The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-02-19
Agrltalturd.
Hints on Raising Calves.

Calves are raised for veal, or to become milk
producers, or to bear the yoke, or still unbrok-
en- to be used as beef Where the production
Of veal is most profitable, 1t Is usually best to
give TO each COW two calves to feed, and lot
them run with her and have all the milk they
will draw. In winter and early spring, this
cannot be done, and the calves must be brought
to the COW three times day for the first week
or fortnight, and twice day after that; If the
calves leave any milk, the COW should be thor
oughly stripped each time. This plan saves
much labor in milking. and as soon as one pair
Of calves has been sold to the butcher, another
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-
gether in the pasture. The calves should be
nearly Of an age. No COW that will not give
for anything hut beef; and il is an excellent
plan to make the short-teated COWS nurses in
this way. The calves which are to DO raised
either for beef or breeding, should have all tho
milk after they are O or & weeks old.
Where butter is made, and the milk cannot
be spared to the calf. the plan Of correspond
ent Of the Agricultrist may be followed. He
writes shortly after the calf Is dropped, take
il from the COW and put it in dry, well Uttered
the range Of some adjoining yard, for exercise.
former Is soon weaned from her offspring, and
the latter learns to drink milk more easily than
II allowed to suck for several days. Milk the
COW ut once, and feed the calf oil 1t will drink
To teach il to drink, give IL your fore-fnger
with the back Of the hand immersed in the pail
Of milk; few. trials will suffice. During the
third week, give about one-quarter OF skinned
milk; in the fourth week, one-half, and after
the sixth week, let IL all be skinned, but sweet
,l,.. HarN Nrwn
months, weaning from milk should begin.
Feed little Indian meal wet up In milk or wa
ter. Give once day, little soft sweet hay;
he will soon learn to nibble it. A pint OF oats
per day may early be given. Soon he will
learn 10 eat grass, and then in good pasture,
will take care OF himself" The practise Of re
moving the calf from tho dam we do not COM
mend, though II Is very generally practised.
Amer the labors and trial OF maternity the COW
ought to have the satisfaction Of sucking her
offspring, at least 50 long as II is necessary for
the calf To have nothing but pure milk. The
COW will often worry and pine u the calf be
taken away too soon, and tendency to gar
get or caked bag is often the result. Moreover,
n the calf be fastened in calf pen or elsewhere
and allowed to 70 to the COW three times day,
entire seoaration will be much more easily
borne after few days.
Where the milk is sold. and II Is best to wean
the calf from the COW rs speedily as possible, II
may be removed after few hours. Meanwhile
the COW will have licked II and nosed It to her
hearts content, giving the little thing notion
of matters and things about Il. setting its blood
in circulation, and getting Il well on Its feet.
The calf will have taken Its first meal, and "but-
ted down the bag" rs they say. The 6rst milk
should never be withheld from the calf; utter.
ly unfit for human food. Il Is aperient in its ac-
ton. and cleans out the bowels OF the calf as no
medicine can. Serious results follow, II this
does not take place in case the bowels do not
move, q dose Of two ounces OF castor oil, with
q teaspoonful Of ginger, ought to be admins
tered. The removal OF the dark. gummy forces
with which the bowels Of newly born calf are
more or less filled, Is very important After
the calf is removed, il Is kept away from the
COW except at meal times, three times day.
Amer about the third or fourth day, II may
well be taught to drink from . 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, Il may be fed on SKINNED
milk altogether. Then begin to add q little thin
cruel, beng careful TO check any tendency to
securing, by scalding part Of the milk with q
little fine flour. Bran added to the cruel IL
loosening fine wheat -four aud boiled milk
have the opposite tendency. So that with care
full watching, O calf may be easily set right
without physic. Where calves run with the
COW, and can nibble grass little, they seldom
have any ailments. After calf Is three weeks
old, and often earlier, the milk may be with
held altogether. and q tea made Of clovery hay
used to mix with the Cruel. In this way calf
may be fatted for the butcher or raised success.
fully, but Il will usually be more economical to
feed milk. unless u Is worth more than cents
per quar,.-.Amsriedn .fgrieuiturisi.