Calf Rearing. 343 



III. Feeding for Vecd. 



532. Essentials. To meet the highest requirements of the 

 market, veal should riot only carry a considerable amount of fat, 

 but the flesh must show to the practiced eye that no coarse food 

 has been eaten by the calf from birth to the time of slaughter. 

 For the highest grade of veal, whole milk is the one feed allowed 

 and growth must be pushed as rapidly as possible, the whole pro- 

 cess being completed before there is any tendency in the meat to 

 take on the coarse character incident to the beef period. The 

 demand for fine veal is growing, and can be greatly increased by 

 supplying a high-grade product. In this line of meat production 

 the farmers in parts of Europe are far in the lead. Dutch butchers 

 are extremely expert in judging whether the calf has received 

 any other feed than whole milk. Only when whole milk has 

 been used exclusively is the white of the eye of the veal calf free 

 from any yellow tint, and the insides of the eye-lids, lips and nose 

 perfectly white. 



533. A Scotch system of veal making. At Strathaven, Scot- 

 land, a region noted for the excellence of its veal, l the calves are 

 fed on fresh cow's milk, the youngest receiving that first drawn 

 from the cows and the older ones the last and richer portion; (615) 

 thus one calf is often fed portions of milk which come from two 

 or three cows. After the third week they receive as much milk 

 twice a day as they will take. After feeding they are bedded, 

 the stable being kept rather warm and dark. Lumps of chalk 

 are placed where the calves have access to them. The fattening 

 period continues from five to seven weeks, when a dressed weight 

 of 100 to 120 pounds is secured. 



In the vicinity of London veal calves are fed for about ten 

 weeks in isolated pens, as in Holland. They ordinarily dress 140 

 pounds. 



534. The Dutch system. In Holland, where unusually heavy, 

 well-fatted calves are a specialty, the following practices are com- 

 mon, according to Forssell: 2 As soon as dropped the calf is placed 

 in a stall which is so narrow that it cannot turn around though it 



1 Molk. Zeit., 1894, p. 547. 



*Fodret och Utfodringen, 1893, p. 155. 



