The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-01-21
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Raising Calves.


in raising calves. There is so much
of sound sense and good judgment in
the same that we make the following
condensation of his ideas:
a. A good, healthy calf, of good
parentage on both sides of course, is
too valuable an animal to BIZ carelessly
or thoughtlessly sacrificed. (2.) The
future worth of a heifer calf is wholly
dependant upon the number of good
milking ancestors she has back of her.
(s.) The greatest profit is in feeding
young animals when natural growth is
constantly adding weight. Many buyers,
especially for beet, have learned better
than to ever purchase an old COW or
pair of oxen, for they know that there
is no gain in growth, only gain in con-
dition, and this at a cost fully equal to
the return. ~ 1t is common to see
a stableful of young calves most mis-
erably treated; the floor wet and filthy;
the managers SO deep that the pressure
on the under side of their necks
while trying to reach their food would
cause frequent coughing; the
tie ropes so long that they
were in danger of being tan
gled or chokcd, and from the same
cause they discharge their weddings in
their manger and on each other. (5.)
Over feeding should be avoided as it
produces securing; to avoid this feed in
smaller quantities and three times day.
(6.) DO not allow the calves to suck
Que anothers ears, as it is weakening
and causes filth to enter the stomach,
milk is good food, but it must always
be fed warm. 1t is a good thing to get
the calf to take it's food slowly and to
this end ''calf feeder" is great help,
as it causes the calf to mix his saliva
with his food as it is taken into the stom-
ach, and also prevents the habit of
sucking ears before spoken of. (8.)
For combining the calf the common stan
chion is the best method, for the reason
that it is the most clearly, and, if fed
from pail it prevents the calf from
spilling the milk. He also practices ty-
ing with short cord and opening the
stanchion at night. A handy way is to
have strap around the neck with a
ring attached. The cord, fastened to
the back partition of the manger with
a snap at the loose end can be quickly
snapped into the ring. This gives the
calf little more freedom of the neck
at night, and still it cannot get into
the manger. CO., After drinking
their milk they should be encouraged
to eat little bran or sweet, young,
upland hay. (10.) Every calf feeder
should use thermometer; about IS to
SO degrees is the right temperature to
feed the milk. The safest way is to
warm the milk in large vessel of hot
water, then there is no danger of
scorching it. Q1.) Be careful, observe
regularity of feeding, and not let the
calf get too hungry; this produces
indigestion.
There is no better time for raising
calves than the fall. Calves do better
on dry hay with their milk than if fed
on green grass, and if they learn to
eat hay early and go through the
winter in healthy condition they will
be in the best possible condition to
turn away to good pasture in the
spring.
In building stanchions 2x4 joist for
the top and sill, with four inch strip
to match with narrow strips of inch
boards for uprights is all the wood
work required. The stationary upright
should be secured by small Al inch
light carriage bolts passing through
three thlcknesses of joists and boards.
The movable strips should'be planned
little thinner at the ends to allow of
easy play, the bottom end being held
by bolt, the upper by wooden key.
When the calf gets too large for the
room given the movable upright may
be set farther out by boring new holes.
Milk judiciously fed will pay as we'll
given to good calves as to swine, and it
looks now as if it might pay a good
deal better for some time to come.