Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-09-20
by j. o. TRETSVEN
Dairy Specialist, Montana Extension
Service

Inc COsL Vi QlOQGStkOn On hhC a
be reduced to a minimum. TIL
] holds true In the raising OF dair
calves as well as In the productio
of marketable crops. There Is
great variation In the methods
raising dairy calves In Montana, an
a marked difference In the develop
, ment of the animals. 1t Is quit
noticeable that the dairymen VIII
have been the most successful owe
a period of several years take grea
pains In raising their dairy calves
They have learned by years OF ex
p%erience that future success depend
largely upon how we'll the young AMI
mails are developed.
1t 10 to be regretted that In man,
herds the young animals do not shov
the large, strong development foun,
in the older animals that we're i'm
ported into the state as foundation
stock. This difference. as a rule. 4
ditions in Montana, but rather Il
our methods, which are not conducive
to normal development. Animals
that are we'll fed on Montana feeds
will grow into even larger ant
stronger animals than those raised
in the middle west. This is clearly
demonstrated on the farms where
good feeding is practiced. From an
economical standpoint Ii is essential
that the young animals are we'll dew
eloped. Small. poorly developed cows
are lot as profitable as the larger
and stronger animals.
Use of Concentrates
Since butter fat has a high com
their calves on skim milk, or on milk
substitute when the whole milk is
sold off the farm. Regardless of the
method employed. the cost of rails
ing the calves and the results obtain
ed will depend largely upon the kind
of concentrates used in the ration
to supplement the skim milk or the
milk substitute. The agricultural ex-
pertinent stations have done consid-
cradle work In determining which
feeds are best suited for raising of
calves. Some OF these experiments
may be OF much value to the dairy
men of this state. The use of con-
c~entrates in feeding calves involves
two things: the cost of production
and the development OF the calf
Some dairymen are using feeds that
are too expensive for the results OBJ
tanned. Better and more economical
gains would often result in using
more homegrown feeds. Many of
the dairymen are using large quaint
ties of mill feeds-bran and shorts
oil meals and prepared calf meals in
their ~rations. A small amount of
these feeds In the ration may at times
add a little to the value of the mix
ture, but as a rule too much of these
concentrates are used In the grain
mixture to make the best and most
economical gains. Skim milk is very
rich in protein and as a result the
grain to supplement the skim milk
need not be rich In protefns. as are
the oil meals and wheat bran.
That the farm-grown grains should
be used as the chief sup
plement to skim milk for calf feed
Ing is shown in trials by Curtiss at
the Iowa station. Different lots of
were fed skim milk and hay.
and in addition corn alone. linseed
meal alone, ground oats with the
sifted out, or corn meal with
a little flax seed. The calves fed
corn or oats made more rapid and
considerably cheaper gains than
those fed the protein-rich iinseed
Linseed Meal Not Necessary
In Montana where either corn. oats
barley is grown and an abundance
Of good legume hay Is produced there
Is no necessity OF purchasing high
feeds to supplement the skim
milk.
Another experiment that has con-
bearing on calf raising In
Montana is that OF VOL and Voor-
HES. Vol and voodhies carried on
two trials at the California station |
10 find whether Ii was advisable to
add linseed meal to a mixture of
equal parts ground barley. ground
pats, and middlings. or to a mixture
Of milo and barley. I'm both trials
The calves fed no linseed meal made
lust as rapid gains as the others and
they were thrifty. The calves fed
meal appeared to have some
what sleeker coats and more pliabIe
but the difference was not
hSus AfSo tue auuitiou VI itu~
seed meal made the concentrate mix
more palatable. The general
conclusion from these trials was that
Il is not necessary to make linseed
meal, which is usually q high priced
feed. a part OF the concentrate mix
ture for thrifty calves that have been
successfully changed yer to a skim
milk diet" This experiment also
shows that there Is little or no gain
In adding oil meal except when fit
ting the animals for show or sale
purposes.
An experiment conducted at the
Virginia station showad that when
were fed upon skim milk. hay
and grain-corn or ba rley--there
was no increase In gains by the ad-
OF wheat bran TO the ration.
II also showed that barley was nearly
equal to o r Ia feeding value.
Purdue umtvo<stty Experiments !
A large m bar nj dnfrvm@u In