A2B—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 1,1980
(Continued from Page A 27)
Outstanding Horsemen in
the county were also named.
Charlene Walker of the
Stablemates 4-H Horse Club
and Knsten McCuen of the
Gummtree 4-H Horse Club
were the recipients of the
award. Presented by the 4-H
Horse Council. Other awards
presented that mght went to
State Days participants,
County Fashion Review
Winners, County Round-Up
Clover Winners, Poster
Contest and Blue Form
Winners.
The “I Dare You” Award
went to Jena Wyatt from the
Southern Chester County
Community Club and Sarah
Nothstme from the Northern
Chester County 4-H Club.
Three 4-H Alumni spoke on
how 4-H affected their life.
Bill Fairbairn, Ginger
Stokes, and Dr. Dan
Wemstock all agreed that 4-
H taught them many
leadership qualities which
helped them through college
and through their jobs they
are holding now. County
Council then put on an en
tertainment for everyone’s
enjoyment.
TGE explosions
destroy pork profit
DES MOINES, la. - Any
hog producer who has suf
fered through a Tran-
smissible Gastroenteritis
outbreak in his herd will
readily confirm the disease
is “explosive.” Not only does
it move through a herd with
the speed of an explosion, it
virtually destroys the profit
picture of an operation.
While TGE is no longer
considered a disease to be
reckoned with only during
the colder months of the
year, a raging outbreak of
TGE in a hog operation
during the winter months
can be nearly 100 percent
fatal to exposed baby pigs
less than a week old.
“There simply is no
practical treatment for TGE
in pigs under a week to 10
days of age,” says Hal
Sinclair, Manager of
Technical Services at
Diamond Laboratories, Inc.,
Des Moines, lowa.
“During the winter
months, TGE outbreaks
account, in major hog
producing areas, for 2-4
percent of death losses in
baby pigs,” continues Sin
clair. “At $lO to $2O per pig,
that amounts to some $4-5
million per year estimated
losses to TGE - and that’s
only in baby pigs.”
The TGE virus usually
affects 100% of all suscep
tible swine exposed to it, he
emphasizes.
Sows which are acutely
infected and have recently
farrowed will almost in
variably pass along the
effects of the disease to baby
pigs.
“One of the signs of TGE
often observed in these sows
is the decrease or cessation
of milk flow,” says Sinclair.
“The basis for survival of
the baby pig is an adequate
supply of sow’s milk.
Anything that decreases this
milk supply will have an
adverse effect on a baby pig.
It may result m the baby pig
developing the disease.”
The economic loss due to
TGE is not limited to mor
tality alone. The effects on
4-H’ers
1 : 4
I V
»?v
* ■ IT*
Doug Lawrie was the
County and State Tractor
Driver winner and placed
14th at the Eastern
National Tractor Driving
Contest in Virginia.
growing-finishing hogs,
while less obvious, are very
real.
“Feeder pigs may develop
watery diarrhea resulting m
loss of weight,” says Sin
clair, “though they
generally recover within
seven days with few death
losses. Even though mor
tality losses are not as high
in feeder pigs, the problem
of performance efficiency
exists.
“General feeder pigs
which have had TGE will
have to be held longer before
marketing. They have a
lower feed efficiency ratio
and take longer to make
market weight. An added
hidden cost here is that these
pigs may not grade as high
due to an added amount of
backfat,” says Sinclair
Although there is no
treatment for the disease
once the pig is afflicted, a
prevention program can
help avoid the problem, he
points out. Many pork
producers are making im
munization programs a
regular part of their
management routine.
“The explosive nature
with which TGE can
devastate both a swine herd
and a balance sheet,”
concludes Sinclair, “makes
a well-planned and executed
prevention program im
portant for every hog
operation. In an econqmy
where margins are slim and
room for unexpected
disaster is nonexistent, such
a program is a necessity ”
I 25* j
LjEAR i
YORK The Boards of
Directors of the Federal
Land Bank and Production
Credit Associations of York,
at a recent meeting, went on
record to express grave
concern over the long-term
effects that may result from
the installation of the
chemical waste dump in
North Codorus Township in
York County.
f
W-,
A spokesman indicated
that the ability of these
cooperative lenders to
finance eligible applicants in
the agricultural area of the
proposed dump could be
seriously impaired, owing to
possible soil and wafer
contamination and resultant
devaluation of the properties
in the area.
Land Bank
directors
concerned
about dump
This is just part of the crowd of 400 that filled the banquet room at Historic
Strasburg for the annual get-together of members of the Lancaster County
Poultry Association.
pi -<>PK. Jg -icastt Poultry
Association banquet Thursday night. Flanking Leßoy Esbenshade, president,
are Debbie Herr, alternate; and Heidi Sue Miller, County Poultry Queen.
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