Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-04-02

The calf to select to raise ought to be
from a well bred mother that is fully ma
tured not less than three or four years old
aud not over nine, 4 COW that is known to
be good mixer. The bull or the father
ought to be fine bred, not less than two
years old, and care ought to be taken that
he comes from good milking stock. 1t is
desirable that it should be an carly calf,
not later than March, and if as early as the
first Of March all the better. An early
calf gets better start in the spring
than late one, and if it is properly taken
care Of it will 60 through the summer
stronger and come up in the fall larger and
better developed, and will be more likely
to come in at two years old, making larg-
er sized COW than the late calf. We like
to have the heiler that is designed for the
dairy come in at two years old rather than
three, We want her to form the habit of
making milk early, while her system is
plastic, easily influenced so that by proper
feeding, we can develop the mammary sys-
ten to its utmost capacity. 1t makes a
great difference in the actual value of COW 4,
whether her organs Of secretion are brought
into action young, when they are forming
and developing, with the other organs Of
the body.
For the young calf there is nothing so
good as new milk, and for the first few days
it is quite essential, but it is not very es.
sental that it should be continued beyond
two weeks of age, and where milk is worth
from three to six cents quart it soon gets
to be expensive to follow it up longer than
is necessary. 1t is advisable to teach the
calf to drink as soon as possible, say
at two or three days old, and after
sucking two or three days, if it is left
without an accustomed meal it will gener.
ally take hold very readily. We never
had much difficulty in teaching calf to
drink, and we have acted the part of tutor
for good many Juveniles Of the bovine
persuasion. But keep up the new milk
from the COW, its own mother, if pos.
sblo for fortnight at least, and
then it may be mixed half and half with
skinned milk, and if little oatmeal is at
hand slight mixture Of that will be use
full. Never feed too much at a time but
feed often, say three times u day, at regu.
lar hours, At three or four weeks old the
calf will begin to nibble little at some
carly cut hay or rowen, when slices Of roots
may be offered, and soon shorts or oatmeal
may be added regularly to its drink. The
oat is great at forming muscle, growth
aud does not cause the animal to run tC
nat The tendency to run to fat, for n call
destined for the dairy, must be avoided
A good thrifty growth, making the ANNA
straight and healthy, is vastly more i'm
portant than fat.
Some farmers try to cheat their calves
with hay tea, porridge and other slops, anC
take of the milk too early. There is ne
economy in this, and IL farmer cannot af
ford some milk till the calf is old enough
to live on more solid foed it is better no
to try TO raise it, We should say pure
new milk never less than a week, and no
less than two weeks is better, and ate
that half new milk and half skinned ill
the stomach is strong enough to digest sole
food. Indeed those calves that have NOR,
or less milk till three or four months old
do better than those that are deprived Of i
young.
II calf gets its food regularly, and i
not allowed to 60 too long so that its ap
petite becomes so rayenous as to make i
take its food too rapidly, it will usually es
cape difficulties of the bowels, costivenes
and looseness. Add little salt in tn
food az often at least as once week