Calf Rearing. 



307 



483. Mineral matter. In many cases calves otherwise well nour- 

 ished suffer from the lack of lime or phosphorus, or both. Kellner 1 

 recommends the feeding of one-half ounce of chalk (carbonate of 

 lime) daily to calves on milk or getting feeds low in lime, such as 

 straw, roots, and the grains. Gouin and Andouard of France 2 as a 

 result of long continued studies recommend feeding ground bone, 

 such as is used in commercial fertilizers, to calves. Based on the 

 studies with pigs by Hart, McCollum, and Fuller of the Wisconsin 

 Station, it is reasonable to recommend that one-half ounce of ground 

 rock phosphate (floats) be given daily to calves in place of chalk or 

 ground bone. (88-90) 



484. Water and salt. Otis of the Kansas Station 3 found that un- 

 weaned calves when from 2 to 3 months old, drinking several times a 

 day, consumed daily on the average 10 Ibs. of water each. The im- 

 portance of water for milk-fed calves is not usually appreciated. 

 Generally there is also some demand for salt by the calf. (87, 91) 



485. Dried blood. Otis of the Kansas Station 4 found that sickly 

 calves, given at first a teaspoonful and later a tablespoonful of dried 

 blood with their allowance of skim milk, rapidly regained their 

 health. Blood meal which has been especially prepared for calves is 

 best. In all cases it should be carefully incorporated with the milk 

 to prevent settling. (306) 



486. Gains made by calves. Otis of the Kansas Station 5 gives the 

 following table, showing the weight, by months, of calves reared on 

 skim milk, grain, and pasture from birth until one year of age: 



Weight of calves from birth until one year old. 



It is shown that calves averaging 77 Ibs. each at birth attained an 

 average weight of 669 Ibs. at the end of 12 months, showing an aver- 

 age daily gain of 1.6 Ibs. for the entire period. Whoever attains 

 these figures in rearing calves should be well satisfied. 



1 Ernahr. landw. Nutztiere, 1907, p. 458. * Loe. eit. 



- Expt. Sta. Eec., 19, p. 468. B Loc. cit. 



s Bui. 126. 



