COMMON DISEASES

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20464, 2 April 1938, Page 26 (Supplement)

COMMON DISEASES

TROUBLE WITH PIGS minimising the danger In the current Issue of the quarterly journal issued by the Yorkshire Council for Agricultural Education and Department of Agriculture of the - University of Leeds Britain), some of the common diseases of pigs are discussed, and advice is given on their i treatment and prevention. Dealing with rickets In young pigs, it is pointed out that the disease is esscntialiv a deficiency disease due to a shortage of Calcium and or Vitamin Din the food of young pigs. The symptoms are a general unthriftiness, stiffness, swollen Joints, dirty discoloured skin, a general backwardness in condition and eventually deformed or bent bones, particularly of the limbs. Where rickets occurs in sucking pigs, it is probable that the sow’s milk in deficient either in calcium or in vitamin D or both. Vitamin D exercises an Influence on the assimilation of the minerals, so that even if sufficient minerals are present, a shortage of vitamin D will result iu an insufficiency of minerals being assimilated. A shortage of calcium may be corrected by adding a small quantity of a mineral mixture to the ration of breeding sows and young pigs. A deficiency of vitamin D may be corrected by giving a little cod liver oil in the ration. Sunlight also influences the amount of vitamin D present in the animal body, and consequently rickets is not so likely to occur in pigs which are out of doors during the daytime. Incidentally, cod liver oil also contains vitamin A which is intimately concerned with the health and development of young animals. Anaemia This Is also a deficiency disease occurring usually in sucking pigs over 3 weeks old. It has been established that it is due to a deficiency of iron. The reason it occurs usually at about three weeks old is that the pig when born has a small reserve of iron stored up in its liver, this reserve Is sufficient to last the piglet from two to three weeks, and if the sow's milk is deficient in iron, after this reserve has been exhausted, symptoms of anaemia develop. These symptoms are a pale chalky colour of the skin, loss of condition and usually diarrhoea. If neglected many of the little pigs die, and those which survive are very backward and unthrifty. To prevent this condition it Is necessary to make sure the piglets are getting a little iron daily, unfortunately feeding iron to the sow is not effective as it is not immediately execreted in the milk. In the summer time if the pigs are allowed out at grass every day there is little likelihood of anaemia developing as they get the small quantity of iron required from the or from the soil. It is, therefore, a disease which usually occurs in winter farrowed pigs. In this case the best means of prevention Is to paint the sow's teats once a day with the following mixture: — Sulphate of iron li ounce. Sulphate of copper .. 1 ounce. Treacle $ pint. Water i Pint The little pigs then get sufficient iron i when sucking to prevent the develop- , ment of anaemia.