184 THE SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



which is practically confined to calves, has the advantage of enabling 

 the feeder to regulate the exact amount of nutriment taken (according 

 to purposes in view) ; the act of weaning is simplified, and the total 

 yield of the dam can be utilized to better purpose. It is well known 

 that newborn animals rarely consume the entire milk yield of the dam. 

 Frequently the dam stubbornly resists all attempts to remove the re- 

 mainder, even repeated milkings failing in this attempt. This has an un- 

 favorable effect upon the future milk yield. This objectionable feature 

 may be avoided by hand-rearing the calves from the beginning. 



It is a simple matter to teach the young calf to drink from a pail. 

 Gently forcing its mouth into the milk and letting it suck a finger usually 

 starts it off with little further trouble. Patent calf-feeders ofifer the 

 advantage of less trouble at the beginning, but are hard to keep clean 

 and consequently more or less insanitary. In the end the calves have to 

 be weaned from these, and on the whole, the method is not recommended. 

 The vessels in which the milk is fed should be so constructed as to 

 facilitate cleaning. Enameled ware is the best. Wooden vessels are ob- 

 jectionable for evident reasons. The vessels may be set in specially con- 

 structed frames to prevent upsetting. 



Veal calves are more commonly raised on the dam, this being attended 

 with less trouble than hand feeding. They should be permitted to suck 

 three, four, or better, five times a day, at regular intervals. Between 

 meals they should be kept tied up short, or confined in narrow stalls. 

 The enforced rest favors fat accumulation. On the other hand, calves 

 intended for breeding or dairy purposes should have abundant opportu- 

 nity for exercise. 



Calves intended for hand raising had best be removed from the pres- 

 ence of the dam at once, before the latter has had an opportunity to lick 

 them. They should be placed in a warm, clean, well-bedded stall, free 

 from draft, rubbed dry with a handful of dry, soft straw gently manipu- 

 lated, and the mouth and nostrils wiped clean of mucus. 



The production value of 10 liters of milk (about 10 quarts, equal to 

 1.2 kg. milk dry matter) if properly administered amounts to 1 kg. in- 

 crease in live weight. 



At the age of from 3 to 6 weeks the whole milk ration is withdrawn. 

 This must be done gradually in order to avoid a sudden interruption of 

 development. The best substitute for whole milk is sweet, boiled, luke- 

 warm skim milk, which may be supplied by adding 2/3 to 1 pint to the 

 daily whole-milk ration, a proportionate amount of whole milk being de- 

 ducted from day to day. 



The resulting loss of fat may be replaced at first with crushed flax- 

 seed or oatmeal (25 to 30 gm. for each pint of skim milk). Wilsdorf 

 recommends as a substitute for the milk fat the addition of from 2 to 4 

 per cent of finely emulsified fat of animal or vegetable origin. 



Pigs as well as calves are said to have thrived much better after feed- 

 ing on "homogenized" fat and skim milk than when fed in the usual man- 



