594 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



One of the greatest causes for the enormous and unnecessary losses of 

 calves is scours which is directly due to carelessness on the part of the 

 feeder. The most economical way to overcome this disease is to prevent 

 it. This can be done by the use of clean pails, by having the milk at a 

 temperature of ninety degrees every time and by not gloating the calf 

 with a large quantity. Again, if two or more calves are kept in the 

 same pen they should not be allowed to suck one another's ears. In 

 doing this the calf sucks a great deal of air into its stomach. The air 

 comes in contact with the milk, causing fermentation to take place which 

 results in scours. If one has a number of calves he should build small 

 stanchions for them and fasten them for a while after they have drunk 

 their milk. If grain is placed in the trough they eat it, thus getting the 

 taste of milk in their mouths. The writer has visited a number of herds 

 during the past month and in every instance where stanchions were used 

 the calves were in good condition. On the other hand where they were 

 allowed to run together after drinking their milk the majority were 

 affected with scours. 



If one is unfortunate enough to have calves with the scours, the writer 

 has always found either blood flour or burned flour very effective in 

 correcting the digestive system. A tablespoon of either of these given 

 when the calf is fed for a day or two will prove successful. The latter is 

 made by placing ordinary wheat flour in a skillet and stirring it over a 

 fire until the contents become a uniform brown. 



The excuse offered by many that they have no time to fool around with 

 their calves is the principal reason why the death rate is so high. The 

 calf is the foundation of the herd and upon its care depends the future 

 profit or loss. 



