Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-02
EARLY WEAVING OF
CALVES ON DAIRY FARMS
CALLS FOR ATTENTION

Calves and Young Dairy Stock, recent
ly issued by the United States Depart
| ment of Agriculture. Poorly nourished
cows give birth TO weak, puny calves
which are hard to raise. Cows when
have an abundance of palatable and
| succulent feed and are in good body
flesh and healthy. thrifty condition at
calving time are more likely to produce
well-developed, strong and sturdy
| calves, which will respond normally to
proper feed and care.
The calf should always receive It's
mothers milk at first, as the colostrum,
or first milk, stimulates the caf's
stomach and other digestive organs to
action. Most dairymen prefer to keep
the calf with the cow for about forty
eight hours Immediately after birth. 1t
may be best to allow a weak calf or
one that does not gain strength readily
to remain a longer time, but it is some
times difficult to teach the calf to drink
after sucking the COW for a time and
serious trouble may result from it's
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. Discarded
feed should be removed from the feed
boxes which should be thoroughly
brushed and cleaned each day. Al,
milk should be fresh and clean. which
is true also Of other feeds. Milk pals
should be scalded thoroughly with
boiling water, or sterilZed with steam
II possible.
Milk from cows having cOmmuni
cable disease, as tuberculosis should
be pasteurized Cheated to las degrees
F. and held at that temperature for
thirty minutes) before il Is fed to
calves. Separated milk from a cream
cry also should be pasteurized. because
1t is practically impossible to know
that such milk is free from infection.
Better results are obtained by feed
ing young calves three times a day.
with the periods between feeding as
nearly equal as possible. When fed in
this way the calf does not overload It's
stomach and the digestion of the feed
is more evenly distributed turnout the
twenty four hours. Regularity in feed
ing is important. When calves are fed
but twice a day the feeding should be
as nearly as possible twelve hours
apart.
At birth a fifty-pound calf should
have about eight pounds Of whole milk
a day. while a l00-pound one should
have about twelve 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 that are nearly dry. Milk
containing not more than per cent
butter fat is considered best.
At the beginning Of the third week
either skim or separated milk may be
substituted for whole milk at the rate
Of one pound day. The daily ration
may be increased from two to four
pounds. depending upon the vigor of
the calf. When the calf does not drink
eagerly what is offered. the quantity
should be cut down. The ration at the
end Of the third week usually should
be approximately one half whole and
one half separated milk. During the
fourth week the change should he con-
tinued until by the end Of the week
only separated milk is fed. unless the
calf Is very delicate. With especially
vigorous calves the change TO separat-
ed milk can be made about u week
earlier The quantity fed can be in
creased gradually to eighteen TO twenty
pounds day.
Six months is probably good aver
age age at which to wean calves from
milk. The age depends upon the cost
Of the milk in relation TO the value OF
the calf, it's breed, size. vigor, etc. The
season of the year and the other feeds
available also must be considered,
When the best Of hay. silagc and a
good variety Of grains are available, or
when good, suCculert pasturage IAN be
provided. the calf can be wcaned ear
lier; also the stronger and more vigor-
Gus the calf the earlier it can be wean-
ed. On the other hand, the more 'alu-
able the calf the more expense the
owner is warranted in developing it
and the later it probably will be wean
ed. If skim or separated milk Is plen-
tiful, calves may be fed profitably until
S or 10 months old.
When the calf is in its second week.
| it should begin to receive grain, and
when one month old it should eat about
half pound day. After this time
the quantity Of grain may be gradually
increased. feeding all that the calf will
eat until three pounds day s reached,
probably during the third month. Grain
fed to supplement separated milk
should never be mixed with the milk.
1t Is questionable whether the prepar-
alton Of grain in any way, such as
soaking or boiling. is advisable under
most circumstances.
Wheat bran Is eaten readily by
young calves. Corn has an excellent
physiological effect and to a great ex-
tent may take the place Of fat removed
from skim or separated milk. Expert
ments tend to show that corn fed to
calves should be cracked rather than
finely ground. Ground oats are good in
grain mixtures when available. but in
many cases cost more per unit OF feed
| than corn and bran. The following
grain mixtures are recommended in the
bulletin:
I. Three parts cracked corn and one
| part wheat bran.
Q. Three parts cracked corn, one
! part wheat bran and one part ground
oats.
3. Three parts cracked corn. one
part wheat bran, one part ground oats
and one part linseed meal.
4. Five parts cracked corn, one part
wheat bran, one part ground oats and
one part blood meal.
s. Oats, ground.
Glover hay. alfalfa hay. or the most
palatable roughage available should be
given the calf after the second week
Alfalfa is liable to cause scours, and
should be fed sparingly at first and in
r~ss.sn n;:i. after the calf ~ats :cn,:s