Middletown transcript., 1915-01-16
SKIMMILK FOR FEEDING STOCK

ed upon by stockmen as suitable feed |
for young animals, although there are
plenty of men at the present time who
have seroius doubt as to its feeding |
value. This is particularly true of |
men who raise beef cattle, and, in some |
instances of breeders of dairy cattle.
1t may be said that in most instances |
the breeder of dairy stock, who has |
learned the value of good blood, has a |
pretty good understanding of the value |
of skimmilk.
1t is only recently that we heard a |
man say, and successful breeder too,
that he thought skimmilk was better
feed than whole milk for growing cal
yes after they were three or four weeks
old. This man had made a study of
the value of skimmilk, and compared
the difference between it and whole
milk. One of the reasons why many
men do not believe that whole milk is
superior to skimmilk is due to the fact
that for the first six months the animal
fed on whole milk will have a sleeker
coat and smother finish than the ami
mel fed on skimmilk.
There is tendency on the part of
some feeders to give too much skim
milk which causes the calf to become
more or less pot-bellied, as the term is
COMMONLY used among farmers. 1t
may be said, however, tina at the end
of year calves raised on skimmilk are
fully as large as those raised ON whole
milk, and experiences indicate that
they are better adapted for the con-
sumption of larger amounts of feed
than those receiving whole milk for
this length of time.
A we'll bred beef calf when fed whole
milk will gain 8 lbs per day for the first
month 1-2 lbs. for the second, and about
2 lbs. for the subsequent months. In
other words, it will require from 8 to 9
lbs. of whole milk for each pound of
increase when the calf gains over l. 70
lbs daily. We have raised dairy calves
which received whole milk but from 2
to weeks and siimmilk and grain
after this period that gained better
than 2.3 lbs. d.iIy for the first ten
months.
Skimmilk has been used for years in
the rearing of calves on Hoard's Dairy
man Farm. We came to the conclusion
from calculations we have made that it
was worth at least SOC per 100 for feed
ing grade calves when they would sell
at or months old for $25 piece.
When no account was kept of the labor
in caring for the calves but their value
, at birth simply calculated to be So, and
allowing for the small amount of hay
and grain they consumed a return of
] as high as 63c per 100 has been obtained
a for skimmilk when fed to grade dairy
4 calves sold at the age of 7 months at
$25 each.
We might add here we are convinced
that farmers quit giving their heifer
= calves skimmilk at too early an age.
: So far as our experience goes we find
e nothing will help develop heifer until
r she is year old like daily allowance
of sweet skimmilk. There seems to be
some sort Of a subtle connection be-
tween that kind of feed and good COW
I farther along in years. Here, then
. comes the value that is difficult to meas
4 ure.
3 According to Circular AZ of the Mis-
souri, Experiment station, it required
from 80 to 200 pounds; or from 10 l..
u to 1872 gallons of whole milk, and from
23OO to 5000 lbs, or 267.4 to 1888 gal
r, Ions of skimmilk to raise a calf to tn
# age of six months 1t was also foun,
that two pounds of grain replaced on
pound of butter fat in the milk. Tn
"a feeding value of the skimmilk is there
is fore apparent when it is considere
.e that pound of fat is worth fror
A. twenty to thirty times as much as
pound of grain.
!, When Professor Otis was with tn
Kansas Experiment Station he made a
extended study as to the merits {
m skimmilk for raising calves. fle foun
le that one group of calves fed skimmil
:, milk made an average daily gain {
u / 81 lbs. and that the cost of 100 lbs
~ gain, Including labor, was $3.42.
in may be said that labor at that time W,
v. cheaper than now A group of calvt
~ fed on whole milk made an ave
age daily gain per head of 1.S6 lbs. al
Ut the cost of 100 lbs. of gain, includir
Is labor, was 1854. Another group
he calves that were nursed by their dan
u made an average daily gain per head
- n lbs at cost of SAL pei 100 lb
gain. 1t may be said that there w
W. one group of grade calves that mat
is an average daily gain on skimmilk
to LIT lbs. per head. This group ma
Tor as good gains per head as those tn
were permitted to nurse their dan
There were instances where individu
o. calves gained at the rate of 229 Il
rt- daily for period of 1O5 days. In 9th
rk- words, it is not expecting too much (
led calves properly fed on skimmilk to ga
from IL to 2 / lbs. daily, dependil
of course, on the character of the CT
at, and the man feeding it.
no SkimmiIk is also very valuable fe
ua- for growing pigs. Some years ag
We Mr. H. B. Gurler made a study to g
certain what skimmilk was worth VIII
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