The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-31
FARM AND
GARDEN ~
INTERESTS

Correspondence Country Gentleman.
If dairymen would depend upon raising
their dairy animals themselves, the result
would be much more satisfactory, as a rule,
than TO buy from stoekmen or spectators in
haphaZard way any ''pick-ups" that are
offered. In order TO begin right in rearing
our own dairy stock, calves should be select
ed whose granddams on both sides had
good record AT the pail or churn; then there
will be reasonable hope that the calf will
evolve into profitable member of the dairy.
If we are in the dairy business for milk,
then the attention is drawn toward the
animal which will turn her food and ener
gies into furnishing an abundance of milk;
but if the aim of the dairyman be cream or
butter, he does not care whether the amount
of milk be large or small so it yields a
proper amount of butter fat. But If the
dairyman deems the rearing of calves only
side issue and as a result gives only
Indifferent treatment, he might just as well
buy his cows; for stunted calf is a pitiable
object and will never fulfill its destiny, no
matter what its after treatment may be.
Extravaganza in the feeding of the calf is
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. never. Ex-
travagant feeding-it would be called by
many-meanS milk fresh from the cow or
new milk for at least three weeks after the
birth of the calf; and the calf that is not
worth what new milk it can consume during
the nrSt rev weeks or Its life is not worth
the rearing. Let me emphasize that the
first weeks of the calf's existence determ-
Inc its value later or.
L advocate letting the calf remain with it's
mother for a day or two, not from any
sentiment on the subject. although L con-
Tess to a feeling of pity when the cow S
maternal instinct is ignored and the off
SDrlnR removed hnr SIGHT
as born, but L believe it tends toward the
betterment of both cow and calf, beside be-
ing more natural. When the calf is re-
moved from the mother, be Ii sooner or
later, If the season is cool, then a stall
should be given which insures light, is clean
and last but not least, is warm. The new
born animal, whether of high or low degree,
is a creation of warmth Therefore the
calf S stall should be of the same tempera-
ture as the blood of its mother upon which
it was nourished until its birth-blood warm.
New milk is richer than blood-at least the
milk from good cow is-sO it is best to
dilute the new milk with water TO a reason
able extent Solid food is not fit for the
stomach of young calf, but at a reason
able age, sweet skim milk may be substitute
ed for new milk gradually-the weaving
process should be slow one. Later on,
corn meal may be added, leading to corn
ensilage, clover hay, etc.
The decline in dairy profits can be traced
to keeping Improbable cows. Guesswork
has been the cause of more failures in dairy
ing than any other one thing and almost in
no kind OF business Is II more necessary 10
be accurate. The amount Of butter fat per
day which each individual of the dairy herd
yields ought to be known by the owner of
such herd. If the Babcock test cannot be
applied, then a homemade test. thus:
Keep the milk from each COW separate, and
weigh the butter when churned. This test,
applied once month, will give the value of
the cow in butter fats. You Will doubtless
be surprised in making this test. The COW
which you considered the leader of the
herd will probably be found anything but
a leader in yield of butter fat, while the
COW Of most unpromising appearance proves
TO be the best cow of the herd This has
happened in many cases. Many dairymen
are looking through blue glasses" now,
which would not have been the IL they
had not trusted to outward appearance,
instead of making an accurate and adequate
test of their herd. Gull out those proftless
''robber cows and let the survival of the
fttest be the motto Of dairymen in general.