The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-09-28

upon which we are not infallible, and
I a oily give a method which has
brought to me very satisfactory ano
| Aattering results. My practice ls &c
allow the calf to remain with the dam
only about six hours. This for the
reason that the early removal excltes
less anxiety of the mother, and l thlnR
/ the calf takes more readily to drinking
milk from the pail. / have roomy Oo1
stalls for my calves and unless croWoeo
each one has a separate stall. Here
the education begins. / feed Literally
of whole milk for the first six weeks,
after which the youngster is gradually
wesned onto sweet skinned milk,
warm as it leaves the separator. AT
this time l think it is necessary TO q
some substitute for the butter fat moi
found in the SKINNED milk, and for
this purpose I use old process Oil MEAL
scalded to a jelly, and mixed Wild
milk. There ia soon developed an ap
petite for grain, and while they Will
consume at fret a very small quantity,
it must be remembered that this small
amount does the calf just as much good
as a proportionately large amount does
a matured animal. I aim to feed all
they will eat of ground oats and wheaa
braI, m xed equal parts by measure.
They also have access to good hay,
clover preferred, and a small amour
of corn silage as soon as they will eat
it. l prefer SKINNED milk, oil meal
and this grain ration, because they are
bone and muscle making foods and l
consider whole milk, containing butter
fat worth twenty cents a pound, an
extravaganza food, when we can do the
work efecgually with oil meal worth
only one cent per pound. Bone enc
muscle and early maturity r what
I seek to develop in the dairy calf, and
with the foods mentioned / push them.
realizing that there is no time in al
animals life when the food cost OF 100
pounds live weight can be produced 30
economically as when they are young
But growth is not all to be consid
cred, and another point Of no less im-
portance is health and constitutional
vigor, which is promoted by good sani,
tary treatment, free from exposure,
cleanliness of pens, plenty of fresh air,
sunlight, exercise, occasional grooming
and kind treatment. Ny fall calves
are kept in their pens until the warun.
sunny deys of early spring when ttey
are daily given a frolIc in the yards
In June they ale turned into small
pasture, but are stabbed nights and in
clement days and are fed throughout
the summer. Spring calves are stabbed
during the summer, but-are given open
air exercise. In the winter they are
given an hours airing every day,
which develops q foE6ness to be with
the herd, 50 when turned out IN the
spring, they have learned to rustic
among the older ones, take readily to
eating grass, and 500 grow %independ
ent Of stable feed. These twelve
mOntLs Of age / think thrive and fac
sufficient nourishment upon good pas
ture and should oe fed milk until about
this age. I dtsire a calf to always be-
in good thriving condition, but do not
encourage any disposition to taking on
f9sh, for If beefy, she is out of her
place, and We are developing q fictitious
nature for which she was not created.
l believe there is to day an existing
evil in the American show yard, IN
ldges giving 100 much encouragement
20 beefy dairy cattle. advocate coed
condition (aoC beety) and the feeding
Of bone and muscle forming foods in
such quantities that her development
may not be checked, go when she takes
her place in the string of mixers che
will shape herself and respond with
more Certainty and more accurately
to the dairy function and her true
characteristic nature.--W. J. GilletJ,
in Breeders g z2tte.