Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-05-11
BEST WAY TO REAR CALVES.

Eds. Co. GENr.-Agreeable to promise |
will give you my mode of feeding and rails
ing calves Perhaps the numerous readers
of the Country Gentleman will say the sub
ject is already exhausted, and that they
know all about the small matter OF raising
calves. Perhaps they do, but as there is
a great diversity of opinion on the subject
hope you may pardon me for what little |
may say Economy in these times of high
taxes, is quite an important item to every
farmer and as this principle can be applied
with profit to great many points in our
profession, perhaps by an interchanging of
views we may be able to apply it in some
measure to rearing calves.
Some claim that good calf cannot be
raised unless they draw the milk themselves
from the COW and others that they must
| certainly be fed new milk for two or three
months. Now let US investigate this sub
ject on the princip pies of economy, and see
if it is profitable. Suppose the calf takes
one-half of the milk of a good COW for 80
days, what would the calf cost at that age
with butter at fifty cts, per pound? Only
the moderate little sum of about $22, so.
Rather costly calf. But without any far
ther comments on the different modes of
treatment, will proceed to give my meth
cd, and in so doing | shall have to go into
detail somewhat.
In the first place, let the calf remain
with the COW from two to three days theu
put him away by himself, when the process
of learning him to drink commences, and
little patience saves great amount OF
trouble The calf is usually tied with a
rope, or put in stanchons at feeding time,
and in learning it to drink by putting the
hand on the nose and pressing the fore fin
ger on the end near the mouth, he will
reach out his tongue, get taste OF the
milk, and learn very readily to drink from
the pail. | sometimes feed new milk for a
day or two then let the mild stand twelve
hours, take off the cream, warm the milk,
and feed to the calf for q week or so then
let it stand twenty-four hours, being care
full not to feed too much SO as to loosen the
bowels and after the calf gets to be four
or six weeks old, it will eat almost any
thing you give him.
prefer to keep them up in the stable or
small yard, until they are two or three
months DID, and give them what hay they
will eat, and this treatment keeps the bow
els more regular than to let them run to
grass. find small quantity of oil cake
meal very good addition for a month or
two at first A little dry clay | think very
good for them to lap occasionally where
they are kept confined.
| have seen very fine calves raised in
this way, and have raised great many
good ones myself will give you the
dressed weight of one eleven months old,
that raised few years ago. 1t was fed
all summer with skinned milk with tue adj
dtion of a little corn meal for the last
three months. His dressed weight was
500 lbs with % lbs rough tallow. | do
not pretend that calf raised on SKINNED
milk will look as fine as those raised on
new milk, but l claim that you can raise
very good ones, aud far more economically
and especially in the dairy districts where
we have large quantity of milk to feed.
One very essential part, in raising calves
in this way, is to feed each calf by itself,
so that each one shall have his regular
mess, as some will drink a great deal fas-
ter than others.
: have always noticed where a lot of
calves were fed all together in a long
trough, there would be some very poor
} ones, and this is owing to some drinking
faster than others Now to those that are
skeptical in regard to raising calves on
SKINNED milk, say try it, and see if, on
the principles of economy,you cannot make
it pay. If you wish to fatten, add shorts
or meal and have DO doubt you will sue
ceed to your entire satisfaction.
! JOHN SHATTUCK.