126 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



Statement. 

 [Cents.] 



Comments on Calf-feeding Experiment (1893). 



The experiment has shown that calves grown upon skim- 

 milk alone or upon skim-milk and grains during the first 

 eight weeks of their lives make good gains in live weight, 

 namely, from 0.9 to 2.13 pounds per day, with an average 

 of 1.49 pounds. These animals, however, put on ver}^ little 

 fat, either when fed on skim-milk alone or when fed on skim- 

 milk and grains. They were not able to digest the neces- 

 sary amount of corn meal, Bufialo gluten feed, wheat flour 

 or middlings, when fed in connection with the nitrogenous 

 milk, to promote the formation of fat. 



The meat of the animals thus descril^ed was quite white ii\ 

 appearance, but not as tender as calves that were fed whole 

 milk. The ribs and flanks of animals thus fed were thinner 

 than those consuming whole milk, and the shrinkage in 

 dressing was from 5 to 7 per cent. more. 



Objects of the Present Experiment (1894). 



I. To see if it were possible to replace the butter fat 

 removed in the cream by some cheaper tat or oil, thus pro- 

 ducing a mixture resembling in composition whole milk. 



II. To see if this mixture would fatten calves economi- 

 cally. 



Results of the Experiment. 



I. By feeding, in addition to skim-milk, oleomargarine, 

 cotton-seed oil, corn oil and brown sugar, calves were grown 

 to weigh 160 pounds when seven weeks old. These calves 

 were fairly fat, showing a better condition than calves fed 

 on skim-milk entirely, but were not equal to sucking calves. 



