The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-02-20
YOUNG DAIRY STOCK.
Feed Heifers Well from the Time Feeding
Is Begun.

Is begun.
1t requires a good deal Of faith to in.
duce farmer to give his young stock
the best possible opportunity for growth
and development. If he has had but
little experience he does not realize the
Importance Of giving special attention
to the growing animals. As they pro
duce nothing at present. and may never
be valuable, he infers that the expense
Of keeping them should be made as
nearly nothing as possible. In his
opinion. it will be time enough to feed
them literally when they are in a con.
ditiOn to make direct return for the
expense involved in caring for them.
On the other hand, the farmer who ha.
been long in the business, feels reluct
ant to cxpend any large sums upon hi,
young stock, because he has learned by
sad and costly experience, that there il
q great deal of doubt as to the returns
which the animals will make therefor.
While there is always doubt as to the
outcome, and the results will, in many
cases, be disappointing, it will pay il
the long run to give the young stock {
kOOu SA0uSCs las 40 paA tlSutdiA VI w
of the heifer calves. They may not make
good mixers in any case, but they vii
be more likely to do SO if they are vel
fed than they will ii they are kept or
poor hay and weather-beatenc ornstalks
If, after being well fed, they prove
worthless for milk, they can be turned
into beef much more readily than they
can if they have been kept on short IA
tions. Not only will they fatten more
quickly on account of their liberal feed
ing in their earlier days, but they vii
weigh much more, and thus make some
thing of return for the extra food con
surled.
If the heifer has good milking quail
ties, liberal feeding will develop then
at an early period. II literally fed from
the time she was taught to drink mill
until she has a calf. she will at tina
time be larger, stronger. more mature
and have her tendencies more strongl.
marked than she will if she has beer
kept on short rations. A good many cow
do very poorly the first year or two be
cause they are getting the growth ant
maturity which they should have hat
before they calved. but which their keep
ing was too poor to allow. In all sucl
cases the owner sustains loss by hi!
failure to give the animal good chanc,
when she was in a condition to make tn.
most of it.
1t is possible to feed young ANNA
too much rich material and thus defeat
the purpose sought by such course
but the cases where this is done
are rare. If the feeding is done reg
ularly, and with q reasonable degree o
care, there will be comparatively few
cases of injury from the adoption Of ;
liberal system. Irregular feeding Otter
produces ills which are laid to the ex
cessive use Of grain.
Commence with the calf. Feed wei
from the time feeding is begun, adapt
ing the quantity and quality Of food t,
the size and special condition of tn,
animal until the time for feeding is over
If the animal has any good qualities
they will be developed by this means
and it will not be necessary to keep he
until she is six or eight years old t,
find whether she is worth keeping or not
Ifshe fails to make prompt and de
cided response to this treatment, sh,
had better be considered candidate fo
early honors at the hands of the butcher
American Dairyman.