The Dickinson press., 1914-07-18
ADVICE on CARE
OF DAIRY CALVES

. W ~ssssea ~ss@eo~
Digestive System Should Be
Kept in Healthy Condition.
RIGHT METHOD OF FEEDING
BY PROFESSOR c. LARSEN, South
Dakota State College.
If we do not properly care for the
little things we shall not have the
larger ones The kind Of dairy lows
we shall have in the future depend
to a large extent upon the treatment
and care we give the calves.
The little scrawny, bony, rough
haired, large-paunch calf is too com.
mon to need mention. Though some
calves GOV from such a condition
without any lateS notable injuries, all
are stunted and many Of them have
had their future usefulness impaired.
The natural normal growth and de-
velopment throughout the period of
babyhood and years Of maturity
should 60 or without any serious in.
terruption.
One Of the most important ques-
lions In connection with successful
calf rearing is that of keeping the
calves digestive system in a healthy
condition. A few Of the chief factors
which tend to derange the digestive
organs and stunt a calf's growth are:
1. Overlooking calves with milk.
2. Variation in temperature of
milk, too great. ,u
8. Feeding soul milk or feeding
from stale pals. afs ~ ':*"'"~.
| 4. Not teaching the little calves to
eat grain end the right kind of grain
early enough. ~- a
s. Allowing the calves to stand in
a confined, dark, lily ventilated and
foul place: :.aasagasgessiiszasassass3
0~verfeeding Calves.
Calves do not seem to be able to
gauge for themselves the proper
amount of milk. They, are greedy.
II healthy they, as a rule, do not stop
until there Is no more in the pail.
Not long ago a good housewife WHO
takes eare of the calves told the
writer thet she fed these calves much
moFesmilk than she did the lot which
she raised last year, but these did not
do SO we'll. It SO happened that these
CALVES were fed just previous to our
conversation and the calves In the
corral were ample evidence Of their
unthrifty condition. The paunch was
the part Of the calf most in evidence,
with one side more swelled or puffed
than the other. They were slowly
walking around in the yard and were
in misery. Perhaps by the time they
got ready to enjoy life feeding time
would again be neal .a.@~~~ .-
All calves. cannot be fed an equal
amount. The amount eof milk will
vary with the different calves and
with the age of the calf. If a calf is
fed twice q day, about four pounds,
or one-half gallon, is sufficient to be-
gin with for each feeding. The
amount q be gradually increased
as the calf demands 1t until the guam.
tity reaches sixteen to twenty pounds
OF skim milk per feed. The daily
quantity should be equally divided
between the two feelings.
As to when a calf should first be
fed by hand there Is considerable DIFF
ference Of opinion. Some say let the
calf be with its dam one week or
more; others prefer to take the calf
away at once and mot let it suck at
all; still others advocate about three
days with the mother, then take it
away and feed it the mothers milk
FOR about two weeks. After that
time begin gradually to substitute
sweet skim milk.
The latter method the writer pre-.
fers. During the first few days after
parturition the milk ID Of no CONNER
DIAL value and 1t gives the calf q little
start in Life. Besides this the mother,
as q rule, does better with her calf
Eat the side. She is then weak, nerv.
Gus and feverish, and she needs the
comfort OF her Calls presence. If
che calf 40 ct once removed to a near.
by stall the mother continuously
frets. If the calf IL allowed to suck
few days the udder Is not 60 likely
TO become caked Of hard as when
MIXED By hand. The writer does mot
mean 10 say that the cow SHOULD mot
be MIXED during the lime the calf Is
sucking. The milking SHOULD be done
o. regularly then q a any other
time. The mother. al o rule, gives
nnorssmilk than the calf can take care