The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-03-17
REARIN0 CALVES. -

The method of rearing calves depends
much on the future use to be made OF
them. On this subject, breeders and
writer's hold different opinions, and each
may be correct, according to oircum-
stances.
The best time for calves to DO drop
ped, which are intended for rearing, il
in the Spring Of the year. Nature has
taught US that, and all experience is in
its favor.
The calf should, at its first meal, and
as soon after Its birth as inclined, suck |
its. dam. This is indispensable to its !
health, in enabling 1t to discharge the !
fetal nutrinent remaining In its stom.
ach and bowels, and giveit strength for |
future action. Even when it is intend.
ed to bring it up by hand, in feeding
from the pail, three or four meals from
the udder are all the better, and it will
a. readily take the finger for feeding
then, as Immediately after its first |
meal. When the calf is Of no value
and milk only is the object, two OF
three days arc enough for it to live, un-
til the .nilk be thoroughly fit for use.
If tho cows udder be diseased by in
aamation, or otherwise, it may be neces.
sary to retain tho calf a few days long
or, to draw the milk and soften it, for
no draft upon the udder is 50 natural
and soothing as that of the calf.
REAaIxa BIZ HAND.
The very first thing to DO done with
a calf, after he has drawn his very first
meals, is to put rope or strap around
his neck, and tie him to . fastening,
with three or four feet play to his
rope, to let him know he has master.
He will not soon forget it, if so kept
for few days. The rearing is done in
various ways, according to tho necessi-
ties Of the keeper of the COW, and the
use which is to be made of the milk.
The interest Of the dairyman is apt to
give the calf as little food in new milk
as possible but for the benefit of the
calf it should have undiluted milk for
week or ten days at the shortest.
After that time, the new milk may be
slackened, and skinned milk added.
Flax seed, boiled for hours into jelly,
may be mixed with it; slightly At first,
and in few days to the extent of one
half this food may be gwen; or in its
place, fne boiled Indian, oat, or barley
meal Cruel, mixed with the milk, may
be substituted.
But the calf should always have
enough to satisfy its hunger, and fed
regularly, as to time, twice day, at
morning and evening. If not time
to turn to glass, and kept in stable, a
wisp Of fine sweet hay should be tied in
cord, and suspended against the wall,
or loosely 1ayed in a manger, where it
can nibble it. The hay will amuse the
calf, at the least, and soon learn to love
it, aside from adding much to its nour-
ishment. As soon as the grass is ready,
it should lie turned into a small pad.
dock to range at will. If running
water be not at hand, 1t should be pro.
vided in tub, or trough, that constant
access may be had to it-Eor your
calf is a great drinker, aside from its
ordinary meals Of milk or Cruel. This
process Of feeding should be continued
during quite four months, or longer, ac-
cordlns to the purpose for which it is
to DO reared, with little salt, either in
its food, or placed in trough, as often
as once week, to keep its bowels regu.
lar, and promote its general health. In
dairy, whey may take the place Of
skinned milk, and where whey is not
made, and skinned milk is scarce,
after the first six weeks, fax seed jelly,
or cruel porridge, may be used alto
gether. Other substitutes may take
its place, but nothing is so natural for
the calf as milk.
We have raised stock calves in diff.
terent ways, but in none So satisfactory
as on their mothers milk, drawn by
themselves. 1t is more expensive,
whore the milk is of considerable value
we admit, but less troublesome to the
farmer: Our way is let the calf take
according to its necessities, and the
quantity the COW g,ves-one, two, or
three teats-6rst drawing what can be
spared to the dirty, from the teats 50
MIXED, and then letting tho calves
take the residue. We are satisfied that
one-third less milk drawn by the calf
from the COW, will give as much uour-
ishment as the full quantity fed him BY
hand. The saliva secreted in the nro.
cess Of sucking as beneficial 10 ADDING
the digestion, such being the natural
process. Cows that arc good mixers
will'thus rear a stock calf, to three or
four months old, on one-half or one.
third Of their milk, and when the in.
creased value of the heifer calves for
future dairy COWS is considered, the
value of the milk they take for three
or four months may be-. good invest
ment in them. For convenience, two
calves may be nursed by one COW,
which is often preferred, as by such