The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-09
Feeding Calves,

The Iowa experiment station has
been making a series of very interest
ing experiments on calf raising. These
experiments have been mainly directed
to the study of additional foods to be
used in connection with skim milk.
So far the experiment indicates that
either oatmeal or mixture of corn
meal and haxseed, and even cornmeal
alone, gave better results in promoting
growth simply than oilmeal. 1t is stat
ed that cream is highly carbonaceous
substance, and that it is reasonable to
suppose that it could be best replaced
by a carbonceous feed like cornmeal,
rather than by a highly heterogeneous
feed like oilmeal. In regard to this
conclusion Hoard's Dairyman says
there is one important point which the
Iowa experiment does not sufficiently
cover. In the raising of heifers for the
specific purpose of developing them in
to the best dairy COWS possible, the
kind of food they eat, and its tenden-
cies, becomes very important consid-
Grafton. A constant guard must be
had against feeding food that is too
carbonaceous, having tendency to
promote too great deposit fat. What
we are after in such heifer is to de-
velop organs of maternity as much as
possible. For this reason we need more
heterogeneous food than cornmeal. The
future COW is either made or spoiled
very much in the first year of the heif-
er's growth. 1t is much better for her
future as mother that in this period
she is rather under than overfed. The
effect of food, highly carbonaceous, on
the genital and maternal organs, should
be more thoroughly studied.
To illustrate: 1t is fact, well known
among English breeders, that the feed
ing of molasses, which is almost pure
carbon, to an ugly bull will, if continu-
ed long enough. have nearly the effect
of castration. 1t will destroy the pow
er of reproduction, and make him fat
and sluggish. If the female be fed in the
same way, it will have the same effect
to greater or less degree, in proper
ton as the dairy temperament is strong
or weak.
Several years ago it was noticed by
the owners of Clydesdale and English
shire stations that where barley and
molasses were fed to them to make
them fat and sleek, it had two disas-
trous effects: Q) Loss of power as a
foal getter. (2) In case their colts
were born they showed serious lack
of vitality when dropped.
So marked is this effect of carbona-
ceous foods upon the breeding functions
that many wise breeders of dairy cattle
refuse to fit their animals for the show
ring because of the injury in this re-
spect that comes TO both male and fe-
male from high conditioning.
We have made repeated experiments
with cormeal upon cows OF various
grades of dairy temperament to note
what its effect would be. With cows
of low dairy temperament, by which
we mean where the flesh making ten
dency was rather strong, it proved very
easy by feeding cornmeal, somewhat
heavily to nearly dry them off, while
at the same time they would grow fat.
With cows in which the dairy or milk
giving temperament has been strongly
established by both breeding and right
feeding, this effect Of too heavy feed
ing of carbonaceous food was we'll re-
sisted.
The illustration we have given will
serve to show the necessity of "bring-
ing up heifer in the way she should
co." because of the great difference in
the effect of foods on the organs of ma
teruity. For this reason we prefer the
use of ground haxseed meal rather
than cornmeal TO be added to the skim
milk. In this connection it should be
remembered that the butter fat in the
milk-is not like any other fat in its et-
feet on the growth of the young. Its
effect on the nervous system is unlike
that of any other fat, and all maternal
functions are based particularly on the
nervous system. For this reason, when