The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-05-16
TOPICS FOR THE R

Attention to Heifer Calves.-We are
glad, says the National Live Stock Jour
nal, that the better class of dairymen
are beginning to see the economy of rails
ing their own COWS. As has often been
urged in this journal, the dairyman can
never be sure of his stock unless he
raises it upon his own farm. We know
large numbers are doing this, and SEINE
are trying to accomplish it without
making proper provision for the neces-
sary food to grow their heifers in the
best manner. 1t is not enough that the
heifer is raised upon the farm where she
is to be useful as a milk producer, but
ample provision of food must be made
to develop all her good qualities. II
too frequently occurs that the dairyman
turns his heifer calves into poor pas
ture, after they are two or three months
old, and expects them to grow into
good animals on what they can pick up
without further attention. But such
calves will turn out like the corn-felds
planted upon poorly plowed and pre-
pared land, with no subsequent cultiva-
ton. The corn is scarcely worth har-
vesting, and the calves not worth win
tering. The owners of such neglected
stock. often excuse themselves by say
ing, ga little extra attention will fetch
them up bye-and-bye." But everybody
notices that those calves are never
fetched up-always remain small,
scrawny, undeveloped animals.
Now the COW is a machine for secret
ing milk, and this machine should be
developed to the greatest perfection. A
poorly developed animal cannot have
its secretory system in a vigorous and
healthy state. Having been fed meagerly,
its digestive system is contracted and
wanting in capacity to furnish sufficient
aliment for large milk production.
Every thing depends upon the rearing
of the heifer calf in determining her
usefulness as a mixer. A steady and
rapid growth from childhood shows all
her secretory organs in the greatest &C
tivity, and her digestive organs must
have been well developed and active to
have prepared so much food for assimi-
lation into such rapid growth. And as
it is impossible that the cow should
yield a large quantity of milk without
digesting a large quantity of food, the
animal must be trained to do this from
calfhood.
The statement of these principles
must show the dairyman how vastly i'm.
poruant it is that his heifer calves should
never growing for a single day.
Scanty feeding is, therefore, the worst
economy, and judicious fall feeding the
greatest economy. The calf, like every
other animal, requires a certain amount
of food to keep it alive, and all the
growth comes from what is eaten more
than this. The greater the amount OF
food, therefore, digested and assimilated,
the more the growth, and the more the
profit.
The cost of a good calf, six months old,
is but little more than a poor one, al.
though it is worth from three to foul
times as much. Let us, then urge dairy
men not to begrudge the food eaten by
their dairy calves, but to study how
they can best please their tastes and
satisfy their appetites. If the pasture
is at all short, give them extra food
Bran, a little oil-meal, oats, apples
pumpkins-all are good. Grain is bet
ter ground than whole; but oatsin small
quantity do very we'll ground. Feet
with a liberal but judicious hand, and
your reward will be melted out in ever
greater measure.