The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-03-08
FEEDING DAIRY CALVES
Early WEAVING of Calves on Dairy
Farms Necessitates Special Attcn-
tion 10 Feeding Methods.

/ NibtiAE NiiN NtaAA alAbNii ~ ~ ~
a fore it is born, says Farmers Bulleti
. 777, Feeding and Management o
5 the Dairy Calves and Young Dair.
Stock, recently issued by the unite'
} States Department Of Agriculture
| Poorly nourished cows give birth 4
, weak, puny calves which are hard +
raise. Cows which have an abundance
Of palatable and succulent feed ant
, are in good body flesh and healthy
! thrifty condition at calving time arr
J more likely to produce well-developed
strong, and sturdy calves, which vii
respond normally to proper feed ano
care.
The calf should always receive it;
mothers milk at first, as the colos
trum, or first milk, stimulates the
calf's stomach and other digestive or
gans to action. Most dairymen pre-
fer to keep the calf with the COW foi
about as hours Immediately after
birth. 1t may be best TO allow q
weak calf or one that does not gain
strength readily to remain longer
time, but it is sometimes difficult to
teach the calf to drink after sucking
the COW for time, and serious trouble
may result from its failure to obtain
food.
Successful raising of calves requires
absolute cleanliness. Calf pens should
always be kept clean and be supplied
with plenty of dry bedding. Discard
ed feed should be removed from the
feed boxes, which should be thorough
ly brushed and cleaned each day. All
milk fed should be fresh and clean,
which is true also of other feeds. Milk
pals should be scalded thoroughly
with boiling water, or sterilized with
steam if possible.
Milk from cows having commun-
icable disease, as tuberculosis, should
be pasteurized cheated to 145 degrees
F. and held at that temperature for 80
minutes) before it is fed to calves.
Separated milk from a creamery also
should be pasteurized, because it is
practically impossible to know that
such milk is free from infection.
Better results are obtained by feed
ing young calves three times day,
with the periods between feeding as
nearly equal as possible. When fed in
this way the calf does not overload its
stomach, and the digestion of the feed
is more evenly distributed throughout
the "a hours. Regularity in feeding is
important. When calves are fed but
twice a day the feeding should be as
nearly as possible IL hours apart.
At birth 50-pound calf should have
about s pounds of whole milk, while a
100-pound one should have about II
pounds. For the first four days milk
from the dam should be fed, then that
from any Of the other cows in the
herd, preferably not from any thai
are nearly dry. Milk containing not
more than per cent butter fat is con-
sidered best
At the beginning of the third week
either skim or separated milk may be
for whole milk at the rate
Of 1 pound day. The daily ration
may be increased from 2 to pounds,
upon the vigor of the calf.
When the calf does not drink eagerly
what is offered, the quantity should
De cut down. The ration at the end Of
he third week usually should be ap-
one-half whole and one
lalf separated milk. During the fourth
week the change should be continued
Until by the end of the week only sep
lrated milk is fed, unless the calf is
'ery delicate. With especially vigor- .
'us calves the change to separated
milk can be made about week earli-
r. The quantity fed can be increased
to Is to 20 pounds day.
Six months is probably good aver !.
ge age at which TO wean calves from :
milk. The age depends upon the cost i
f the milk in relation to the value Of !,
f the calf, its breed, size, vigor, etc. =
he season of the year and the other !,
ceds available also must be consider !,
d. When the best Of hay, silage, and )
good variety Of grains are available,
r when good, slcculent pasturage can A
c provided, the calf can be weancd
arlicr; also tho stronger and more
ig7rous the calf the earlier il can bc r
.eaHed. On the other hand, the more
liuable the calf the more expense tie
Nner is warranted in developing it D.
Ell thr laicr i probably viii Be wrea
& II skim nilk or separated milk IS
entifuh calves may ho fed proftab.g r.
ltil Or 10 months old
Whom the cali is in its second w q
should begin 10 receive grain and
hen one month old il should eat
)out half q pound a day. After ts r
me the quantity Of grain may be c-