Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-10

Upon the treatment the calf receives
| the first winter depends to a great eX
| tent its future usefulness and profit 20
| the owner. To secure a rapid growth
| and fix a thrifty habit, both of which
| ARE necessary to after profit, two things
| at least are necessary; first, good
| shelter, and second, plenty of nourlsh-
| ing food. AS to the first, it should De
warm and comfortable, and just SO it is
this it matters little whether it be in the
form Of cheap sheds, made of straw or
| boards, or nicely painted and more eN-
| penSiVe barns. AS good calves can be
| raised in the one as in the other prOvid-
ed they are equally comfortably
and fed the same. Breeders of pure
bred stock quite often tie their calves
with halterS during the time they are
in the barn in the winter, but not many
farmers care to go to the expense Of
building managers nor take the time to
tie the calves, and there is no necessity
that they should. A large roOmy stall
in which the calves can be allowed to
run loose, with feed boxes and hay
racks and watering trough arranged con-
veniently, will answer every practical
purpose, if, indeed, this be not better
for the calves than when tied up. 1t
gives them freedom, which all animals
love, and in lying down they can ar
range themselves in the attitude most
comfortable, which is often impossible
when tied by the head or neck.
There are sevraI points to be observ-
ed in arranging such stall if the calves
are to be well Wintered. First, the
calves must have plenty Of room; it is
not profitable to crowd them. Second,
luey should be well bedded with straw
or some equally good material at al
times. Lack of breeding will go u great
way toward neutralizing the good e
feet of good food and warm shelter.
They should always have comfortable
place to lie; there is nothing so essential
| to the comfort and thrift OF any animal.
One can very easily ascertain the i'll
effects of a wet, muddy, 'manury' bed,
or a hard, frozen, lumpy one by just try
| ing such quarters himself for night or
| TWO. Third, the shelter must be warm.
BY warm" is not meant a hot, oven
sort of a place filled with foul air, but
| there should be no drafts of cold air
blowing through, the cracks ought to be
battened and the shed warm enough
that the manure will not freeze.
Fourth, there should be windows
through which the sunlight can enter
freely. Sunlight is as necessary to the
health and growth of animals as food
| and water. Perhaps that is a little
strong, because l suppose that they
would certainly die in a very short time
without food and water; still
calf might as well be dead,
| so far as it's future useful
ness is concerned, if it be compelled to
live for any length of time without sun
shine. So [ say, have the calf shed on
the south side, with plenty Of windows
in it so that the blessed sunlight can
come in freely. Fifth, the calf stall
must be well ventilated and kept clean.
| Calf manure is very disagreeable, and
| gives off foul odOrs, hence the ceiling of
the stall ought to be high, and the venti-
lation well arranged to carry out the
impure air quickly and admit freely that
fresh and pure. This is certainly q
most important point to be observed.
Pure air is as necessary to the health os
animals as it is to man, and many Il
costly stable has proved a very unprof-
liable investment simply because no
adequate arrangements We're made to
permit the escape of foul air, and give
entrance to fresh. It is we'll enough, in
deed, most decided advantage, to have
the calf stable comfortably warm, but
it is better by far to have outdoor tenn
perature and a pure atmosphere to
breathe, rather than an indoor tenn
perature of sixty degrees and an air
laden with sickening Odors which can
not escape and which carry disease into
the lungs of every animal that breathes
| it.
When the calves are running loose in
| stalls it is important that there be not
| too many in each one, and that they be
! divided according to size and strength.
F.! # those of all ages and sizes are shelf
cred in one stall the larger will, of
course, abuse the smaller and keep them
away from the managers and troughs.
with the result that the latter will be
deprived of food that they ought to
| have the former get more than they
need.
A good grade calf ought to weigh at
six months of age at least four hun
dred and Seventy-five pounds, and one
hundred pounds per month for the first
six months is not an unusual weight,
nor one difficult to make with calves
from the right kind of a pure-bred bull
and grade cows. But be the weight
| what it may, if the calves go into the
winter in thrifty condition they can be
kept moving right along and gain in
| weight every week until grass comes
| again, if they are well cared for and
| fed.
AS to the food used the kind must
necessarily vary with the locality. This
| much is imperative, however, the "a
! tons must be such as contain a suf-
! ficient supply of muscle and flesh pro
! ducing material. Growing animals need
| food rich in the material that produces
! grOWth-muSt have it if they prove
profitable. In the corn and grass belt
! corn will, or course, form a good part or
! the ration, but along with it should be
! fed such foods as oats, bran, shorts, oil
meal. ETC., to balance" the corn
! Where oats are cheap a very good ra-
! ton is half and half corn and oats; the
proportion of corn might be increased
| somewhat whom tho weather is nm