Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-05-24
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Supplements to Skim Milk in Fatten-
ing Calves.


Supplements to Skim Milk in Fatten-
ing Calves.
The Iowa Station has conducted ex-
periments extending over number of
years to learn what feeding stuffs may
be profitably combined with skim milk
for calves. In two of the tests linseed
meal, ground oats, and a mixture of
corn meal and flaxseed were compared
as supplements to separator skim milk.
In the last test reported corn meal was
also included. For this test (Which
covered "a days. twelve calves were
divided into four lots of three each.
During the test each lot consumed
about $3.50 pounds of separator milk
and 1,4SO pounds of hay. In addition,
lot I, was fed 429 pounds of linseed
meal; lot 2, COS pounds of oatmeal; lot
3, 50 pounds of tlaxseed and 538 pounds
of corn meal, and lot 4, COL pounds Of
corn meal. The lots were kept in we'll
ventilated sheds with yards connecting.
Salt and water were always accessible.
The foods consumed, gains made, and
cost per pound of gain in the last ex.
pertinent are shown in the following
table:
From these figures it appears that the
best and most economical gains were
made on corn meal and skim milk.
Comparing the results of all the tests
made, it is found that "in each of the
three experiments conducted by this
station linseed meal has given lower
and more expensive gains and has been
in every way less satisfactory than
either oatmeal or corn meal OF flaxseed
The results indicate that pure corn
meal is superior to pure linseed meal
for feeding calves in combination with
skim milk"
While the results of these experi-
ments are contrary to prevailing opin-
ion concerning the relative value of
these feeds. it is not unnatural or in
any way unreasonable that the carbon
aceous grains should be more suitable
for feeding with skim milk than high
ly nitrogenous product like linseed
meal.
The conclusion seems warranted that
q nitrogenous feed, such as oatmeal is
neither necessary nor most profitable to
supplement separator milk ration for
young calves. All of these ratlons, even
when corn and flaxseed were used, were
narrower than whole milk, and it is
evident that the element lacking in
separator milk is not albuminolds, but
fat or its equivaleut-oar carbohydrates :
in some form palatable and digestible
to calves.
In recent experiments in Holland the
effects of increasing the fat in skim
milk for calves or of adding starch was
tested. Sufficient whole milk was add
ed to skim milk to make the desired
amount of fat.
When starch was fed it was cooked
to paste in the skim milk. About 94
per cent of the starch was digested, the
coetficient of digestibility being as high
as in the case of the adult animal. The
addition of starch to the ration dimin-
ished the digestibility of protein some
what. 1t was, however, on the whole
satisfactory, although the. author Ibe-
lieves that fat is preferable.
A prominent French Investigator has
recently published the results of a mum
Der of years experience in feeding
starch and.skim.milk to calves, and re-
CARDS this combination of foods as very
satisfactory. He states that a calf
weighing on an average 10 pounds at
birth should gain about 2 pounds in
weight day, about quarts of milk
being required for this by calf of the
above weight. When the calf is eight
days old, starch in the proportion of IL
ounces to quart Of milk may be sub
stituted for whole milk. No bad re-
suits follow the change in feed and the
gains made are satisfactory. The
starch should be cooked to smooth
paste with half the milk used, then
mixed with the remainder and fed
warm. The value of this method of
feeding from an economical standpoint
is discussed at considerable length.
These experiments all indicate that
what might be expected on theoretical
grounds is found to be the case in prac-
tice' 1t is known that the body re-
quires protein for its growth and MAIN
tenance, and in addition fat and carbo-
hydrates for supplying the necessary
energy. Whole milk is the normal
food of the calf; it contains suf.
ficient amount of protein. If the
fat is removed, the skim milk sup.
plies the same amount of protein as be-
fore, but something must be added as a
source of energy 1t is known that
within limits fat and carbohydrates
either in form of starch or cereal grains
were successfully combined with skim
milk and in this way the animal was
supplied with an abundance of protein
and energy and made satisfactory gains
When it is possible to supply protein il
a by-product such as skim milk, and tht
supplementary material in an expensive
form, the profitable feeding of calves II
] Observation-Disclosures Tribune.