170 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



found that the feces did not vary in composition after the first 2 or 3 

 days. 



At the beginning of the test proper calf A was about 7 weeks old 

 and calves B and C about 5 weeks old. The test was divided into 5 

 periods of about 8 days each. In the first, third, and fifth periods the 

 daily ration consisted of 15 kg. of skim milk. In the second period 

 sufficient whole milk to furnish 300 gm. of fat was substituted for a part 

 of the skim milk. In the fourth period 300 gm. of potato starch was 

 added to the skim milk. In the case of calf D the test was divided 

 into 3 periods of about 8 days each. In the first and third periods 

 whole milk was fed and in the second period whole milk and potato 

 starch. The calf was about 6 weeks old at the beginning of the test. 



The urine and feces were carefully collected and analyzed. Calf A 

 was kept in a dark warm stall and calves B and C in a sheep barn. 

 The milk used was pasteurized and fed at a temperature of 3G°. Calf 

 D was fed from a nipple and the others from a pail. The starch was 

 cooked with the milk to form a thick paste. The results for a number 

 of the periods are expressed in tabular form. 



It was noticed that when skim milk and whole milk were fed in equal 

 quantities the calves did not do well. The largest proportion of skim 

 milk which could be advantageously fed was 7:1. The average digest- 

 ibility of skim milk was found to be as follows: Dry matter 95.47 per 

 cent, protein 95.53, fat 95.97, milk sugar 97.30, and ash 83.72. The 

 author remarks that the coefficients of digestibility agreed very well 

 among themselves, showing that the age of the calf has little effect 

 upon the digestibility of the constituents of skim milk. The figures 

 for ash show variations beyond those within the limits of error. This 

 is explained by the fact that the older the calf the less lime it requires. 

 Therefore as age increased the digestibility of ash diminished. There 

 were no marked variations in the digestibility of the constituents of 

 skim milk in the periods when fat was added, the milk sugar being 

 digested a little less and the milk fat a little more completely. When 

 starch was added the digestibility of protein diminished. The digesti- 

 bility of starch was estimated to be 93.53 per cent, or as high as in 

 full-grown animals. 



The balance of the daily income and outgo of nitrogen, which is given 

 for a number of periods, was as follows : 



Balance of income and outgo of nitrogt n in calf-feeding experiments. 



Calf A : 



Period 1 (skim milk) 



Period 2 (whole milk and skim milk) 



Period :i (skim milk) 



Period 4 (skim milk and starch) 



Calf B : Period 1 (skim milk) 



Calf C : 



Period 1 (skim milk) 



Period 2 (whole milk and skim milk) 



Grams. 

 20.60 

 27.26 

 18.81 

 23. 82 

 29.02 



26.74 

 17.85 



