Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1907-06-28
FEgDINc The DAIRY CALI.
Careful Attention Needed 10 Produce
Strong, Profitable Cow.

One of the most delicate operations,
and enc that requires the closest ana
most careful attention on the part OF.
tho dairvman or the breeder OF dairy
ar,t-. Is the feeding of the dairy calf.
II has been we'll said that on the first
is months or two years OF the calf s
life does its future usefulness depend,
sa,s the Farmers Guide. We want to
go Just a little farther than TINS ana
say to all who are raising calves for
the dairy business. whether it 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. If 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 is;
that is the better will his calves be.
Now, whichever breed you choose,
stick to it and don't go to trying
crosses. or you lose money. Ii you
select a Jersey sire at first, suck TO :
the Jerseys, and you will soon have a
profitable, wellbred 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 we'll nourished and the 'cow
return a good margin over the ex-
pense of feed and care. When the calf j
is born. place it and its dam in a
clean, dry well-bedded place and In
comfortable temperature not below DO.
degrees F. 1t is a good plan to let
the calf stay with its dam for the first
4S hours. The first milk, OF colostrum,
is very necessary for the calf as 1T
acts as physic and cleans its bowels.
After the first 48 hours the calf may
be removed and fed by hand (after it
has been taught to drink and this,
with some calves, is no small under
taking. 1t takes patience and perse-
yerance, for it 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 a 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. If 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 day. This
milk should be weighed every time
and they will never drink too much. A
pair of spring balances hung in a con-
venient place will solve this problem.
AS soon as the calf will eat it
should have all the oats and bran ii
will eat as we'll 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. II
is good plan to have a large bucket
to set before them all the time and
they will never drink too much at one
time. After the calf is six weeks old
it may be changed to warm, sweet
skim milk. If you have hand sepa
rator, this is the ideal way to raise 9
calf. 1t should not fall off in flesh OF
stop growing at all, nor will it, if YOU
give ii good care. 1t is well 70 add {
little oil meal to the skim milk wheT
the change is made. The change
should also be made gradually, as hal
a pound of skim MIX replaces 81
; much whole milk, till the change f
. completed.
{ In feeding oil meal one should no
feed too much at first Just littl'
pinch and increase to a small handful
] The skim milk can be increased as tn
3 calf grows older, SO that six.months
D old calf may take seven or eigh
: pounds at a feed. Silage may be adde
t to the ration at six months old an
bran take the place of oats entirely
because of its being cheaper. It is tn
5 good, liberal feeder that makes none
in the dairy business. 1t is well, how
ever, to figure so as to feed as chea
a ration as possible as long as 1t i
= good