this time. That it produces pork of highest quality, the meat being fine in flavor, firm, and with lean and fat well distributed.
Advocates of the self-feeding plan make the following comparison with the old-time slop-feeding method:
When dry food is supplied in automatic feeders, the attendant may fill the feeders at any convenient time of day and that at intervals of several days. In slop feeding, the meals must be prepared and fed twice daily, usually when other duties are pressing and time especially valuable.
When dry, ground grains are kept before the hogs at all times, they eat when they feel the need of food and are not liable to overeat at any time. Because of the dry character of the feed, they eat slowly, masticating the food thoroughly and mixing it with saliva. This means more thorough digestion and an absence of indigestion and bowel troubles. And, of course, quicker growth.
Slop-fed hogs, on the other hand, get very hungry between meals. At feeding time they pile up around the troughs, the stronger rushing and pushing away the weaker ones, those that really need the feed the most. Then they bolt the food without chewing it, taking all they can hold and leaving little for those that cannot find a place at the "first table."
The quality of the dry-fed pork has been mentioned. Equally important, from the standpoint of the butcher, is the loss in dressing of hogs. Tests have shown that slop-fed stock loses six to eight pounds more per hundredweight than does the dry-fed.
BERKSHIRE BOARBERKSHIRE BOAR
Another big advantage of dry-feeding lies in the fact that large numbers of swine, including those of various ages and sizes, can be safely kept in one herd. The writer has seen over two hundred head of swine, ranging in size from pigs just weaned to 250-pound porkers ready for market, living in peace and contentment in one building, eating and sleeping and sharing the forage pastures together. Of course this means a big saving in buildings and fencing and a great reduction in the amount of necessary labor.
The self-feeder may be used all through the life of the hog, beginning when the pigs are still nursing and continuing until they reach market weight. During all this time the ration should contain Pratts Hog Tonic, the guaranteed hog conditioner, in order that at all times the herd may be maintained in vigorous condition, be kept free from disease, may avoid wasting feed through imperfect or sluggish digestion, may earn for the farmer the maximum amount of profit. We suggest that you make a test of this results-insuring, profit-producing tonic. Watch results. Ifyouare not satisfied the dealer from whom you purchased the goods will refund the full amount you paid for them.
The self-feeding plan of growing hogs gives best results when the animals are given access to growing forage crops. The feeders may be placed under cover out in the fields or kept in the hog house if the latter is reasonably near the pasture lots. An unlimited supply of fresh water mustbe available at all times because dry-fed stock drinks many times the amount of water that slop-fed hogs do. The reason is plain.
There are many different systems of handling hogs under this plan, varying according to local conditions. We will give in detail the method used most successfully for many years on a Pennsylvania farm which each season markets several hundred hogs of a quality which commands a premium above current quotations.
On this farm, particular attention is paid to keeping the hog houses clean and sanitary, light, sunny and dry. Dampness is always a fertile source of loss. Further, the houses are never crowded. Each animal is given plenty of room.
The brood sows are placed in separate pens at farrowing time and watched carefully when giving birth to the pigs. They are fed a rich slop, a small quantity at first, but in gradually increasing amount until they are receiving enough to insure a big flow of milk.
When the pigs are eight to ten days of age they are permitted to go at will to the self-feeder containing a mixture of ground grains. As a rule, several sows farrow at about the same time and the pens are so arranged that the pigs from several litters may all use one feeder.
More Pigs Per Hog—More Hog Per PigBig litters of strong-boned, growthy pigs, and rapid growth of pigs from birth to maturity are the natural result of health and vigor of breeding stock and youngsters. Weak, run-down boars and sows produce inferior pigs and usually small litters. And such pigs are not money-makers.Pratts Hog Tonicthe guaranteed conditioner for swine, overcomes most hog diseases, makes the breeders healthy and vigorous, insures big litters of big pigs, makes the youngsters grow steadily and rapidly from birth to maturity and fatten quickly and economically.Many of the most successful hog-growers will tell you that one secret of their success is the regular use of Pratts Hog Tonic. You should at least test it. No risk on your part because"Your Money Back If YOU Are Not Satisfied"
More Pigs Per Hog—More Hog Per PigBig litters of strong-boned, growthy pigs, and rapid growth of pigs from birth to maturity are the natural result of health and vigor of breeding stock and youngsters. Weak, run-down boars and sows produce inferior pigs and usually small litters. And such pigs are not money-makers.Pratts Hog Tonicthe guaranteed conditioner for swine, overcomes most hog diseases, makes the breeders healthy and vigorous, insures big litters of big pigs, makes the youngsters grow steadily and rapidly from birth to maturity and fatten quickly and economically.Many of the most successful hog-growers will tell you that one secret of their success is the regular use of Pratts Hog Tonic. You should at least test it. No risk on your part because"Your Money Back If YOU Are Not Satisfied"
Big litters of strong-boned, growthy pigs, and rapid growth of pigs from birth to maturity are the natural result of health and vigor of breeding stock and youngsters. Weak, run-down boars and sows produce inferior pigs and usually small litters. And such pigs are not money-makers.
the guaranteed conditioner for swine, overcomes most hog diseases, makes the breeders healthy and vigorous, insures big litters of big pigs, makes the youngsters grow steadily and rapidly from birth to maturity and fatten quickly and economically.
Many of the most successful hog-growers will tell you that one secret of their success is the regular use of Pratts Hog Tonic. You should at least test it. No risk on your part because
CARE OF SWINE
This arrangement results in the pigs taking more exercise, eating more food and making more rapid growth. It reduces the danger of thumps and gives the youngsters a wonderfully strong start in life.
The feed mixture used at this time varies somewhat according to available supplies and current prices. A sample pig ration is made up as follows:
Winter wheat middlings40lbs.Hominy meal40lbs.Oil meal3lbs.Whole oats (heavy)5lbs.60 per cent. Digester tankage12lbs.Fine salt1/2lb.
Mix thoroughly.
When the pigs are weaned they are placed with the herd, a safe practice because of the general contentment and quietness and the entire absence of meal-time stampedes. They quickly adjust themselves to their new surroundings, and, because accustomed to the use of self-feeders, at once begin eating the regular hog ration with the rest of the herd.
In the hog house, enough self-feeders are provided to permit all animals to eat at will without being crowded. One feeder to each twenty-five hogs is the rule.
The hog ration, like the pig ration, varies according to conditions. But at all times it is palatable and contains feeds which build bone, muscle and fat. A favorite formula is this:
Winter wheat middlings50lbs.Wheat bran50lbs.Corn chop50lbs.Whole oats10lbs.50 per cent. Digester tankage20lbs.
Soft coal and salt are kept before the herd at all times. The hogs eat these at will.
The grazing system is used on this farm. Many different forage crops are planted, in order to insure a regular succession of succulent feeds. As each field reaches proper condition for grazing, a hog fence is thrown around it and the herd admitted. The hogs do all the work of harvesting, thus securing valuable exercise and at the same time saving man labor. Under this system the fields have steadily improved in fertility, due to the turning under of the uneaten green stuff and the direct application of the valuable hog manure.
Forage crops vary in different sections of the country. On the farm in question the earliest forage is rye, followed in rotation by the various clovers and mixtures of oats, Canada field peas, vetch, soy beans, etc. Dwarf Essex rape is a favorite crop and one that furnishes a tremendous amount of forage per acre.
When the corn crop matures, the larger individuals are given the liberty of the corn fields and the crop is "hogged down." This again saves a great amount of hand labor, a big item under existing conditions.
In the winter, when grazing is out of the question, the herd receives once daily a liberal feed of second crop alfalfa or clover hay.
Understand, the feeders containing the dry mixture of ground grains, are available to the hogsat all times. They help themselves at will, day and night.
La Fontaine, Ind.We have been trying to produce the largest hog in the world and we have done it! We have a Big Type Poland China hog, that has been fed 123 days, making a gain of 450 pounds and at this time weighs over 1200 pounds. We fed him on Pratts Animal Regulator.H.E. HENRY.
La Fontaine, Ind.We have been trying to produce the largest hog in the world and we have done it! We have a Big Type Poland China hog, that has been fed 123 days, making a gain of 450 pounds and at this time weighs over 1200 pounds. We fed him on Pratts Animal Regulator.H.E. HENRY.
La Fontaine, Ind.
We have been trying to produce the largest hog in the world and we have done it! We have a Big Type Poland China hog, that has been fed 123 days, making a gain of 450 pounds and at this time weighs over 1200 pounds. We fed him on Pratts Animal Regulator.
H.E. HENRY.
When keeping hogs in large herds like this, it is of primary importancethat the most careful attention be paid to sanitation. Pratts Dip and Disinfectant should be used regularly and thoroughly to protect against disease germs and vermin. And Pratts Hog Tonic used to keep the hogs in perfect conditioninside.
If sickness appears in the herd the unaffected hogs should at once be removed to clean, disinfected quarters, preferably without much range, for by running over pastures they may come in contact with contagion. Their feed should be carefully regulated, and, if they have previously been on pasture, should include some green feed, roots, or an abundance of skim milk.
CARE OF SWINE
Banish Hog Vermin and DiseasesTo make a success of hog raising, dipping is almost as essential as feeding. At least it is second only to proper feeding.Lice and vermin, the comfort-destroyers and profit-reducers, and the germs which cause cholera and tuberculosis, are exterminated by the regular use ofPratts Dip and DisinfectantPRATTS DIP AND DISINFECTANTPut the hogs and pigs through the dipping vat and spray the quarters and feed receptacles occasionally with a strong solution of the original Pratts Dip and Disinfectant. Result—comfortable, vermin-free and disease-free hogs, less loss, more pork, more money.There are other dips that look like the original Pratts, but they are not the same in efficiency. Refuse the substitutes. Use Pratts, the dip you can depend upon. It costs no more but it's worth more! You be the judge—"Your Money Back If YOU Are Not Satisfied"
Banish Hog Vermin and DiseasesTo make a success of hog raising, dipping is almost as essential as feeding. At least it is second only to proper feeding.Lice and vermin, the comfort-destroyers and profit-reducers, and the germs which cause cholera and tuberculosis, are exterminated by the regular use ofPratts Dip and DisinfectantPRATTS DIP AND DISINFECTANTPut the hogs and pigs through the dipping vat and spray the quarters and feed receptacles occasionally with a strong solution of the original Pratts Dip and Disinfectant. Result—comfortable, vermin-free and disease-free hogs, less loss, more pork, more money.There are other dips that look like the original Pratts, but they are not the same in efficiency. Refuse the substitutes. Use Pratts, the dip you can depend upon. It costs no more but it's worth more! You be the judge—"Your Money Back If YOU Are Not Satisfied"
To make a success of hog raising, dipping is almost as essential as feeding. At least it is second only to proper feeding.
Lice and vermin, the comfort-destroyers and profit-reducers, and the germs which cause cholera and tuberculosis, are exterminated by the regular use of
PRATTS DIP AND DISINFECTANT
Put the hogs and pigs through the dipping vat and spray the quarters and feed receptacles occasionally with a strong solution of the original Pratts Dip and Disinfectant. Result—comfortable, vermin-free and disease-free hogs, less loss, more pork, more money.
There are other dips that look like the original Pratts, but they are not the same in efficiency. Refuse the substitutes. Use Pratts, the dip you can depend upon. It costs no more but it's worth more! You be the judge—
PRATTS PRACTICAL POINTERS
The quarters in which the sickness first appeared should be thoroughly cleaned, all bedding and rubbish burned, and loose boards and old partitions torn out and burned. If the pen is old, knock it to pieces and burn it. Disinfect pens and sleeping places using Pratts Dip and Disinfectant on the floors, walls and ceilings. Whitewash everything. If a hog dies from any cause, the carcass should never be exposed where it may be devoured by the other hogs or by passing birds or beasts, but should be burned at once or buried deeply and the pens thoroughly disinfected immediately. If possible, do not move the carcass from the place where it falls; but if this cannot be done the ground over which it is dragged should be disinfected. Hog-cholera bacilli can live in the ground for at least three months. Care must be taken to maintain an absolute quarantine betweenthe sick and well hogs. The same attendant should not care for both lots unless he disinfects himself thoroughly after each visit to the infected hogs. Dogs should be confined until the disease is stamped out.
Treatment of hogs suffering from cholera or swine plague is not always satisfactory. The disease runs its course so rapidly that curative measures are more or less ineffectual, and prevention of an outbreak should be relied upon rather than the cure of sick animals. Pratts Hog Tonic has been successful in less virulent outbreaks when administered as soon as signs of sickness are shown.
Pratts Hog Tonic should be thoroughly mixed with the feed, which should be soft, made of bran and middlings, corn meal and middlings, corn meal and ground and sifted oats, or crushed wheat, mixed with hot water. If the hogs are too sick to come to the feed, the tonic should be given as a drench. Pull the cheek away from the teeth and pour the mixture in slowly. Care should be exercised, as hogs are easily suffocated by drenching. Do not turn a hog on its back to drench it.
Hogs often suffer very much from vermin. Lice are introduced from neighboring herds, and the losses in feeding are often severe, especially among young pigs, when death is sometimes a secondary if not an immediate result. When very numerous, lice are a very serious drain on vitality, fattening is prevented, and in case of exposure to disease the lousy hogs are much more liable to contract and succumb to it.
Newly purchased hogs should be carefully examined for vermin, and they should not be turned out with the herd until they are known to be free from these pests.
When the herd is found to be badly infested with lice all bedding should be burned and loose boards and partitions torn out. Old boards and rubbish should be burned. The quarters should then be thoroughly disinfected by spraying with Pratts Dip and Disinfectant.
Vermin are most common around the ears, inside the legs, and in the folds of the skin on the jowl sides and flanks. In light and isolated cases they may be destroyed by washing the hogs with Pratts Dip and Disinfectant, properly diluted, applied with a broom.
In severe cases, however, especially where the whole herd is affected, thorough spraying or dipping should be resorted to. In this case a dipping tank will be a great convenience.
Whenever any animals are brought to the farm, or when animals are brought home from shows or from neighboring farms, they should be kept apart from the rest of the herd for at least three weeks. If they have been exposed to hog cholera or swine plague the diseases will be manifested within this time, and the sick animals can be treated or killed and disposed of at once.
Galway, N.Y.I bought two spring pigs the 15th of April and began feeding them Pratts Animal Regulator until the 15th of December when I butchered them. One weighed 415 pounds, the other 420 pounds. I know this Regulator does what you claim it to do.BALDWIN O'BREY.
Galway, N.Y.I bought two spring pigs the 15th of April and began feeding them Pratts Animal Regulator until the 15th of December when I butchered them. One weighed 415 pounds, the other 420 pounds. I know this Regulator does what you claim it to do.BALDWIN O'BREY.
Galway, N.Y.
I bought two spring pigs the 15th of April and began feeding them Pratts Animal Regulator until the 15th of December when I butchered them. One weighed 415 pounds, the other 420 pounds. I know this Regulator does what you claim it to do.
BALDWIN O'BREY.
If cholera breaks out in the neighborhood the farmer should maintain a strict quarantine against the infected herds. He should refrain fromvisits to farms where they are located, and should insist on requiring that his neighbors stay out of his hog lots. Visiting of all kinds at this time should be carefully restricted. Dogs, cats, crows, and buzzards are very active carriers of infection from farm to farm, and should be guarded against as far as possible.
(Symptoms and Treatment)
Diarrhoea or Scours
Cause.—By milk of the dam being affected by feeding of food tainted with the elements of decay; by making a sudden change in the food; by some disordered condition in the health of the sow, and by excess of milk furnished by the dam.
Usually occurs before the weaning stage, as a rule in swine not yet ten days old.
Symptoms.—Very soft condition of the voidings which are sometimes almost watery.
Treatment.—Being highly contagious, spray the floor thoroughly with Pratts Disinfectant. Keep the young swine comfortable and remove the voidings carefully two or three times a day. Correct the food given the dam, mixing Pratts Hog Tonic with her feed. Also give a small tablespoonful of sulphur daily to the sow.
Hog Cholera and Swine Plague
Hog Cholera and Swine Plague are very much alike. Both are characterized by inflammation of stomach and intestines, enlarged and inflamed lymphatic glands and sloughing of portions of the skin. The treatment and preventive measures are alike in many respects.
They are germ diseases, contracted in purchasing swine which may contract the germs when in transit on cars; by exhibiting at fairs; through persons who have visited infected herds; through the feet of dogs and birds to which the germs may have adhered; through the water of an infected pond or stream.
The most dangerous source of infection by far is coming in touch with diseased animals.
Reduced stamina and filthy quarters favor the spread of these diseases.
Hog Cholera
Symptoms.—Dullness, loss of appetite or depraved appetite and a disposition to lie down; constipation or diarrhoea; stiff gait; red spots or blotches discernible about the ears and under the neck and belly; in some instances there is difficulty in breathing.
Treatment.—Authorities agree that there is no known cure for real hog cholera. Preventive measures, therefore, are of vital importance. Pratts Disinfectant should be used frequently and to build up the general health of the hog, giving it full disease-resisting power, Pratts Hog Tonic should be added to the ration. Besides, it is a valuable tonic and fattener.
Swine Plague
Symptoms.—Extensive inflammation of the lungs, by which it can be distinguished from hog cholera. There is coughing and labored, painful and oppressed breathing.
It frequently comes as a pneumonia or an inflammation of the lungs and pleural membrane. The animal is in a sleepy and even comatose condition much of the time. If it walks it staggers. The skin reddens in a marked degree and the bowels become constipated. This disease, though not nearly so common as hog cholera is usually very fatal. Preventive measures, as indicated for hog cholera, areall important. Use Pratts Hog Tonic as directed and disinfect with Pratts Disinfectant.
Thumps
Cause.—Too liberal feeding and lack of exercise, resulting in poor digestion. The diaphragm contracts suddenly at irregular intervals, thus giving the name to the disease. The pig becomes unthrifty and stunted. If the sow is a liberal milker, nursing pigs may be affected. Treatment is usually preventive, consisting of exercise and careful feeding, Pratts Hog Tonic being added to the feed.
Tuberculosis in Swine
The losses from this disease are beginning to assume enormous proportions. It results largely from swine drinking the milk of tuberculous cattle.
Symptoms.—Digestive disorders, such as diarrhoea and vomiting; a stunted condition and a staring coat and breathing more or less labored.
Treatment.—There is no positive cure for this severe disease, but good sanitation is the best preventive. Use Pratts Disinfectant freely and maintain health and vigor by regularly using Pratts Hog Tonic.
The importance of testing heads of cattle that may be affected with tuberculosis is thus further emphasized.
Worms
There is perhaps no other animal troubled to so great an extent or with so many varieties of worms, as the hog. Indeed it is almost a rule with some growers when a hog is sick and it cannot be told exactly what is the matter that they doctor for worms.
There are four species of worms that live in the intestines of swine, resulting in more or less harm. The Common Round Worm, Pin Worm and Whip Worm develop from eggs taken in in food and water. The Thornheaded Worm develops from a white grub which swine eat. To a great extent these are kept in check by Pratts Hog Tonic.
As preventive measures, drain stagnant pools and wet places where these eggs may be found; plough up yards and pastures; do not feed on floors not properly cleaned, or on ground that may have been much used for such feeding; do not give water from a deep well, do not allow the swine to wallow in the drinking trough.
Symptoms.—Frequently a gluttonous appetite without corresponding improvement in flesh. Again a much impaired appetite is found; diarrhoea or constipation; excessive itching, causing the animal to rub, especially the hind parts. These symptoms will only exist when worms are present in large numbers.
Treatment.—Give each adult hog one heaping tablespoonful of Pratts Worm Powder with the feed once a day for four days. After the last dose give a bran mash to loosen bowels.
Repeat this treatment two weeks after the first to insure killing any worms which may have hatched in the meantime.
Even if you are not sure that your hogs have worms—as theyprobablyhave—you should use Pratts Worm Powder as above as a matter of precaution.
Woodsboro, Md.I bought four pigs, four months' old, weighing about 16 pounds each, and, in bad condition. Began to feed Pratts Animal Regulator and at 5 months' old they averaged a gain of one pound a day per pig.CHARLES W. HOLBRUNER.
Woodsboro, Md.I bought four pigs, four months' old, weighing about 16 pounds each, and, in bad condition. Began to feed Pratts Animal Regulator and at 5 months' old they averaged a gain of one pound a day per pig.CHARLES W. HOLBRUNER.
Woodsboro, Md.
I bought four pigs, four months' old, weighing about 16 pounds each, and, in bad condition. Began to feed Pratts Animal Regulator and at 5 months' old they averaged a gain of one pound a day per pig.
CHARLES W. HOLBRUNER.