The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-10-03
RAISING CALVES.

those not already familiar with this
branch Of cattle raising. According to
our own experience, there are several
advantages in starting calves III. the fall
instead of in spring. There are no bet
ter months for this purpose than Sep
TENDER and October. The flies, which |
trouble calves and other animals so se-
verely in hot weather, are then gone,
and the weather is SO cool that milk
keeps sweet as long as desirable. Very
2 few farmers can afford to raise calves
on whole milk, but when the mercury
is above ninety, it is very difficult keep
ing milk long enough to obtain the
cream before it becomes too sour to
bear warming over a fire. Then, again,
it is great bother 10 be obliged to
warm mp messes of milk over the kitch-
en- stove morning and evening during
the hot, sultry weather of "dog days"
Calves raised in the fall get good start
by the time for turning TO pasture the
following spring, and will then grow
right along without further trouble.
or course, the time of year for raising
will always be governed by the farm
ers' season for dairying. If his best
months for making butter or cheese are
the summer months, he will neccssa-
rily be compelled to raise his calves in
the spring, but if we could have our
choice i'll the matter, we would choose
October for receiving into the world all
the calves needed for keeping up the
stock of the farm.
SELECT ONLY THE BEST.
In raising calves for the dairy, it is
very important that only such are Sc
lected as we may have reason TO believe
will make good profitable cows. 1t is
claimed by many observing farmers
that much injury is done to our stock
by raising all the calves from pedigree
animals, whether they are promising or
not. If one pays high price for an
animal because ii is of noted breed or
family, the temptation is always very
strong to raise all the yonng stock from
such animals, whether they show spe-
cial indications of merit or not. The
most successful breeder will be the man
who has enough animals to choose
from, so that he can afford to reject all
that do not suit his ideas of what is de-
cidedly worthy. Nor is it always Ger
tain that choice COW will bring val
liable calf. The COW may have become
so exhausted by the production of a
great quantity of milk, while carrying
her calf, rs to injurc its vitality. For
raising the best calves, we would be
little easy Oh the mother, and not take
away too much OF her life blood and
vitality through the pail during the last
few months before the calf is born.
TEACHING TO DRINK.
Having the calf on hand, the next
thing is to teach it TO drink its milk
from pail, instead of sucking it from
the teats of the mother cow. People
differ as to the length of time young
calf should be allowed to remain with
its mother, some preferring to remove
1t Immediately or within short time,
while others would let it have its own
way for day or two, or even longer.
We are inclined to believe that the COW
will usually give larger flow of milk
where the calf is allowed to suck for
few days or weeks, but it is usually
much easier teaching calf to drink
when 1t is but day old, than after the
instinct of sucking becomes habit.
We have usually allowed our calves 10
remain with the cow half day, OF UNI
til they have had one full meal, then
take them away and teach them to
drink by offering them warm new milk
in a clean sweet pail. The milk should
he as near the natural temperature as
practicable. In cold weather, hot wa
Ter is nsed for warming the pail before
the milk is put in. Everything being
ready, back the little fellow into some
corner, and having put his head be-
tween your legs with the pail in front
OF you, wet the finger i'm the warm milk
and insert it in the Calls mouth. If he
will suck the finger, you have only TO
gradually work his head down TO the
milk to get him to drink. If he makes
too slow work of taking the milk with
the finger in the mouth, put in two
fingers, keeping them little way apart
SO the milk can flow between. If he
Will not suck the finger at all, we have
sometimes allowed the calf to suck its
mother few minutes, to whet up its
appetite. If the COW is MIXED clean
first, the calf will generally be glad TO
suck anything he can get hold of after
being taken away. In this way, we
have never failed ofteaching a calf, even
II several weeks old, to suck the finger.
and from that to drinking milk from The !
pail Is an easy step. Pouring milk |
down through tunnel or glass bottle,
or boxing calls ears to make him
drink, is all wrong. They should be
treated kindly at all times and made 10 |
feel that you are their best friend |
Calves that are kindly treated when
young, seldom make anything but tame. |
gentle animals when grown.
Farmers who make butter from their
milk are the best situated for raising |
calves, as they have plenty of skinned /
milk for feeding, and if a calf can have
enough of this, he will be pretty sure to
grow and thrive. We prefer TO feed
whole milk warm from the COW till the
calf Is at least week old, then gradu-
ally change OH to skinned milk by
mixing In part that is twelve hours
old, and increasing il from day TO dav
till 1t has skinned milk only. Then,
as 1t gets older, milk is given, when, by
the time four weeks are passed, the
mix may be pretty thoroughly
their habits of eating, some being MI
ways hearty and ready to eat or drink
anything that is given them, while 9th
ers are dainty and notional, born with
out stomach, as some people express
1t. When calfis good feeder, it may
be put early upon sour milk, say within
i've or six weeks, provided IL is not
over-fed. Oyer-teeding is one of the
worst things that can happen to calf,
as II Invites disease in various forms.
Scours, that most common and trouble
some of all the diseases affecting young
calves, Is almost invariably caused by
overlooking and cold, damp apart /
ments. Cold food will also cause II,
especially II given in undue quantity. {
Scours is at first only SYMPTOM of in
digestion, and IL taken immediately.
may be cured by simply keeping tie
calf warm and dry, and giving less Z