Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-03-23
BOOKLET DISCUSSES
FEEDING OF CALVES

EARLY WEAVING ON THE DAIRY
FARMS MAGISTRATES SPECIAL
ATTENTION TO FEEDING.
fore it is born. says Farmers Bulletin
7777, Feeding and Management of
Dairy Calves and Young Dairy Stock.
recently issued by the United States
department OF agriculture. 1t points
out that poorly .nourished cows give
birth to weak, puny calves which are
hard to raise. while COWS which have
an abundance of palatable and succu-
lent feed and are in good body flesh
and healthy, thrifty condition at
calving time are more likely to 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. the bulletin
continues. as the colostrum, 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 4S hours
Immediately after birth. 1t may be
best to allow weak calf or one that
does not gain strength readily to re-
main 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 its failure to obtain food.
Absolute Cleanliness Needed.
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 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 commu-
nicable disease. as tuberculosis,
should be pasteurized Cheated to las
degrees F. and held at that tempera-
ture 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 in
lection.
Better results are obtained by
feeding young calves three times q
day, with the periods between feed
ing as nearly equal as possible. When
fed in this way the calf does not
overload its stomach, and the diges-
ton Of the feed is more evenly dis
tributed throughout the "a hours.
Regularity in feeding is important.
When calves are fed twice a day the
feeding should be as nearly as pos
sible IL hours apart.
Details Of Feeding.
At birth a 50-pound calf should
have about pounds of whole milk
a day, while a 100-pound one should
have about IL podnds. 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 4 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 pound day. The daily ra-
tion may be increased from 2 to 4
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 be continued 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 separated milk can be
made about a week earlier. The
quantity fed can be increased grad
ually to 10 to 20 pounds q day.
Six months is probably q good Az
ora1o aRe at which IN woan r1avAa
from milk. The age depends upon
the cost Of the milk in relation to tho
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 q good variety Of
grains are available, or when good.
succulent pasturage can be provided.