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died of pneumonia ; from 1938-4], out of 522 calves born, only 35 (6.7 per cent) died of this disease.
The difference was ascribed to the fact that in 1937 Harrison introduced a ' small-unit plan '. For
at least the first 12 weeks the calves were segregated in small groups, a group consisting of not
more than eight calves; in addition to this, each calf had a small separate pen and so was not in
direct contact with its fellows. The groups were kept in small unheated but well-insulated barns.
Cows should be allowed a dry period of not less than three months before calving, since Stewart
and McCallum [1938 a] found the vitamin-A of the colostrum to be materially affected by the length
of the dry period.
The colostrum should be taken by the calf naturally rather than from the bucket. Vinattieri,
Hayward, and Artioli [1945] have shown that with buffaloes in the Lahore area removal of the calf
at birth leads to many more cases of retained placenta in the dam, a reduced milk yield—at least
during the three weeks—and a much higher death-rate in the calves than when the calves are
allowed to suckle naturally during the first three days. Moore and Berry [1944] have recently em-
phasized that the calf must get the first colostrum secreted as well as an ample supply of it during
the first three days. The importance for the calf of the early colostrum is especially great with stall-
fed cows, and with calves born in the winter.
With regard to vitamin feeding, the importance of adequate vitamin-A is well established. It
is unnecessary to refer here to the literature on the minimal or practical requirements of calves in
respect of this vitamin, but the following statement can be made. From the work that has been
done on the subject, it is apparent that for adequate storage a calf weighing about 70 lb. should be
given about 2,000 I. U. (international units) per day for at least the first four months. Shark liver
oils with 2,000 I. U. per gram are on the market in India, and of such the daily dose would be 1 or
2 c.c. Double this amount may be given with advantage in winter, especially in colder parts.
During the last month of pregnancy, the dam might be given 2 or 3 oz. daily. Both for dam and
young, these amounts may be reduced if green feeding is included, taking green feed to contain 15,000
I. U. per kilogram on fresh basis.
Lundquist and Phillips [1943] have now shown that ascorbic acid (vitamin-C) and nicotinic acid
(vitamin-B factor) are also essential and. of extreme importance for the prevention and control of
diseases of early calfhood. Ascorbic acid may be given at the rate of 0.25—0.5 gm. daily for the first
ten days, while the amount of nicotinic acid required (for an unspecified period) is 50-100 mg.
daily. They succeeded on a small scale in raising Holstein calves without colostrum on a diet from
birth of skim milk supplemented with vitamins-A, D, ascorbic and nicotinic acids.
The adoption of measures referred to above, and especially those concerned with nutrition,
may well reduce calf losses to minimum.
SUMMARY
1. Mortality figures for female calves were obtained from two Military Farms at Secunderabad
(Deccan) and Airfield (Lahore). The results were as follows :
Cow calves . .
Buffalo calves . .
Cow calves . .
Secunderabad 1938-44 . .
Secunderabad 1939-44 . .
Airfield 1939-44 . . .
599 births .
188 births .
526 births .
159 (26.5 per cent) deaths
44 (23.4 per cent) deaths
125 (23.8 per cent) deaths
These high mortality rates are compared with some from Great Britain and the United States of
America1.
2. Of the female cow calves born at Secunderabad, over 40 per cent developed some respiratory
trouble, considered to be the result of vitamin-A deficiency, while at Airfield, pneumonia and intestinal
disturbances contributed equally to form the bulk of the mortality. At Secunderabad, out of 172
cases of respiratory disease, as judged by cough, .113 (65.7 per cent) developed pneumonia, and of
these 69 (61 per cent) died. In buffalo calves at Secunderabad, death usually resulted from intestinal
sickness.