438 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



cases the calves should be fed at regular intervals and any increase or 

 change in the feed should be made gradually. Water and salt should 

 always be supplied. In summer shade should be provided for calves 

 on pasture. The feeder should watch for any signs of scours and at 

 once take suitable measures to overcome the trouble. If necessary the 

 calves should be treated for lice or ringworm. 



701. Birth weights of dairy calves. The following table shows the birth 

 weight of dairy calves and the weight of their dams, as determined at 

 the Connecticut (Storrs), Missouri, and Wisconsin Stations: 46 



Birth weights of calves of the dairy breeds 



XT u* r Av. weight Av. weight Weight of calf to 



Breeds S2L both sexes of dams weight of dam 



calves Lbs. Lbs. Yerct. 



Jersey 253 55 867 6.3 



Guernsey 57 71 996 7.1 



Ayrshire 80 72 983 7.3 



Dairy Shorthorn .... 30 73 1,216 6.0 



Holstein 229 89 1,137 7.8 



Brown Swiss 5 100 1,123 8.9 



The male calves of each breed average heavier than female calves. The 

 average difference in weight between the sexes in the data secured at the 

 Missouri Station ranged from 1 Ib. in the case of the Shorthorns to 8 Ibs. 

 in the case of the Ayrshires. The sire apparently has but little influence 

 upon the size of the calf at birth, if both sire and dam are of the same 

 breed. The nutrition of the cow during gestation does not affect the size 

 of the calf at birth appreciably, unless under extreme conditions which 

 are long continued. 



702. Fall calves. Where cattle are reared under natural conditions, 

 the rule that the young be dropped in the spring will continue, but 

 this practice is not necessarily the most successful in the older sections 

 of the country. Fall-dropped calves come at a time when the small 

 attentions they need can easily be given, and they occupy but little 

 space in barn or shed. Subsisting on the mother's milk, or on skim 

 milk with a little grain and hay, when spring comes the youngsters are 

 old enough to make good use of the pastures and to stand the hot weather 

 and the attacks of flies and mosquitoes. 



703. Scours. The most frequent trouble in raising calves by hand is 

 indigestion, or common scours. This is usually caused by over-feeding, 

 by the use of cold milk or that laden with disease germs, by dirty pails 

 or feed boxes, or by keeping calves in dark, dirty, poorly-ventilated 

 stalls. Each animal should be watched closely for signs of scours, for 

 a severe case gives the calf a setback from which it recovers but slowly. 

 Since soft, foul-smelling dung is often the first indication of trouble, it 

 is well to keep each new-born calf in a pen by itself for 2 to 3 weeks 

 where it can be observed more closely than if it ran with others. At 



"Summarized by Eckles; Mo. Res. Bui. 35. See also Conn. (Storrs) Rpt. 19. 



