CHAPTER XX. 



CALF REARING. 

 I. FINDINGS OF THE INVESTIGATORS. 



471. Birth weight. According to Krafft, 1 the weight of calves 

 at birth is from one-twelfth to one-fourteenth the weight of the dam, 

 or as follows : 



Light-weight calves 48 to 66 pounds 



Average calves 66 to 92 pounds 



Heavy calves 97 to 110 pounds 



Very heavy calves 115 to 128 pounds 



472. Calf, lamb, and pig compared. Linfield of the Utah Sta- 

 tion 2 found that up to 14 weeks of age the calf takes less dry matter 

 than the pig for 1 Ib. of gain, and after that more, possibly because 

 of the greater amount of roughage then used in the ration. Beach 

 of the Connecticut (Storrs) Station 3 found that calves required 

 1.03, lambs 1.08, and pigs 1.36 Ibs. of dry matter in whole milk for 

 each Ib. of gain made. (102, 722, 816) 



473. Whole milk. Mart iny 4 found that from 3.5 to 6 Ibs. of new 

 milk was sufficient to produce a Ib. of gain, live weight, with calves 

 between the first and fifth weeks, while older ones required from 16 

 to 20 Ibs. 



At the Pennsylvania Station 5 Hunt fed 3 calves full milk con- 

 taining 4.6 per ct. of fat for 161 days. They gained 1.77 Ibs. each 

 daily, requiring 8.8 Ibs. of whole milk and 1 Ib. of hay and 1 Ib. of 

 grain for each Ib. of growth. (301) 



474. Skim milk. In experiments at the Rastede Dairy School 6 

 with 30 calves the average daily gain and the amount of skim milk 

 required for 1 Ib. of gain during fattening periods of different lengths 

 were as shown on the next page. 



It is shown that with a supply of milk adapted to the age of the 

 calf the daily gains remained nearly the same, whether the fattening 

 continued 20 or 90 days. With increase in age and weight, however, 



1 Lehrb. Landw., 3, 1890, p. 85. * Die Milch, 2, 1871, pp. 9-15. 



2 Bui. 57. 5 Rpt. 1891. 



3 Bpt. 1904, p. 118. (i Mikhzeitung, 9, 1880, p. 214. 



302 



