The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-02-17
TO BREAK A CALF TO DRINK.


simple as pulling turnips when you
get the hang of it. Take your pail of
milk and go down to the calf pen
whistling some soft, plaintive air.
Calves are very found of music. After
one or two airs you will be in proper
frame of mind to begin work. Much
depends on the frame of mind, and if
it is not right it should be framed over
at the start. Now get into the pen.
Don't jump in with war-whoop-
may ecXite the calf. Take the calf by
the nape of the neck and the tail and
let it cavort around you for ten min
utes or until it gets dizzy, and then
watch your chance and jump astride its
neck. If the calf is tall enough it will
| pitch you over the fence or into corner,
but never mind: it is only in play and
has no evil intentions. You may have
to make several attempts before you
succeed in getting a firm hold of it
| and get it back in corner, but when
you are certain that you can hold it,
the next thing will be to get off and
get the pail. Set this where you can
| reach it from the corner and then
chase the calf down again. When
| you get it tired out. better whistle
another tune or two. This will enable
| you to maintain your nonchalance and
= -. l..
sets to have while giving the calf its
initiatory drink. Now keep cool and
if ii is impossible to keep cool, keep
as cool as you can. Take the pail in
the left hand and with the right hand
bend the calf's neck down so that its
nose will just reach the milk without
covering its nostrils. You can't do
this with one hand, so set the milk
down and use both hands. 1t is natural
for calf to reach up for its susten-
ance, so you will have to fight nature
as well as the calf but keep cool and
bend its head down. The calf will be
| carrying you from one corner of the
pen to the other all this time, but that
makes no difference. as he has tipped
| the milk over by this time anyhow. Now
get some more milk and with the pail
held firmly to its mouth with both
hands, catch the calf by the nose and
bear down on the top of its head with
| both hands, holding the calf by the
tail with one hand and keep hold of
| the fence with both hands. Slip your
| fingers in the calf's mouth and with the
| other hand pour a few drops of milk
between your fingers, letting it slowly
pcrcolate down its throat, while YOU
sit astride OF it and hold up one hind
foot and the opposite forward one in
each hand. This will prevent il from
kicking. Don't let 90 of anything, but
grab something else at each opportun-
ity.
The calf will now blow pint of
milk in your face, but keep your tenn
per or such parts of it as you consider
worth saving. Above all, keep in the
corner of the pen with the calf's head
pointed the other way. Hold the calf
gently and firmly; don't let it see any
hesitancy on your part; you will see
none on the part of the calf. Keen
its mouth well moistened with milk
all the time. The calf will attend to
moistcning everything else. If it re-
| fuses to swallow, rub its throat gently
with the other hand making its gulet
purr if possible. Keep cool and whistle
Il tune when YOU have time. Should it
still refuse to swallow, shove its head
to the bottom of the pail and with all
your strength hold itthere, You can't
| drown 1t if you try, and Of course YOU
| will, but just as you are looking for
its dying gasp it will make another
twist and fill your collar with cheese
and land you in the opposite corner
Of the pen again.
Now use your nonchalance if you
have it with you and sail in. Your
chances are still even or better. Take
any place that will hold; now catch as
catch can, break the calls neck in
bending it down if possible, but YOU
can't do it, for it is still as active as
ever. BE gentle and firm, catch it by
the legs and throw it against the pen
| three or four times, but don't lose
your temper, When you have jerltcd
it three miles and are looking for its
last gasp it will begin to drink, and
the next time you go to feed it, it will
put itself outside of a pail Of milk fast
er that full grown horse will.
BY observing these rules strictly you
will never have the least difficulty in
teaching any calf to drink and they
are all exactly alike and some Of them
a great deal more 50. After calf
once learns to drink it is very seldom
that he ever forgets how, and after
a man once teaches one to drink he j,
not liable to forget a great deal about
it either.
1t is much eascr to teach man &c
drink than it is a calf at times.
E. n. Bailey in Wisconsin Farmer