Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-08-14

NsoAuS INC Oolry S0lIs
tBy F. s. Adams. Chief. Bureau Animal In.
dustry)
There are in Maine nearly $50 600
cows. Az the average period of useful
ness or the dairy COW is not more than
eight years, this means that, to oulv
maintain the dairy herda OF the state.
there must be raised Is, 900 heifer calves
every wear, and it seems under present
conditions. this is an opportune time to
increase the size of the herds.
The outlook for the dairy business !.
good. With the producers organized to
market their product, dairyine will be
put on paying basis. The marked IN.
crease of two cents . quart, to take
effect August 1. shows what can be tioue
by organized effort; and the fact that
the COW population has been nearly
wiped out IN some OF the countries OF
Europe must mean . high price for
dairy products In the future, and the
herds can be increased on most farms
without increasing the overhead charges.
While the dairymen are confronted with
high prices for grain, hay Is cheap and a
large crop is waiting to be harvested.
The raising OF calves is the most
satisfactory wsy to improve the herd.
This comes only through the replacing
of WORKOUT and discarded cows BY
better heifers. Such heifers Unjust be
the result OF mating q pure bred bull
with herd of cows from which the low
producers have been culled. The dairy.
mans main object in raising calves
should be 10 improve and increase the
size OF his herd. Under most conditions
it will pay TO raise every well-bred
heifer calf.
The COW should be allowed to calvs In
. clean, freshly bedded stall; In warm
weather, in the pasture. The COW
should be In good condition and allowed
to have rest from the milking period
OF from six to eight weeks.
The calf should always receive It's
mothers milk for the first two or three
days of its life. Because this milk lie
quite unlike normal milk, it stimulates
the calf's digestive tract to action. The
earlier the calf is taken from its mother,
the easier it will be to teach it to drink.
1t will learn to drink more quickly, Ii II
is not offered milk for twenty-four hours
after it has been separated from its
mother. In most cases 1t will learn to
drink quite readily If allowed to suck
the feeders fingers while they are held
under the milk.
The calf can be put on skim milk
diet at the age of two or three weeks
The change to skim milk should be
gradual. The young calf should not be
given over four or five quarts day., and
when the calf is quite young, better
results will be obtained II II Is fed three
times day. The skim milk feed should
be increased, as the calf grows older, to
eight or ten quarts per day.
The calf will begin to eat little grain
after it is two weeks old. At the age OF
a week. grain should be kept before II
and a little put into its mouth immedi-
ately after II has finished Its milk. This
is an easy way to teach 1t to eat. The
grain should be fed dry.
While there is no feed that 10 the
equal of skim milk for raising calves,
yet 1t Is possible to raise good calves
without milk. I saw this demonstrated
at the National Dairy Show In 1914, and
| have also seen 1t demonstrated In
Maine. At the Dairy Show, six calves
were on exhibition that had been used
for this demonstration at the Indiana
Experiment Station. The average weight
of the three calves ct the end OF the
e1 pertinent (1SS days), that had been
raised on skim milk, was 253 pounds.
The three that had been raised on
skim milk substitute was 2SS pounds.
They were all fine looking calves.
The skim milk substitute used was q
mixture of equal parts OF hominy meal,
blood meal, linseed meal and Red Dog
Flour. The average daily ration OF this
mixture was / IA pounds In 8 lilo
hounds of water. Both lots OF calves
were fed dry mixture OF equal parts OF
ground oats and corn on the average Oh
about one pound day.
The calf should be given hay about
the same time it is given grain; early cut
clover or mixed hay is the best. Do not
neglect to give the calf water after 1t 10
two or three weeks old. 1t will drink
oujts quantity In addition to the skim
milk. Also see that salt is provided.
The calf can be weaned when 1t 10 six
months old, but II skim milk 10 abundant.
continue the feed. Do not turn the cali
away into some back pasture; have .
calf pen near the barn. II nothing
better, the barnyard will do. III better,
the first year, to feed from the Darn
every day.
The common trouble In raising calves
10 scours, or indigestion, usually caused
by overfeeding, dirty feed pals, or not
having the milk the right temperature,
which is from 95 to 100 degrees. Inc
remedy is to cut down the feed. !t WIZ
help, to put spoonful OF soda in tne
milk, and to give raw eggs. ia seps-
rator is used, remove the foam from the
milk before feeding.
GRAIN RArIoNs FOR HELPERS.
Ration /. Three parts bran, one part
corn meal, one part linseed meal.
Ration 2. Two parts bran, two paris
hominy, one part linseed meal, one part
ground oats. -
MAINE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL
rURE. JOHN A. ROBERTS, Commission
er.
July 10, 1917.