RATIONS FOR CALVES 183 



pasture season 6 pounds of oats and 12 pounds of hay. 



A part of the oat ration may be displaced with peas (up to 2 pounds 

 daily). Plenty of exercise should be provided. 



High-legged colts with large heads should have extra rations of oats in 

 order to induce rapid growth and early maturity of the bones and thus 

 make a more stocky form. 



Colts should be haltered and tied when eating their oat ration. A 

 handful of ground or roasted oil meal (% pound daily) added to the 

 ration is excellent. (See also article on "Pasture" in the author's work 

 on Veterinary Hygiene.) When changing from pasture or soiling crops 

 to hay (10 pounds meadow hay or fine alfalfa or clover), daily additions 

 of about 6 liters of chopped carrots for three or four weeks, followed 

 during the entire winter with 2 liters of wheat bran twice a week (mixed 

 with the oats), are recommended. If the hay is of first quality the oat 

 ration may be reduced by one pound. Rock salt in the form of "lick 

 stones" is suitable to supply the necessary sodium chlorid. 



Every advantage should be taken to utilize to the fullest extent any 

 available pasturage. Stable feeding should then be confined to the oat 

 ration at midday and to the feeding of extra portions of clover or al- 

 falfa hay in the fall of the year. On very hot days the noon period 

 of stable feeding may be prolonged to three hours and extra rations of 

 soiling crops provided. During the cold of winter and the raw weather 

 of late fall and early spring when pasturing is impracticable or impos- 

 sible, daily exercise should be provided for 1^^ to 2 hours daily, under 

 shelter or in the open according to circumstances and weather conditions. 



2. Rations for Calves 



Newborn calves should receive whole milk for from three to six weeks, 

 up to 5 quarts daily, and this should be gradually increased to 10 quarts, 

 the amount varying with the type of animal to be developed. For the 

 first few days, in order to prevent digestive troubles (scours), the amount 

 should be considerably less, 3 pints daily. After this period one pint may 

 be added daily until the total reaches 9 or 10 quarts. The exact amount 

 depends upon the live weight of the animal and upon the type. Calves 

 of the milk-producing type, or males intended for work, should have 

 from one-seventh to one-eighth of their live weight of whole milk daily 

 for about four, but at least three, weeks. Bull calves intended for 

 breeding purposes and calves intended for beef should receive from one- 

 sixth to one-fifth of their live weight in the form of whole milk for a 

 period of about six weeks. For the first week the amounts of milk indi- 

 cated should be divided into from three to five parts and fed as many 

 periods, after which three feeds per day, carefully measured and regu- 

 larly dispensed, will suffice. The milk should be administered freshly 

 drawn and blood warm. Cold milk is liable to produce diarrhea. 



Calves may be raised with the dam or the milk may be drawn by hand 

 and administered strictly fresh while still blood warm. Hand feeding, 



