106 FARM ANIMALS 



agement of the calves by this method and, in gener- 

 al, it is believed that it is easier to teach the calf 

 to drink with the fingers. In the Kansas experi- 

 ments the best results were obtained from feeding 

 the calf three times a day, four pounds in the 

 morning, two at noon, and four again at night. 

 After about two weeks the feeding periods need not 

 be oftener than twice daily. During the first few 

 days, however, the calf may well be fed five or six 

 times. The amount of skim milk to be fed as soon 

 as the whole milk is discontinued must be deter- 

 mined by the appetite of the calf. All experiments, 

 however, agree in the point that the milk must 

 always be sweet. 



The cost of raising the calf up to the time when 

 it can be put on a grain and hay ration at about 

 four months of age was found to be $10 in Penn- 

 sylvania. In Connecticut it cost from $11.50 to 

 $12.90 to raise calves to the age of six months and 

 in New Hampshire the total cost of raising calves 

 to the age of seventeen weeks was $9. In Con- 

 necticut the cost of raising calves from birth to 

 a proper market condition at the age of two years, 

 according to the methods just outlined, was found 

 to be $33 per head. 



Baby Beef. It is assumed in forcing calves, in the 

 manner just described, that they are being raised 

 for the purpose of producing baby beef. The 

 economy of bringing a considerable percentage of 

 calves to a market condition at the age of one to 

 two years should be apparent from the following 

 discussion. In the first place, heifers at this age 

 bring as much pound for pound as steers and this is 

 the only period of life when such a condition is 

 true. It is obvious that with a shorter feeding 

 period less expense must be incurred in caring 



