GENERAL HINTS 163 



SKIM-MILK AS CALF FOOD 



The essential element of food for growing ani- 

 mals is protein. From it are gathered the materials 

 that make bone, nerve, muscle, blood. The food 

 must, however, contain sufficient carbohydrates to 

 furnish warmth and motive power. Skim-milk con- 

 tains nearly all the protein there is in new milk. A 

 comparison of the fresh with skim-milk shows what 

 is taken out by skimming: 



Protein Carbohydrates 



New milk . . . . 3.1 13.7 



Skim milk 3.5 57 



New milk is a nearly balanced ration for the calf; 

 skim milk is too narrow for a full ration. The loss 

 of fat must be made up with some other food. As 

 the animal is growing, added protein is also impor- 

 tant. The most direct method of supplying carbo- 

 hydrates is to feed fine ground meal. It is better for 

 the young calf if cooked before feeding, and then 

 thoroughly stirred with the milk. After the calf is 

 a couple of weeks old it can assimilate fine ground 

 meal if fed in small quantity. Oil-cake meal soaked 

 for about twelve hours in five times the quantity of 

 water readily mixes with the skim-milk and furnishes 

 excellent nourishing feed. 



