Dairy Cattle 361 



When the calf has learned to eat grain, as described later, the 

 mush need not be fed. 



Grain and hay for calves. While the change from whole- 

 to skim-milk is taking place, the calf should be taught to eat 

 grain and hay. A feed box should be provided and a small 

 quantity of grain placed in it. At first it may be necessary 

 to rub a little grain on the calf's mouth to induce it to eat, 

 but soon it will learn to take the grain regularly. The box 

 must be kept clean and any grain not eaten must be removed 

 to prevent it from becoming sour. Ground oats with the 

 hulls sifted out, ground corn, or a mixture of the two may be 

 fed. 



The grain ration for the calf up to the time it is six months 

 old may be the one described above, or some additional feed 

 may often be given to advantage. A good grain mixture is 

 three parts ground oats, three parts ground corn, one part 

 wheat bran, one part linseed meal. At first what can be picked 

 up in the hand is sufficient and the amount should be increased 

 as the calves will eat it up clean. At two months of age a 

 calf should eat about a pound of grain a day and at six months, 

 about three pounds. 



Hay should be fed at the same time that the grain is given. 

 Fine clean alfalfa or clover hays are good for this purpose. 



Sanitation in calf pens. The quarters where calves are 

 kept must be clean ; otherwise disease is almost sure to occur. 

 Clean bedding must be used and the pens cleaned frequently. 

 It is also necessary to disinfect them occasionally. White- 

 wash, crude carbolic acid, and proprietary stock dips are good 

 disinfectants for this purpose. It is well to spray carbolic 

 acid on the walls of the pens and follow this by a coat of white- 

 wash. Many of the proprietary preparations, such as kreso, 

 lysol, and creolin, are good disinfectants. They may be pur- 

 chased from druggists. It is not so important which disin- 

 fectant is employed, but that it is used often enough to keep the 

 pens sanitary. 



