The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1864-02-24
Hints on Raising Calves.


The production of veal is most profitable,
it is usually best to give each good COW
two good calves 10 feed, and let them run
with her and have all the milk they will
draw. In winter and early spring, this
can not be done, and the calves must be
brought TO the COW three times day for
the first week or fortnight, and twice
a day after that; if the calves leave any
pilk, the COW should be thoroughly strip
ped each time. This plan saves much la
Dor in milking, and 50 soon as one pair OF
calves has been sold 10 the butcher, an
other pair may take their places. Cows
will usually own any calves given to them
after one or two milking times, and they
may then be left to run together in the
pasture. The calves should be nearly of
an age. No COW that will not give plen-
ty Of milk for two calves, ought to be
kept fOr anything but beefI and il is an
excellent plan to make the short-teated
cows nurses in this way. The calves
which are to be raised either for beef or
breeding should have all the milk after
they are six or eight weeks old.
Where butter is made, and the milk
can not be spared TO the calf, the plan of
correspondent Of the Agriculturist may
be followed He writes; "Shortly af.
ter the calf is dropped, take it from the
cow and put it in dry, well Uttered sta
bic. Part of each day, it should be al
lowed the range of sothe adjoining yard,
for exercise. BY separating COW and calf
thus early, the former is sooner weaned
from her offspring, and the latter learns
to drink milk more easily than if allowed
to suck for several days. Milk the cow
at once, and feed the calf all 1t will drink.
To teach it to drink, give it your fore-fn-
ger with the back of the hand immersed
in the pail Of milk; few trials will suf-
flee. During the third week, give about
one quarter Of SKINNED milk; in the
fourth week, one half, and after the sixth
week, let it bo all skinned, but sweet and
as warm rs newly drawn milk. After
two months, weaving from milk should
begin. Feed little Indian theal wet up
in milk or water. Give once a day, a
little son, sweet hay; he will soon learn
to nibblc it. A pint of oats per day may
early be given. Soon he will learn to eat
grass, and then in good pasture, will take
care of himself" The practice of remov-
ing the calf from the dam we do not COM
mend, though it is very generally practic-
ed. After the labors and trial of mater
nifty the COW ought to have the satisfac-
tion o! sucking her offspring, at least so
long as it is necessary for the calf to have
nothing but pure milk. The COW will
often worry and pine if the, calf be taken
away too soon, and tendency TO garget
or caked bag is often the result. More
over, if the calf be fastened in a calf pen
or elsewhere, and allowed to 90 to tho
COW three times day, entire separation
will be much more easily borne after few
days.
Where the milk is sold, and il is best
10 wean the calf from the COW rs speedi-
ly as possible, it may be removed after n
few hours. Meanwhile the COW will have
licked and nosed it to her hearts content,
giving the little thing a notion Of matters
and things about it, setting its blood in
circulation, and getting it well on its feet.
The calf will have taken its first meal, and
"butted down the bag" as they say
The first milk should never be withheld
from the calf; utterly unfit for human
food, it is aperient in its action, and cleans
out the bowels of the calf as no medicine
can. Serious results follow, if this does
not take place; in case the bowels do not
move, dose of two ounces Of castor oil,
with teaspoonful of ginger, ought TO be
administered. The removal of the dark,
gummy fpces with which the bowels of
a newly born calf are more or less filled,
is very important. After the calf is re-
removed, it is kept away from the COW
except at meal times, three times a day,
it may well be taught TO drink from n
pail. The milk must be freshly drawn at
first, the next day, part SKINNED milk
may be used, and by the time il Is week
old, it may bo fed on skinned milk alto
gether. Then begin TO add little thin
Cruel, being careful to check any tendency
to securing, by scaldihg part of the milk
with little fine -four. Bran added to
the Cruel is loosening; fine wheat -four
and boiled milk have the opposite ten
dency. So that with careful watching, a
calf may be easily set right without phys.
ic. Where calves run with the COW, and
can hibble grass little, they seldom have
any ailments. After calf is three weeks
old, aud often earlier, the milk may bs