FEEDING STOCK. 3^5 



have never failed me of making* good cows. You will see that 

 style move fully developed in the Ayrshire than in any other breed 

 and I have always found them good milkers. 



Mr. Weston. I hope Mr. Percival did not understand me to 

 expect an entire programme of raising Shorthorns ; but simply to 

 ask if an animal ought to have better feed than good hay, to raise 

 it most profitably. That information would be of value to others 

 also, for I have heard men who have farmed for sixty years say, if 

 you keep an animal well it is a loss ; I want to learn the fact and 

 if the doctrine of these old famers be false, let it be knocked in 

 the head. 



Mr. Lucas. Neither Mr. Weston nor Mr. Percival nor anybody 

 else, can devise any possible food that will grow his animals so 

 profitably as first rate early cut hay. It is the best feed you can 

 give them. 



Mr. Percival. I will state in brief how I raise my calves. In 

 the first place I tried to get a starting point. I made up my mind 

 what I wanted and went to get it. I got good seed — thoroughbred. 

 When my calves come they are small, as thoroughbreds usually 

 are, and not so large as grades. Many have said to me, " I have 

 a calf larger than that." I reply, "Perhaps you have, but we 

 will compare notes at the end of three or four years." As soon 

 as the calf will I let him go to the dam and take all he wants for a 

 few days. I regard this as essential. It is the order of nature to 

 make it a healthy calf. After six or seven days I take the calf from 

 its darn and teach it to drink, making a trough, putting two in a 

 pen if I have two, but if not, only one. Sometimes they will learn 

 quickly, sometimes not. I give them half the milk. They will 

 not always take half, but as a general rule, I give half the milk 

 until they are eight weeks old. Meantime, in order to teach the 

 calf to eat hay or oats or something of the kind I keep a little 

 where they can reach it. If I want to make a heavier calf, I give 

 three-quarters of the milk. If I want to exhibit aud take premi- 

 ums, as those are usually given to fat, I give it all the milk until it 

 is four to six months old, meanwhile offering oats and hay, usually 

 weaning them at that age. First-class grass, either green or dried, 

 is the best adapted to feed young animals for future usefulness. 

 But really first-class hay is a very scarce article, and if I cannot 

 give them that I want to give what is equivalent to it. That is 

 good enough, and if such as I have requires provender I give it, 

 but not for the sake of giving something better than good grass. 



