South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-10
BEST RATIONS FOR
DAIRY CALVES
Early Weaving From Milk Ne
CeSSitateS Special Attention
to Feeding Methods.

/ Feeding the calf should begin be-
fore it is born, says Farmers Bulle-
tin ~, Feeding and Management
of Dairy Calves and Young Dairy
Stock, recently issued by the United
States department of agriculture.
Poorly nourished COWS give birth TO
weak, puny calves which are hard
10 raise. Cows which have an
abundance of palatable and succu-
lent feed and are in good body flesh
and healthy, thrifty condition al
Calying time are more likely 10 pro-
duce well-developed, strong, and
sturdy calves, which will respond
normally TO proper feed and care.
The calf should always receive its
mothers milk at first, as the colos-
trum, or first milk, stimulates the
calf's stomach and other digestive
organs to action. Most dairymen
prefer to keep the calf with the COW
for about As hours Immediately
after birth. II may be best 10 al
low a weak calf or one that does
not gain strength readily TO remain
a longer time, but it is sometimes
idifficult 10 teach the calf 10 drink
after sucking the COW for a time,
and serious trouble may result from
its failure to obtain food.
Successful raising Of calves re-
Quires 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. 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 a COM
municable disease. as tuberculosis.
should be pasteuriZed cheated to
/ las degrees T. and held at that
Temperature for 80 minutes) before
il 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.
! Feed Three Times a Day.
Better results are obtained by
feeding young calves three times a
day. with the periods between feed
ling 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 even
ly distributed throughout the "a
hours. Regularity in feeding is i'm
portant When calves are fed but
twice day the feeding should be as
nearly as possible u hours apart.
At birth a 50-pound calf should
have about pounds of whole milk
a day, while a 100-pound one
should have about 1 , 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 four percent 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 a day.
The daily ration may be increased
from two to four pounds. depend
ing upon the vigor of the calf.
When the calf does not drink eager
lily what is offered, the quantity
the end of the third week should
he approximately one-half whole
and one-half separated milk Dur
ing the fourth week the change
should be continued until by the
end of the week only separated milk
lis fed. unless the calf is very deli
lcate. With especially vigorous
lcalves the change 10 separated milk
can be made about a week earlier.
The quantity fed can be increased
GRADUALLY TO Is TO 20 pounds day.
Six months is probably a good
leverage age at which 10 wean
calves from milk. The age depends
upon the cost of the milk in relation
10 the value of the calf, its breed,
size, vigor. etc. The season of the
year and the other feeds available
also must be considered. When
the best of hay, silage, and a good
variety of grains are available, or
when good. succulent pasturage can
be provided, the calf can be weaned
earlier; also the stronger and more
vigorous the calf the earlier il can
be weaned. On the other hand, the
more valuable the calf the more ex-
lpense the owner is warranted in
developing il and the later it prob
ably will be weaned If skim or
separated milk is plentiful, calves
may be fed profitably until eight or
ten months old.
Grain i'm second Week.
When the calf is in its second
week il should begin 10 receive
grain. and when one month old IL
should eat about half a pound a
day. After this time the quantity
lof grain may be gradually increas-
ed. feeding all that the calf will eat
until three pounds a day is reached,
probably during the third month.
, Grain fed 10 supplement separated
, milk should never be mixed with
J the milk. IL is questionable wheth-
, er the preparation cf grain in any
way. such as soaking or boiling. is
, advisable under most circumstances
, Wheat bran is eaten readily by