The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1921-05-05
FEEDING CALVES
FOR PAYINGC0WS
GOOD CALVES NEEDED TO
BUILD UP LOCAL
HERDS
Best Way TO Get Good Herd l.
TO Build Il From Choice Stock
and Continually Improve
Ey PROF. @. s. euLKLEY
director Dairy Extension, Csrnstion
MIX Products Co.)

succeeds without iosg u calves, TEN
per or enthusiasm ranks 40 al "ar
tist", but the whole secret u Success
lies In cIose attention 10 details and
that same quality makes the succsss-
ful dairymaD.
High prices for whole milk during
the war period and the scarcity 0.
labor caused a serious condition 70
arigs IN Western Washington, which
ia just beginning 10 be noticed. That
IN q scarcity of really good grade
cows and almost entire absence Of
any good heifers ready ~ take the
place of the thousands of cow which
annually pass from dairy herds TO
the killing pens.
Practically all OF the larger grade
herds are still going with the old
stock Of cows without any provisions
for replacement except by purchase.
Farsighted dairymcn are already
adopting u preparedness" policy and
raising their best heifer calves.
Even II cows could be bought as
chcaply Az hciferB could be raised,
II In poor policy to rely on purchased
cows to keep up the herd. Just one
purchase OF COW infected with
abortion will be very likely to seed
the whole herd with this widespread
plague and cause great losses for
practically two years. In addition to
this Ii the danger OF tuberculosis in
lection, and after all, who wants to
buy, as the very foundation OF his
business, unknown cows which GONE
one else has raised and sold? AS an
example OF the other side OF the
case, look at the herd and the profits
of any real dairyman who has been
consistently raising his own cows
and grading them up with pure-bred
bulls.
From now On the wise dairyman
will raise, each year, just few heif-
or calves from his choicest cows and
continually improve while the other
man drifts. But above all things,
It Ii foolish 10 put money and time
into a heller sired by scrub bull.
Prepare the Cow.
Proper calf raising begins with the
dam. Dry her off four to six weeks
previous to calying TO get her In
shape for future work and TO build
q strong calf Build up her body
with fattening foods and plenty OF
bone meal to avoid the mineral de.
Gciency 80 common and troublesome
In this district. A week before calv-
Ing get her into a laxative condition
with roots, silage, bran or Olmeal, II
she not on grass. At calvng time
give her light feeds and do not start
heavy grain too soon.
Start Calf Carefully.
Let the calf nurse at least one or
two days In order to get the first
milk to clean out his digestive tract.
II Ia easier to teach him to drink
from pail II taken away the second
or third day rather than later. Let
him get hungry and feed small
amount OF fresh mothers milk.
The greatest mistake at this time
Is to overfeed. For the first week
times day and one and a half
quarts at each feeding Is enough.
A calf always has greater appe-
lite than capacity and should be kept
little hungry. High testing milk
IN hard for calves to digest and
should bediluted or substituted with
other milk as early as possible. Feed
all milk fresh and at 30 to 100 de-
grees f.. in absolutely clean pals.
Keep the calves In clean, dry,
sunny pen with room enough for ex-
ercise. A few dead or stunted
calves from old, foul. dark. cramped
"holes", where so many are often
found, would soon pay for better
quarters and care.
. After a week, the calf can be fed
twice day and will handle from 8
to z quarts of milk daily depending
on his size. He needs a supply OF
fresh water, In addition to milk, from
this time on.
Add Hay and Grain.
BY tho end of the second or third
week Gull Will Oob" w Wv -
little hay and grain and 1t Is well
to push this as rapidly as possible,
to get good growth and to econo-
mize on milk. The hay should be
fine quality and not woody. Some
feeders claim that. for the first few
weeks, straight clover or alfalfa Is
too rich for calves. but by all means
select bale or two Of the choicest
alfalfa for feeding all calves after
the first month, because the great
lime and protein content OF this hay
IL very valuable and necessary Tor
the growing calf. At least use the
best clover obtainable II not alfalfa.
Calves must have lots of good hay
to develop digestive tract and bar.
rel and will not get "pot-bellied" II
they are given enough grain and
milk to keep them growing rapidly
A calf should gain at least one
pound and up to one and three-Quar'