Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-03-03
SKINNED MILK FOR CALVES.
How They should he Handled to
Make the Most Out of Them.

The greatest drawback 10 the dairy
man or farmer at present is the
skinned milk calf. Well bred steer
calves. allowed to run with their dam
until weaving time, will sell readily at
$50 To SO. and the demand is greater
than the supply. Labor is needed to
raise a calf in this way, and the only
expense is the cost Of keeping the COW
care two or three times a day. Tho time
is short, and with the usual method OF
handling il is a runt, thin, i'll shaped.
unhealthy looking, and sells for 81 to,
$12. Lost value between a SKINNED
milk calf and one allowed TO run with
the COW reduces the profits made from
milking. SKINNED milk calves are
worth ms much at weaving time as
calves that run with their dams. and
pure bred calves raised on SKINNED
milk have been in condition for the
show ring when six months old and
have sold at SO and $123 each.
In making n trial in feeding on skim
med milk the feeder must allow the
calf 10 run with the COW until the COWS
udder becomes all right and her milk
good. Then take it from the cow and
leave without feed for twcnty-fou
hours, when il will be hungry enough
to be easily taught to drink. The first
weeks feed is ten pounds of warm
whole milk Il day, four pounds in the
morning, two ut loon and four pounds
at night. The second weeks feed
should be the same MS The first. except
1t can be given in two feeds, morning
and night. At the end Of two or three
weeks the calf can then be put on
skinned milk. The first feed OF skim
med milk is one pint. the second feed
one and one-lalf pints and the third
two pints. AS the skinned milk is iu-
creased the whole milk must be de-
creased until the entire feed becomes
skinned milk, the change being at the
rate of half Il pound per feed. AZ the
end OF a month after the calf is taken
from the COW the daily amount given
Is from twelve TO fourteen pounds per
calf, Mt two months eighteen pounds, or
twenty-five to twenty-four pounds per
day per calf. \ quart of milk weighs
a little over two pounds. and the mum
Der OF quarts fed is only half the mum
Der OF pounds.
This may look to be Il small amount
to many feeders, but is all that the
calf will eat and thrive on and gain
the sufficient quantity. The milk can
be fed in tin pals, and those and the
kept must be thoroughly washed and
scalded each time after feeding and
when possible set in the sun. Keep the
calves from sucking each others ears
by keeping them separate for half an
hour after feeding, until their mouths
become dry. Keep fresh water within
reach of the calves at all times. and as
10 as the calves are taken from their
mother they should be dehorned.
The hair on the place where the horn
would appear should be clipped off
with shears. the end OF a stick OF caus-
tic potash is we in cold wafer and the
spot over the horn rubbed with it until
the skin appears raw. after which Il
light scab Is formed. but soon disap-
pears. and the growth OF the horn is
prevented. Give the calves shelter in
cold weather and IN open shed in
warm weather where they can go for
shade. Keep the shelter and yards
clean and frequently sprinkle lime
around them. Watch the calves close
ly and IL one begins to scour cut down
his feed ut once and give from one to
two ounces OF castor oil. III this is not
sufficient give ten TO fifteen drops OF
laudanum a day In the milk, and the
trouble usually stops in two to three
days. Inocnlate the calves when two
to four months old to prevent blackleg.
Treat them kindly at all times and
have them become pets.-Epitomist.