The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1907-06-22
FEEDING The DAIRY CALF.
Careful Attention Needed to Preducs
etrQng, Profitable Cow.


One Of the most delicate operations.
and one that requires the closest and
most careful attention on the part OF
the dairyman or the breeder of dairy
cattle, IL the feeding Of the dairy calf.
1t has been well said that on the first
IS months or two years of the Calls
life does its future usefulness depend.
says the Farmers Guide. We want to
60 just q little farther than this and
say to all who are raising calves for
the dairy business, whether 1t be to
make butter, cheese. selling whole
milk or cream, or supplying . con-
densing factory or creamery; raise
calves from strictly dairy breed of
cattle. II you have not the pure bred
cows, get yourself at least pure bred
sire Of good breeding and the better
record his dam has the better he IL;
that Is the better will his calves be.
Now, whichever breed you choose,
stick to II and don't go to trying
crosses. or you lose money. II you
select Jersey sire at first, stick to
the Jerseys. and you will soon have q
profitable, well-bred and nice-looking
herd. The same is true with the
Guernseys and Holsteins.
The COW should be well fed when
she Is carrying the calf. That Is, be-
fore the calf Is born, so that the calf
may be well nourished and the COW
return a good margin over the ex-
pense Of feed and care. When the calf
is born, place 1t and Its dam in .
clean, dry, well-bedded place and IN q
comfortable temperature not below 50
degrees F. 1t Is good plan to let
the calf stay with its dam for the first
4S hours. The first milk, or colostrum,
is very necessary for the calf az 1t
acts as a physic and cleans its bowels.
After the first 48 hours the calf may
be removed and fed by hand latter II
has been taught to drink and this,
with some calves, Is no small under
taking. It takes patience and perse-
verance, for 1t is very necessary that
the calf has the regular amount of
milk twice a day, hence the starving
it-to-it proposition don't go, although
one may be tempted to let it go till
It will drink. Three pounds of milk,
twice day. Is enough for the first
week or even two. Care must be
taken to see that the milk is warm
and the buckets always clean and
sweet. II you see to this and have a
dry, clean, well-lighted and bedded
place for the calf you will never be
troubled with calf scours. After the
calf is two weeks old It can take four
pounds of milk twice a day. This
milk should be weighed every time
and they will never drink too much. A
pair of spring balances hung in con-
venient place will solve this problem.
AS soon as the calf will eat II
should have all the oats and bran II
will eat as well as bright clover hay.
There is nothing that will take the
place of oats for young calves raised
for the dairy. Water should also be
provided for the calves at all times. 1t
is good plan to have large bucket
to set before them all the time and
they will never drink too much at one
tiHle. AlteT the CdlI ID Blk Weeks Olu
1t may be changed to warm, sweet
skim milk. II you have a hand sepa-
rator, this is the ideal way to raise
calf. It should not fall of in flesh or
stop growing at all, nor will 1t, IL you
give It good care. 1t is well to add
little oil meal to the skim milk when
the change is made. The change
should also be made gradually, as half
pound of skim milk replaces so
much whole milk, till the change is
completed.
In feeding oil meal one should not
feed too much at first. Just little
pinch and increase to a small handful
The skim milk can be increased as tho
calf grows older, SO that a six-months.
old calf may take seven or eight
pounds at feed. Silage may be added
to the ration at six months old and
bran take the place Of oats entirely,
because of its being cheaper. It Is the
good, liberal feeder that makes money
in the dairy business. 1t is well, how
ever, to figure so as to feed as cheap
ration as possible as long as 1t is
good.