ANIMAL PEODUCTIOlSr. 



269 



Three dairy steers were fed from birth up to about one year of age. Whole 

 milli was fed for about 3 weelis. The gi'ain consisted of a mixture of corn 

 chop and ground oats 2 : 1. The results were as follows : 



Results of feeding three dairy steer enlres on sJcitn milk. 



It is estimated that it requires 175 lbs. of whole milk, 2,700 lbs. of skim milk, 

 125 lbs. of grain, and 450 lbs. of hay, costing a total of $12.88, to raise a calf to 

 the age of six months when skim milk is used. Such a calf will weigh from 250 

 to 400 lbs., depending upon the size of the breed and the thrift of the calf. 

 Whether or not it will pay to raise ste^* calves of the dairy breeds or the in- 

 ferior dairy heifers for meat will depend entirely upon conditions. It is esti- 

 mated that if the calf is raised on whole milk, shortening the milk feeding 

 period to about three months, about 9U0 lbs. of whole milk, 250 lbs. oi grain, 

 and 600 lbs. of hay, costing a total of $19, will be required to raise the calf 

 to six months of age. 



Feeding' sour milk to young calves, T. E. Woodward (Hoard's Dairyman, 

 49 (1915). No. 7. 1)1), 24s. 256). — As a result of experiments conducted by the Daily 

 Division of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, in which skim milk allowed to 

 sour naturally was fed to 22 young calves of different breeds and at different 

 seasons of the year, and sour whole milk fed to two calves, it was found that 

 " in no case did the sour milk cause digestive disturbances, even when the 

 change from the sweet to sour was made abruptly and with calves only a few 

 days old. 



" The sour milk is not so palatable as the sweet milk; some very young calves 

 refuse to drink the sour milk, especially if the temperature of the milk is low. 

 The calves made as rapid gains on sour skim milk as upon sweet skim milk, 

 .and seemed to do as well on a diet alternating between sweet and sour skim 

 milk as upon either alone. 



" Sour milk is not as satisfactory as sweet milk for winter feeding ; it chills 

 the calA'es, and some drink it reluctantly when the weather is cold. It seems, 

 however, that any calf which drinks the sour milk readily will do well upon 

 it even in cold weather. In warm weather sour skim milk gives as good results 

 as sweet skim milk. These experiments indicate that the dairyman might just 

 as well let the milk for calf feeding become sour during the summer months 

 instead of going to trouble and expense to keep it sweet." 



It is suggested that the milk for feeding calves should be allowed to sour 

 quickly and be fed as soon as possible ; otherwise there is danger of contamina- 

 tion with harmful bacteria. 



Calf -rearing experiments in Hungary, G. Kerekes (EozteleJc [Budapest], 

 2fi. (1914), No. 61, pp. 2112, 2173; ads. in Internat. Inst. Agr. [Rome}, Mo. BuL 

 Agr. Intel, and Plant Diseases, 5 (1914), No. 11, pp. 1473-1475).— Cabief^ were 

 fed separated milk, the cream being replaced by rye flour at the rate of 4 to 5 

 oz, per gallon of separated milk. The mixture was thoroughly churned and 



