266 DISEASES OF SWINE 



animals, with the object of immediately shipping as many of them 

 as are in condition to go to market. 



It is only natural also that under such conditions as these the 

 buyer will want to go into the feed lots and carefully go over the 

 animals before making any offer for purchase of the herd. As a 

 result, his shoes usually become quite thoroughly covered with dis- 

 ease-producing material, and when he leaves the premises he is in 

 first-class shape to spread the infection on the next farm which he 

 visits. 



As an example of how easily infection may be spread from this 

 source, I would call attention to the following outbreak which 

 occurred in east central Illinois a few years ago. 



Cholera made its appearance rather suddenly on the farm of a 

 large stock raiser living out about seven miles from the county-seat 

 town. He at once called up one of the leading local shippers and 

 had him come out and look the animals over with a view to their 

 purchase. The buyer arrived in due course of time and, going 

 into the feed lot, made a careful examination of the herd, and 

 finally arranged to ship them on a commission basis. 



On the way back to town he stopped at five other farms and 

 went into the feed lots of each farm to look over the herd of hogs. 

 In all of these cases he failed to make a trade, as the owners were 

 of the opinion that their hogs were hardly ready for market. 



In a little over a week from this time cholera made its appear- 

 ance on three of these five farms, and by the end of the second week 

 the disease was well established on all five of the farms which 

 had been infected by this one buyer. This is an excellent illus- 

 tration of just what may happen in any herd where strangers are 

 allowed to enter the feed lots. It should be your invariable rule 

 that no one shall enter your feed lots who has recently come from 

 another man's farm where hogs are kept, and especially should this 

 be the case where the stranger is a hog buyer, butcher, or others 

 who make it their business to trade in live stock. When such men 

 come to inspect your animals, with a view to purchase or otherwise, 

 have them remain outside the fence while you enter the feed lot 

 and drive the hogs up along the fence where they may get a good 

 view of them. 



No man will refuse this request when you tell him your reasons 



