Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 210, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1916 — INTESTINAL WORMS IN PIGS [ARTICLE]

INTESTINAL WORMS IN PIGS

Insufficiently Fed and Neglected Pig* Soon Become Infested Intestinal worms are common In hogs and are particularly injurious to growing pigs., Insufficiently fed, neglected pigs living in dirty pens and yards, fed from filthy troughs, drinking contaminated water, bathing in old hog wallows, and rooting and sleeping in manure piles and stack bottoms soon become infested with worms; consequently they do not thrive, but develop into pot-bellied, rickety, profitless runts. Pens should [ be kept clean and dry and the manure frequently removed. It has been asserted- by various experienced feeders of hogs that a mix ture of charcoal, ashes, lime, salt, sulphur and copperas kept where the hogs can eat it will tend to prevent

worm Infestation. There Is not as yet positive experimental evidence in support of thp idea that such a mixture will prevent worm infestation, but the mixture does appear to satisfy the hog’s desire for mineral substances and probably is of value as a tonic and appetizer. It may be made up in the following proportions: Charcoal, 1 bushel. t Hardwood ashes, 1 bushel.

I — 1 Salt, 8 pounds. Air-slaked lime, 4 pounds. Pulverized copperas, 2 pounds. Mix the lime, salt and sulphur thoroughly and then mix with the charcoal and ashes. Dissolve the copperas L in two parts of hot water and sprinkle | over the whole mass, mixing it thoroughly. Keep some of this mixture in a box before the hogs at all times, or place in a self feede/-. Santonin, which was formerly wideI jy used as a remedy for worms in hogs is practically unobtainable at the present time owing to foreign trade conditions. The following treatment has been found to be very effective against intestinal worms in experiments conducted by the Zoological Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry: Withhold all feed and water for 24 hours, then give each pig from 1 to 4 ounces of castor oil to which has been-added oil of American wormseed as follows: Small pigs, 2 to 3 months old, 35 drops, pigs weighing 50 to 100 pounds, 50 to 100 drops, larger pigs one teaspoonful. Each pig should be dosed separately if the best results are to be obtained. Drenching hogs is dangerous, as they are liable to get the remedy into the lungs. With sufficient assistance pigs’ may be held, the mouth kept open by means of a couple of loops of wipe or rope, and the medicine given directly in a tablespoon. By this method, though it is troublesome, one may be certain that each pig gets his proper dose. After dosing, the pigs may be fed and watered. Repeat the treatment in 10 days. Further information on swine husbandry will be found in Farmers’ Bulletins issued by the department, a list of which may be obtained upon application to the division of publications.