60 GUIDE TO DAIRYING IN SOUTH AFRICA 



gets its milk often and in small quantities and 

 always at blood temperature. We should, there- 

 fore, always be sure that the milk is warm or as near 

 blood heat as possible. Give the young animal the 

 beistings or mother's milk for the first two weeks, 

 care being taken not to give too much, for the 

 young calf is a greedy animal and there is a great 

 temptation to give it more than is good for it, so 

 causing scouring, which is undoubtedly caused by 

 overfeeding. The milk should be measured or 

 weighed for each feed. Do not feed more than 

 10 Ibs. each day of the beistings, divided into three 

 meals as follows : mornings, 4 Ibs. ; midday, 2 Ibs. ; 

 evening, 4 Ibs. ; never forgetting that it must be 

 warm and fresh. This may be gradually increased 

 to 12 Ibs. per day. After two weeks the calf may 

 be fed twice daily, giving half this quantity at each 

 meal, i.e. 6 Ibs. morning and 6 Ibs. evening. 



After the calf is two weeks old a little fresh, 

 sweet and warm skim milk may be added to the 

 fresh milk, and the amount of skim milk may be 

 gradually increased until the calf is a month old, 

 when skim milk, sweet and warm, may be given 

 alone. The stomach of the calf being very sensitive 

 and delicate, this change in feed should be made 

 gradually. Do not change from whole milk to skim 

 milk faster than i Ib. skim milk per day. That is 

 to say, the calf is getting 12 Ibs. whole milk per 

 day when he is two weeks old. On the day of 



