Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-03-06
GIVES SUGGESTIONS
ON FEEDING CALVES
DAIRY HUSBANDMAN AT STATE
COLLEGE GIVES SIMPLE
RULES TO FOLLOW

COLLEGE GIVES SIMPLE
RULES TO FOLLOW
A. B. Nystrom, dairy husbandman
at the state experiment station at
Pullman makes the following sugges-
lions in regard to calf feeding:
I'VE prefer to take the calf from
the mother as soon as dropped, never
allowing 1t to nurse once. BY this
method the cow soon fOrgets the calf,
and the latter is much more easily
taught to drink.
Mothers Milk First Week
''The mothers milk should be fed
the first week, beginning when the
calf is "a to SO hours old. The milk
must be fresh and warm (about s5
to 100 degrees Fahrenheit), and must
always be fed from q clean pail, pre-
fsrably q tin pail. A wooden pail is
too hard to keep sweet and clean.
THE second week whole milk from
any COW may be fed and the third
week. II the calf is in good health and
growing nicely. the change to skim
milk may be begun. Do not make the
mistake Of feeding more skim milk
simply because the cream is removed.
The whole milk contains about a.
much protein as the calf can handle,
and when skim milk Is fed in large
quantities the calf gets more than he
IAN use and as q consequence q sick
calf is the result.
Mako Change Gradually
1.-THE change from whole milk to
skim milk must be gradual: from
|one-half to one and one-half pounds
per day, depending upon the size and
vigor Of the calf. To an average calf,
swo weeks old. we would feed about
~ pounds per day Of whole milk. The
irst day Of the third week Tor when
1t is desirable to begin the change)
the daily feed would be II pounds Of
whole milk and one pound OF skim
milk; the second day, 10 pounds Of
whole milk and two pounds Of skim
milk, and SO on until the complete
change is made. It is just as essen
.ial to feed the skim milk warm as
the whole milk, although when the
calf gets larger and stronger, six to
10 weeks old, gradual change to
cold milk may be made.
ALLOW the calf a clean, airy pad
dock or box stall in which to get ex-
ercise. Give him some well cured
hay. such as timothy and clover, or
timothy alone. as soon az he will eat
It, which will be when he is from
three to four weeks old. Alfalfa in
small quantities may be fed. but with
this roughage there is danger of the
calfs eating more than he can prop
|erly digest.
Grain may be fed as soon as he
Will take 1t, and for this purpose .
mixture OF bran and crushed oats or
crushed oats alone is recommended.
Feed in 8tanchion
Calves should be fed In q STAN
chion 30 constructed a. to prevent
them from sucking each Others ears
after they have drunk their milk. The
feeding of grain by placing little
before them after every meal Of milk
will also discourage the desire to suck
the ears Of the calf in the next stan
chion.
THE secret OF successful calf rails
Ing lies In keeping the calf's digestive
organs in perfect shape. To do this
avoid sudden changes, either in feed
ing or management. Feed warm
milk from clean pals. but do not
feed too much. Clean, sunny quar-
tiers. with exercise. and clean ana
wholesome food fed in proper
amounts at the proper time will lee
sen the number of weak calvee cra
produce he'fer~ which will np,.e,,a
part Of the week.