Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-09-19
AGRICULTURAL.

aIals v - 1laL'
ABOUT CALvES-THEIR EARLY MANAGEMENT T.
All successful cattle-feeding must have
Its start in calf-feeding 1t Is very sci
dom that neglected calf makes a profit
able beef animal. The animal is a COM
phcated machine for working mp the raw
material of food into meat, and 1t must
be evident that the more perfect tins ma
chine, the more economical will he ITS
operations in the production of meat.
The digestive system of the animal is the
laboratory in which all these materials
are prepared and turned into blood. ready
for absorption into the Tissues of the Inv
ing system The capacity of the cali
then for growth must depend upon the
. developement of this digestive system.
The work done by an engine depends
upon the capacity of the boiler to pro
duce steam to drive it. The growth OF
the calf depends upon the capacity OF ITS
stomach to digest food and turn 1t into
blood. This capacity is increased by
judicious use Suppose, for instance,
that the calf is kept wholly upon milk
this will be digested in the fourth stomach,
and the calf might be grown to 800
pounds weight without at all developing
the first stomach, or paunch and then
suppose the milk were withdrawn, and
grass substituted as the only food 1t is
probable that the calf would starve for
the want of nourishment. This unde-
veloped first stomach, intended Tor the
preparation of fibrous food for digestion
IN the true or fourth stomach, would he
unable to perform its office. This is an
extreme case, but it applies to scant feed
ing in the same proportion. If the cali
is given inadequate food 10 produce a
thrifty growth, its stomach is only par
tally developed and If this continues
for considerable length of time, the
capacity Of the stomach is small and any
effort afterwards TO develop 1t Will he uu-
successful, except through long, slow,
and Improbable process of growth, which,
when attained, will not he worth the cost.
And this is the reason why strlnted ami
mails are SO improbable under the best
system of feeding Experienced feeders
do not want such animals at any price.
4 distinction must be made between an
animal that has been thrifty and well de
veloped when young, and has then passed
through short period of scant feeding,
becoming temporarily lean, and one that
has been scantily fed through its tilst II
to Is months. The former will soon re
cover its temporary loss of condition, and
resume its rapid growth but not 50 the
latter, except in rare instances.
FALL CARE OF CALVES.
1t often happens that calves make
fair growth in the early part of the season,
while they get whole milk, or even "A
plentiful supply of SKINNED milk but
when these are withdrawn, if suddenly,
they are not able to keep up condition
If they have been supplied for some time
with a good pasture, or fed green food, or
hay in racks, and become accustomed
gradually to depend upon such food, they
will not fall off much i'll condition. But
the skilful feeder Will strive to keep his
calves constantly growing-constantly
developing every part Of the system.
And, as milk is withdrawn, 1t becomes
important to substitute some concentra-
ted food in its place, so that the nutn-
ment may be abundant to keep up its
calf-hesh. Any check i'll growth Is ut
the loss of the feeder, for 1t will cost
more extra feed to regain it itafterward, be
sides the loss of time The pasture, also,
usually becomes less nutritious, and there
is the more necessity that some extra food
should be given.
Here, the most important food that can
be given as substitute for milk Is lin
secd-oil cake or oil-meal 1t is the food
principally used for this purpose by the
best English feeders The calf is quite
apt to become constipated when the milk
is discontinued, and the oil-mealis slight
" laxative, having a small percentage of
OIL which has a very soothing effect upon
the stomach and intestines. 1t is also
very nitrogenous, being, in this respect,
similar to milk. Il is not necessary to
feed ,..oro than one pint of oil-meal per
day to each calf Calves may b- accus-
toned to eat a quart of oil-meal and md
dlings mixed before the milk is wholly
withdrawn. Oats are an excellent food
for calves, and they should be taught
early to eat them. The calf seems to
have the power of digesting oats very
well without grinding. A pint of oats
given to each calf at first, and soon in
creased to one or two quarts, will keep
the growth steady. Oats are the best SIN
gle substitute for oil-meal, but wheat
middlings and oats make an excellent
combination \ little corn mingled with
these will do very well but corn, as n
single food, should be avoided for Young
animals. The albuminoids and phos-
pilates are in too small proportion in corn
to grow the muscles and bones
As a simple question of economy,
calves should get small grain ration all
through August and the fall months.
This extra food will pay the greatest pro
fit. for it will add, as a general rule, two
dollars to the value Of the calf for each
dollar III food given. Another important
consideration is, that the better the CON
dition of the young animal the better 1t
will stand the cold weather when it comes.
This Is the more important to Western
feeders, who do not provide warm winter
quarters for their calves. A nice layer of
fat on the outside is equal to II heavy
OvercOat to the human being. Every
feeder must see that his success i'll raising
good cattle will depend largely upon his
treatment of the calf -.NdtiOadi Lire
StOck Jou'hai, Chicago.