BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE 185 



(two gallons) per day. If skim milk is available it can be fed profit- 

 ably to the dairy calf six to eight months, or even a year. 



Whenever the calf does not eat readily, cut down the supply 

 of milk. The adding of boiling water or scalding the milk may 

 help materially at such times. 



Factory vs. Hand Separator Skim Milk. Good calves can be 

 raided on factory skim milk provided the creamery is careful to re- 

 ceive only good sweet milk so that the skim milk may be kept sweet 

 until consumed by the calf. It should be borne in mind, however, 

 that unless factory skim milk is heated sufficiently to destroy germ 

 life it is not only difficult to keep sweet but it may spread disease, 

 especially tuberculosis, to the calves and hogs kept on the farm. 



It is much less work when the hand separator is used, and the 

 calves are assured of a more uniform feed. The calves are usually 

 fed immediately after separating, while the milk is still warm and 

 sweet. This uniformity of condition and freedom from outside in- 

 fection in the milk is exceedingly important, and the hand separator 

 deserves much credit for making this possible and practicable. 

 (Wis. B. 192.) 



Roughage for Calves. Calves will eat roughage at about the 

 same time they begin to eat grain, viz., two to three weeks of age, and 

 will consume about the same quantity of each at first. As the calf 

 grows older the proportion of roughage to grain increases, and by the 

 time the calf is six months of age, it will have consumed about three 

 times as much roughage as grain. The quality of the hay should be 

 of the best, always clean and bright. It can be placed in a rack in 

 one corner of the calf pen. Any left uneaten should be removed at 

 the next feeding time and a new supply added. The kind of hay 

 may vary according to the needs and condition of the calf. Early 

 cut blue grass is good, as is also hay from mixed grasses. Clover and 

 alfalfa are frequently used to excellent advantage even with the 

 young calf, although there is probably more danger from scours with 

 these. Their importance, as the calf grows older, cannot be over- 

 estimated. Corn silage is also proving an excellent roughage for 

 calves. It is usually safe to give the calf all the roughage it will 

 eat. 



Pasture. Some feeders have difficulty from scours in turning 

 calves on pasture. This may be overcome by allowing the calves 

 to graze for only a short time the first day and gradually increasing 

 the time each day until they become accustomed to handling the 

 green feed or what is better, gradually get them used to green 

 feed by an increasing daily allowance of soiling crops. Sud- 

 den changes in feeding should be avoided. It is doubtful if there 

 is any gain in placing calves on pasture before they are four months 

 of age. 



Water and Salt for Calves. Calves, like other farm animals, 

 get thirsty, even though milk forms a large part of their ration. 

 Calves three months of age will drink as much as five quarts of water 

 daily per head. They like to drink often, sipping a little at a time. 

 A half barrel, cleaned and replenished twice daily, will serve nicely 



