MILK SUBSTITUTES FOR CALVES 117 



insofar as an economical and satisfactory food is concerned,, ceases to be a prob- 

 lem. Because of the low fat content of the skim milk, it is well to continue to 

 feed with it a quart of whole milk daily up to the end of the sixth week. After 

 that the fat can be more economically supphed in the grain mixture. Yellow 

 hommy is a very good source of fat, also either standard wheat middhngs or 

 flour middhngs. Linseed meal is high in fat but contains rather too much 

 protein to be fed in any considerable quantity with skim milk or other milk prod- 

 ucts. 



Group 2. Skim Milk Powder plus Grain and Rowen 



There are two general classes of skim milk powder on the market : that manu- 

 factured by the "spray dried" process, and that manufactured by the "drum 

 dried" or "roller" process. Six calves were fed on each kind. Those fed on 

 "spray dried" powder made an average daily gain of 1.43 pounds, and consumed 

 276 pounds of dry matter for each 100 pounds of gain. Those fed on "drum 

 dried" powder made an average daily gain of 1.41 pounds and consumed 312 

 pounds of dry matter for every 100 pounds of gain. Although they did not 

 make as good growth as did those fed on Uquid skim milk, all these calves were 

 thrifty and hearty through the whole four-months period, being entirely free 

 from digestive disturbances. 



Skim milk powder has the same nutritive characteristics as the skim milk 

 from which it is made, viz., high protein and low fat with a narrow nutritive 

 ratio. When it is fed, the fat content of the ration should be increased by some 

 such means as was suggested in the previous section on liquid skim milk. 



Group 3. Skim Milk Powder in Limited Amount, plus Grain and Rowen 

 The animals in the preceding group were given a full liquid diet (9 quarts 

 daily after the first 2 to 3 weeks) up to the end of the fourth month. Although 

 excellent growth was obtained, skim milk powder was advancing in price, and 

 the economy of feeding so much of it was thought to be doubtful. It was there- 

 fore decided to feed a group of calves on a somewhat smaller allowance. The 

 procedure followed was to cut the amount of hquid at the end of the second 

 month from nine quarts to six quarts daily, and to make a further reduction to 

 three quarts daily at the end of the third month. At the same time the calves 

 were encouraged to eat more liberally of dry grain and rowen. The six calves 

 raised by this method made an average daily gain of 1.37 pounds and consumed 

 279 pounds of dry matter for each 100 pounds of gain. In other words they did 

 almost as well as those that had received the full liquid feed up to four months 

 of age, and the cost was somewhat lessened. The decreased cost was due largely 

 to the much lower cost of the extra rowen they ate. It is interesting to note 

 that of their own choice they compensated for the cut in liquid feed by consuming 

 about 100 pounds more rowen per head (see Table 2). They ate almost the 

 same amount of grain that those on full liquid feed had eaten. The average 

 amount of skim milk powder consumed per calf up to four months of age was 

 123 pounds by this system, whereas in the "full feed" method it was 255 pounds. 

 The "drum dried" skim milk powder mixes more readily with warm water and is 

 less liable to become caked on standing than the "spray dried." For these reasons 

 and because it was a httle cheaper, it was used in feeding this and the next two 

 groups. 



Group 4- Skim Milk Powder with Red Dog Flour and Yellow Hominy, plus Dry 



Grain and Rowen 

 The objection has been raised that calves fed on skim milk or skim milk powder, 

 although they grow well, have a tendency to be thin. This condition has not 

 been noted at this Station, but there is good foundation for the belief that it 



