FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VIII. 593 



THE CViF AND ITS CABE. 



Profitable live stock raising is always accompanied by a thorough 

 understanding of the needs of the animals when young. The internal 

 organs of the calf or the colt, as those of the babe, are very sensitive and 

 if not cared for as nature has provided the young animal's vigor and 

 stamina is impaired at a very critical period. 



When the spring work is on in full blast we find most of the cows 

 giving birth to calves. These in the majority of instances are neglected. 

 If weaned they are placed in a dark corner of the barn and fed early in 

 the morning and late at night. Their milk varies in temperature a great 

 deal, and in many instances is fed in slop pails which form ideal breeding 

 places for all kinds of injurious bacteria. 



With butterfat at the present price it is readily understood that one 

 cannot afford to allow the calves to run with the cows. Land values are 

 gradually rising and therefore to make a profit the cow must not only 

 raise a calf, but must furnish cream for the creamery as well. The skim 

 milk calf if cared for properly can be raised to just as good advantage 

 and much cheaper than the whole milk calf. 



After the calf is born he should be examined and the umbilical cord or 

 naval should be disinfected with a weak solution of some recognized 

 disinfectant. This prevents the entrance of any germs into the young 

 body which in many instances prove very dangerous. The calf should 

 be allowed to suck the cow for several days in order to get the colostrum 

 milk which is a purgative and therefore essential to the digestive tract. 



After several days the calf should be removed to a clean dry stall and 

 fed whole milk for about two weeks. He should not be given over four 

 pounds to a feed and should be fed three times a day for the first week, 

 after which time five or six pounds fed twice a day is very satisfactory. 

 At the end of two weeks skim milk may be gradually introduced to take 

 the place of the whole milk until at the age of a month the calf is entirely 

 on skim milk. As the calf grows older the quantity of milk may be 

 raised to fourteen or sixteen pounds, but one should be careful not to 

 over feed. 



Since fat is the only ingredient removed from skim milk, and as the 

 other nutrients are sufficiently high the question arises as to the best 

 and cheapest supplementary feed. Many are using oil meal and flax meal, 

 but as these are quite expensive and prove no better than com meal and 

 ground oats, the latter should be used. These should be fed dry in a 

 trough and if the calf is reluctant about eating it he may be started by 

 rubbing a little on his nose after drinking his milk. Good clover or 

 alfalfa hay should always be kept where the calf can nibble at it, and 

 water should be provided several . times a day. After a month old the 

 calf may be left out on grass, but care should be taken that he does not 

 pat too much. 

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