CALr-rvEAuiKG.] CATTLE, AND THEIE YAEIETIES. [calf-eeautng. 



cow ceases to give ' beesting,' they begin to 

 give the calves skimmed milk. A process of 

 this kind does irreparable. injury to the young 

 animal. 



" The best mode, with ordinary calves, is to 

 give new milk for at least fourteen days after 

 the calving. There are two modes of doing 

 this : either to allow them to suck the dam, 

 or to remove them as soon as calved, but 

 train them to drink in the first instance. Eor 

 ourselves, we think that taking away the calf 

 is both cruel and unnatural. The healthiness 

 of the mother, we consider, depends upon it. 

 AVe invariably allow the presence of the calf 

 for at least a fortnight. We suffer the mother 

 to lick over the whole of her offspring, because 

 we think that a privation of this medicine of 

 nature, is a cause of many a valuable animal 

 being lost. After the first fourteen days, we 

 mix one-half new, and one-half skimmed milk, 

 for fourteen days more ; this skimmed milk is 

 scalded nearly to the boiling point, set aside 

 to cool, and given to the animal. One great 

 secret in the successful rearing of calves, is to 

 vive them frequently small quantities of food 

 at a time. For the first fortnight the calf 

 ought to be fed, at least, four times per day. 

 About a quart at a time will be necessary ; 

 which quantity may be increased afterwards, 

 as the animal's wants may require it. Soon 

 after this the skim-milk time commences, when 

 the animal, if properly trained, will begin to 

 eat the solid food." In young and growing 

 stock, the process of renewing, or building up 

 the system, proceeds much more rapidly than 

 it does in the full-grown animal. Science, 

 therefore, has demonstrated that the food 

 should contain a large supply of flesh-forming 

 principles, and of phosphates, from which the 

 bones are formed. These are plentifully sup- 

 plied to the animal by the grain of barley, 

 oats, and wheat, which also contain large pro- 

 portions of gluten, albumen, and other nitro- 

 genised organic compounds, which supply the 

 young animal with the materials of which the 

 muscles consist. In peas and beans there are 

 still larger proportions of muscle-making ma- 

 terials. The addition of these in a state re- 

 duced to meal, to the food of growing stock, 

 if not otherwise detrimental to the general 

 health, will have great influence in accelerating 

 the growth of the fleshy parts. On the whole, 

 674 



then, it may be concluded that the young 

 and growing stock require a more concen- 

 trated food than is required by animals which 

 have arrived at maturity. The plan of Mr. 

 Huxtable has been very freely discussed, as it 

 proposed to accomplish the feeding of calves 

 at a much cheaper rate than was usually done 

 by other breeders. "We subjoin his mode, with 

 that of Mr. Nicholson, a Scotch breeder. 



The Plan of Mr. Huxtable. 

 First month : — 



Two quarts of new milk daUy, 



at l^. per quart, for each £ s. d. 

 week 19 



Six quarts of skim-milk daily 1 3J- 



-0 12 2 



Second month : — 



One quart of new milk daily 

 Five quarts of skim-milk . 

 Half a pound of oii-cake . 



101 

 8 



2 



4 



-0 10 



Subsequent cost, viz. : — 



From third to twelfth month, 150 lbs. of 



cake, at £7 per ton 2 15 



During last six months of second year, 



2 lbs. of bean-meal daily .... 1 2 



Attendance for two years 1 14 10 



Calf born on farm ; price if then sold .090 



Total 



£7 3 7 



The Scottish Plan of Mr. Niciiolsox, 



£ s. d. 

 Forty-five days' milk, foiu- quarts, at l^f/. 12 6 

 Mixed gruel — wheat and linseed, four 



quarts, at O^d. 7 6 



Forty- five days of the same mixture in 



double quantity 15 



Hay, cake, and turniiis, at Id. . . .0 3 9 

 Grass from June 1st to October 15th, at 



IQd. per week 15 10 



Second summer's fjrass 2 



Kinety days' oil-cake, 3 lbs. daily, at £7 



per ton 1^' ^' 



Price of calf, if bought 1 10 



Loss from death, at 10 per cent., on 



£6 13.. Id 13 



Attendance for two years .....100 



Total cost ... £9 4 3 

 In drawing this chapter to a close, we must 



