Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-12
Winter Calves and Spring Grazing.

1. IS commonly understood among
experienced cattle breeders that II the
calf is we'll weanei and carried thru
the first winter with success. there are
the best of reasons to believe tlfat 1t
may be successfully brought to ma
turity. Few calves are lost, but there
are hundreds that take a drop off from
their usual gains after weaving. Prom
inent breeders have told us that they
did not attempt to measure the real
quality of a calf until they had taken
hdm from the dam and seen him we'll
sta rted upon his OWL resources.
When a sucking calf he is we'll sup
piled by the dam. other things being
equal, it has the ideal food for growth
and development. As long as it has this
food there need be but little worry but
what 1T is bound to do well. This is
true simply because the milk of the
COW is naturally the ideal food for the
needs of growing calf. When this
is stopped and another food subsatut-
ed. then comes the trying ordeal. Most
men who have come within the range
Of our observation, aim to make the
boundaries of tllis change as indefinite
AS UOSSlUIe. III GOtIlss WIS VIC ~ SAhSS'ss'
that might follow abrupt changes are
quite entirely removed.
Ordinary calves are weaned in the
fail. and particularly late winter or
early spring calves. The problem Is
then TO winter them for the best results
in the spring. After the wintering
comes the pasture again. when the
calves must be turned out. In touch
ing on both sides of these points in
the last issue of the Breeders Gazette.
John ]. Steward, who Is recognized as
one OF the leading and most successful
Hereford cattle breeders in the country.
has this advice to give:
Take your calves into the bnrn,
give them good roomy pen. which has
plenty Of windows for air and sunshine,
see that they always have a dry bed,
and start them on a grain ration grad
,,ally. A small portion of shelled corn.
whole oats, and bran. seems to be as
enticing as anything we can give the
youngsters at first. Have rack with
in easy reach and give them daily some
of your choicest hay. preferably clover
or alfalfa. Give only as much grain or
hay as they will clean up, thus starting
them from the first with the habit OF
cleaning their trough each meal. Every
good day thru the fall and winter the
calves should get run outside in a.
dry. sheltered lot, in which there should
be a tank of pure water. AS the
calves become accustomed to grain one
can add other feeds such as chopped
hay. pulped beets. crushed oil cake or
meal, and as they get older crushed
corn and oats may be substituted for
the whole grain. See that the calves
are getting about all the milk they
can take, morning and evening. II by
this time their dams are not giving
sufficient, get nurse COW, remember
ing milk is about as cheap feed as can
be used. also that a calf can be crowd
ed into higher condition on milk. with
less danger to its future usefulness,
than on too much artificial food.
"As spring advances your calves will
begin to look for grass. Let them have
some. turning out at first for an hour
or so In the middle of the day. Later
on turn them into grass paddock or