Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-05-18
Destroying the Young Calves.

1t may safely be asserted that three
iourths Of the young calves are destroyed
Particularly is this so where cows are
kept for supplying milk and butter for
market. The calves are taken from their
dams when less than three days old and
are sold for nominal sum. They are
then too young to be used as food, yet
they are ruthIessly destroyed, under the
supposition that il kept any length of time
they are Improbable.
Leaving out the fact that great injury
is done the cattle industry of this country
by sacrificing the calves it may be demon.
strated that it is to the advantage of the
dairymen to keep them until they can be
made serviceable as advanced veal or beef,
not overlooking the method adopted by
many dairymen of breeding to scrub bulls.
which practice would be abolished if the
calves were not DESTROYED in their infancy
When the dairyman is brought to the real
ization of the fact that he can make a
profit by feeding skim milk to his calves.
he will seek to breed them from thorough
bred sires, which will result in the inn
provement of the mich cows also,
as the use of improved bulls will
render the scrubs presence unneces-
sarv. the general improvement of the
whole being only matter of time but
as long as the young calves are sold when
but few days old, there will be no in
ducement to improve. and the scrub bull
will be tolerated without regard to any
value he may possess other than that of
getting calves simply that the cows will
come in fresh every year.
1t will be found profitable to use the
skim-milk for calves and sell the butter.
In Europe the practice is general. The
dairymen there endeavor to get as much
money from calves as possible, and, CON
siderng that they pay more as rent than
some farms in this country cost, it is plain
that if they were satisfied there was great
err profit in selling the calves early they
would do so. Blu; such is not the case.
They mix one pound of linseed to each
gallon of milk, the inseed being added to
supply the deficiency of tat made by re
moving the cream. The linseed is crushed
and boiled in water to the consistency of
a heavy soup, which is mixed with the
skim milk and fed warm. The rule is to
always give the milk and llnseed warm
and boiled. The calves increase one
milk, the estimate cost being about 2 a
cent per pound for the skim-mlk and two
cents for the linseed. AS soon as the calves
are old enough they are given the privilege
of pasture, but receive skim milk as long
as they will accept it, being allowed also.
hay and oats. They are expected to in
crease two pounds per day 10 an exper-
iment with one lot of calves the average
was over two pounds gain per day. the
profit over and above all expenses of feed
being 1924 from each calf, though they
were less than one year old. 1t is claimed,
also, that should the market be well
stocked with calves the yearlings can be
kept over another year with advantage.
1t is a profitable way of dsposing of
the skim milk. and is an inducement TO
the keeping of better stock. If calves are
to be retained, the desire will be Tor bulls
that will prove the most serviceabe for
the purpose. 1t will lead to placing on
the market a better quality of veal and
beef. Ii may be stated also, that while
dairymen sell the calves almost rs soon as
they are dropped, in order to have ue use
of the milk for market, it is we'll known
fact that such milk is unfit tor food, being
ropv. and when mixed with that from
cows more advanced in milking, hastens
the decomposition of the whole, and
Injuries it. The calves should remain
with the cows until the milk is in fit
condition for se.-Philadelphia Record.