Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-08-10
Rearing Skim Milk Calves.

4
for veals cause many farmers to veal all
their calves. In some cases this is more
profitable than any other manner OF dis
position; in others, not. 1t depends on
the man and the calf 1t may be imme-
diately profitable to veal the heifer
calves, but il is not profitable to the
country at large to have well-bred heif'
ers killed for veal.
There is little difference in the returns
of sucker calves. and the value Of the
butter fat and skim milk, other than
that the labor is less than in milking the
COW and caring for her milk. But skim
milk calves properly raised are more
profitable than the skim milk fed IN any
other way, provided the calf is properly
cared for and does we'll. One does not
get much for his skim milk when he
keeps calf until six months old and
has to sell il for s cents pound, as
many do. Their calves have attacks Of
scours which keep them thin in flesh,
and although they have grown consid-
erable frame there is little flesh and no
fat on it. 1t brings the lowest price. II
would be much more profitable to keep
the heifers to maturity, selling them, in
addition to the skim milk, hay and pas
turage. They would pay as we'll or bet
ter as when sold for veal and would add
to the world supply of dairy cows.
The surplus males must be disposed OF
anyway, and il is the most profitable to
veal them, but ii is quite possible to
raise them on skim milk and have them
bring as much as suckers or nearly so.
Some time ago We sold a skim milk
male, three-months-old high grade Jer-
sey for Sl4. A few days later We sold
grade Jersey heifer l2 months old for
SIS. These calves never ate any thing but
skim milk and what hay they wanted
after they were old enough to eat 1t at
all. We did not intend to veal the heif-
er, but she grew and put on fat 80 rapid
ly and so well that from the point OF
profit il was foolish TO keep her, as she
would bring no more next fall than she
brought then: indeed, probably not SO
much into So, as SIS for yearling in
the fall is considered good price usual
ly, unless there is something fancy
about her. We do not like to have heif-
ers that are to be grown for cows put on
too much fat. They usually lose il
when turned TO pasture and are longer
getting adapted to the change of feed
than one that has grown good frame
without much fat.
Now about how we get such good re-
suits from skim milk. l can tell, but
with the best explanation / can give,
one will have TO use the same ingredient
that the painter did in mixing his colors,
or you will be raising Scent calves. We
have no secret formula for new de-
vices. Everything is simple and old
fashioned and depends on care and good
Judgment. The calves are taken from
the mother at birth and fed their moth |
er's milk until it is fit to put with the
other milk, which is the fifth or sixth |
milking. Then we begin to put in a
little warm separator milk and increase
this and decrease the other, until in 10l
days the calf is taking all separator
milk, and to be sure it is warm enough
a little hot water is added. The remov-
al of the cream throws the proportion
of liquid out of balance, and the water
restores the balance of liquid and solid
while adding to the warmth.
Care is taken not to overfeed. We
can tell by passing hand over the side
of the calf when il is full enough, and
when the right quantity has been ascer-
tanned it is easy TO fill the pail to the right
point each feed, increasing slowly as the
calf grows. Feeding little at one
time and lot at another will upset d.
gestion, as will also cold milk at one
time and hot at another. Give the same
quantity at the same temperature each
time, il is an essential point.
4 Ill u -
without bedding and wet from its own
filth. If cared for in this way, very
soon they will scour, and while this may
be checked very quickly, if attended to
at once, by giving little paregorc and
salts with few drops OF nux vomica, 1t
will reduce its flesh and leave it more
liable to a second attack, which will be
worse than the arst. Both these calves
of which | have spoken were fall ones
and grown in the fall and early winter
months when it is generally conceded a
hard time for young calves, especially |
I he more delicate milking breeds, yet
they did remarkably well. Ii is just as
possible TO raise them in cold weather |
as in warm, if they are kept warm, clean |
and dry, and carefully fed. These calves |
never ate a spoonful of grain in their |
short lives. They had all the sweet,
warm skim milk they could digest, and
what hay they would eat, clover mixed
being the quality. There is good
profit in raising such calves, or you may
put it another way aud call it a good
price to get for skim milk and hay.
Either way it pays better than most
things the farmer does.
The larger breeds do not need so
much painstaking care in the raising as
do the dairy breeds. They will con-
sumo more milk and make quicker |
growth, but are perhaps no more profit
able than the others, according to what |
they consume. They are stronger and
not so delicately organized, therefore |
less likely to get deranged. II you eau
not raise such calves learn how. II one
goes wrong, look for the mistake made |
and don't do it again. You will soon
have the business down fine. 1t is the
best possible use to put the skim milk.
Pigs pay well, but not so well as such
calves as these have mentioned.-JeaD
White in New England Homestead.