The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-08-15
REARING CALVES

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rearing calves and ! have taken the
liberty OF publishing the same i'll
condensed form.
Like other things in farm practice,
there is right way and wrong way
OF rearing calves. At the Kansas EX'
pertinent Station three lots OF ten
calves each were fed on skim mix,
on whole milk, and nursed by the dam.
These calves were fed l54 days from
birth and the cost of making lOO
pounds of gain in growth or weight
was ascertained. The calves fed on
whole milk made 100 pounds OF gain,
at cost of $7.06: those allowed to
run with their mothers, 100 pounds
/ gain, at $4.41: and those fed on skim
milk and grain, at $2.2G. When the
steer calves in the feed lot and fed for
later put in the feed lot and fed for
a seven month period, "the best gains
were made by the skim milk lot, FOL
lowed by the whole milk lot, while the
lot allowed to run with the dams
stood last. The skim milk steers
made q daily gain Of 81 pounds, the
whole milk 19 pounds, and those
running on their dams 2 pounds.
IA carefully lcondut ted experiment
covering the milk using period Of not
only one calf but of many, shows con-
clusively that the right way and the
economical way of rearing calf Is
in the use Of skim milk properly sup
plelnented with grain feed. Not only
Is the feeding of whole milk in pals
or on dams q wasteful practice and
uneconOmical when compared with
skim milk and grains during the milk
feeding period but what IS still more
important, calves after weaving make
better growth and cheaper gains when
they have been fed on skim milk
rather than on whole milk or nursed
on the dams. With Il ese facts clear
Nv demonstrated, calf rearing in the,
future should be based on skim milk
fee3ing.
Y The Iowa station ore year fed Hoi-
stein and Sh0rthOrn calves weighing
from 1870 to 200 pounds for a period OF
between two and three months skim
milk fresh from the farm separator.
Each calf had a. daily average allow
arlce Of 1874 pounds, or practically
efglit Quarts of skim milk. 29 pounds
yof nay and either 1.2 pounds of lin
seed meal or LIS pounds of ground
oats, or 1.3 pounds of corn meal and
OF pounds Of flaxseed. The OH meal
lot made an average daily gain OF 10
.-,96tnnds at a cost of 2.S cents, the
crushed oats lot an average daily gain
ofs1.6 pounds at cost of 81 cents
Mound and the corn meal-flaxseed lot
an average daily gain OF IL pounds at
q cost Of 2.2 cents pound. Ihese
figures in contrast with the cost OF
.,~ oP troiv Union fpfl
whole milk at the Kansas station
show the immense practical saving OF
using either oil meal or crushed oats
or corn meal as a substitute Tor ING
butter fat of whole milk,
During the first week on skim milk
the whole milk calves appear to De
in thu lead, but the skim milk calves
soon equal them in growth
n An advantage otter observed IN
skim milk fed Calves is to be found in
the large stomach girth This IS not
Objectionable at all in young Deef
stock and is decided advantage In
dairy animals. The dairy COW must
have large stomach capacity to en-
able her to store and use maximum
amount OF food The place to begin
large stomach is with the calf; ana
though gain in weight and cost OF gain
are ignored in developing calf, skim
milk il preferable, il for no other rea-
son than that it starts the dairy ami
NAL forward with y large and thor
oughly healthy stomach machine for
utilizing feed.
Every calf requires its mothers
!, milk for two or three days. That first
milk, or colostrum, is required by the
calf; since this milk bias the property
Of acting as mild laxative apd has
stimulating effect upon the djges'
tive organs. This first milk is also
very digestible. As to the method OF
feeding calves, dairymen differ Some
prefer to take calves away from their
mothers without allowing them to
nurse. Others let them nurse twice,
and still others allow the calves to
run with the dams three to five days,
i or until the fever OF the udder has
disappeared and the milk is fit for
use In the dairy.
The chief reason for removing a
calf from its mother when still very
! young, lies in the fact that the young
er the calf, the easier it is to teach 1t
to drink Give the calf plenty OF nOur'
ishlnent for two days for strength.
giving effects, and after this let it go
hungry for twelve hours before at
tempting to give it the first lessons
at the pail. During the first two
weeks give the calf whole milk; dur
ing the first week feed three times
daily; thereafter two daily feeds will
do. II the calf Is Jersey or Gnern-
sey, ten pounds of whole milk may be
fed daily, in three feeds; this should
/. he four pounds in the morning. two
ait noon and fonr again at night. II
the milk is very rich, better remove
some Of the fat or dilute with water,
hut still keep the total daily supply
within ten pounds.
The milk from the other dairy
breeds, beet and common cattle, does
not require any mixing with water.
Calves from these classes, being OF
larger size, should be fed 10 to II
pounds OF milk; but even the largest
calf should not be allowed to take
more during the first two weeks. The
4 amount OF milk may be increased as
the calf grows but ut no time should
more than Is to 20 pounds be fed.
MIX should always be fed warm,