Norwich bulletin., 1918-04-24
DILUTED MILK FOR CALVES.
Result of Experiments Carried on at M Storrs College.

At the Storrs Experiment Station, a series of experiments in the feeding of young calves were carried on under the direction of Professor G. c. White. There were two main points in mind in these experiments:
 1. The feeding of silage; this, if
 satisfactory with very young
 calves could be used to replace
 more expensive grain and hay
 2. The dilutiDg of whole milk with
 water before feeding; this, if
 practical, would reduce the
 amount of whole milk necessary
 to be fed in sections where skim
 milk is not available; the low
 cred food value of the diluted
 milk was brought up by proper
 grain mixtures.
 Ten groups of calves were used in the experiments, each group including two to four calves. The groups were fed as similarly as possible, except for variations called for by the ex- pertinent. The calves were started as soon after birth as possible. Whole milk was fed to two weeks of age and then skim or diluted milk was grad. ually substituted. Fourteen pounds of warm liquid was the limit fed. Grain, hay and silage when given were started at two or three weeks of age. | silage and hay. weighed amounts of each being given. The costs of the food eaten could thus be calculated using the same prices for all groups. The calves were fed to six months of age. The general care, as well as the feeding, was similar for all groups; all were kept in the same barn and similar pens.
 ] It wes found in the feeding of these 1 similar groups that silage could be ] fed to calves, even when they are very i young. The calves would begin eat ! ing it when only a few weeks of age, and soon developed quite a liking for it. The experimental groups showed that while silage could not entirely re- place the grain and hay it could re- place quite bit of it; with one group silage replaced e-third of the i grain and two thirds of the hay. However, silage should be fed with caution during the first two or three months; after that time, it will seldom give trouble. The following limits can | be given as a guide to the amount to be fed at. different ages:
 1 to pounds up to twb months,
 2 to 3 pounds during the third month.
 to pounds during the fourth month.
 to pounds during the fifth month to g pounds during the sixth month.
 The diluting of milk also proved sat l isfactory after a proper supplementary grain mixture was found to go with it Milk was diluted as much as one part milk to three parts water and fec with a grain mixture consisting of: IF parts hominy.
 | 115 parts ground oats.
 l f12 parts red dog flour.
 U F parts blood meal.
 \ These, along with hay. gave very satisfactory results when fed to the calves. When silage also was added tc r this ration, even better gains were made and at less cost. The foot value lost by diluting the. milk witt water was thus made up in the dr, grain eaten; it was even found that i was undesirable to mix any of tht grain in the diluted milk. If it il not possible to get the red dog fiou lmentiontd above, standard or f1ou , middlings might. be tried. One othe } point should be brought out here: tth, !, milk used in these dilution expert l menst was from Jersey cows and henc had 8 high test; if low-testing mill ) was used, the above ration would per } hapS need some modification. Thi , method of feeding calves was not a desirable as that where the skim mill was used. for it was much more ex l pensive and did not give quite tn gains and healthy condition attaine , with skim milk feeding; but is give a suggestion for men in market mil sections whereby they can raise som ] of their calves. using only 500 or 70 r pounds of milk per calf-John 4 } Eluehling, Connecticut Agriculture College.