102 FARM ANIMALS 



calves to come. Statistics collected on this matter 

 in Illinois indicate that about half of the feeders 

 raise baby beef. Many of these men, however, 

 include in the term animals of somewhat greater 

 age than is usually allowed for this class on the 

 market. As the result of extensive and repeated 

 experiments in various parts of this country and 

 in the provinces of Canada it has been demon- 

 strated beyond question that the cheapest method 

 of raising calves consists in allowing them to suck 

 the cow for two to five days, after which they are 

 gradually accustomed to skim milk, with the ad- 

 dition of grain feeds as soon as they are able to eat. 

 The change from whole to skim milk must be 

 accomplished with some care. After the calves are 

 taken away from the cows, they should be kept 

 where they cannot see the mother nor hear 

 her too much, as otherwise they may be inclined 

 to worry. At first the calves are taught to drink 

 whole milk. This may be accomplished by the 

 use of the finger or by artificial feeders of which 

 several are on the market. After they are taught 

 to drink, the whole milk is gradually replaced 

 little by little with warm fresh skim milk during 

 a period of three to five weeks. At the end of 

 this time the calves receive nothing but skim milk. 

 This must always be fed sweet and warm ranging in 

 temperature from ninety-six to one hundred degrees 

 F. The preliminary period of sucking the cow 

 and drinking whole milk should be about two 

 weeks and the period of changing from whole milk 

 to skim milk another two weeks. The skim milk 

 ration may begin at eight to ten pounds per day 

 and should be gradually increased to fifteen to 

 eighteen pounds at the age of four weeks after 

 which it may be further increased, according to 



