140 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK i. 



1st of November and the end of January. Under the system we 

 advocate, calves may be successfully reared throughout the whole year. 

 Under it also the mortality would be considerably lessened, and the 

 stock of the country soon be raised to its normal state." 



Fig. 44, on the preceding page, is a sketch-plan of the calf-house 

 which Mr. Murray describes. 



In 1889, the " Live Stock Journal " collected a series of reports on 

 the rearing of calves, particularly with respect to pedigree herds, in 

 which the main object is of course to have good calves, either for sale 

 as bulls or to add to the breeding herd. From these we select the 

 two following : 



The late Mr. H. J. Sheldon, d: Brailes, whose herd of Shorthorns 

 greatly distinguished itself, said: "My Shorthorn calves all suck 

 their dams, lying with them for the first fortnight or so, and then 

 being brought to them twice a day. When able to eat they have hay, 

 and later some pulped roots, bran, oilcake, &c. The female calves go 

 out to grass in the summer succeeding their birth. The bull-calves, of 

 course, must be kept in boxes and yards, and have plenty of roots and 

 green food as well as hay and some cake. Their thriving depends 

 more on the attention and care of the feeder than on anything else. 

 He should watch the state of their bowels, and feed accordingly. 

 Many calves are spoilt by having too much nitrogenous food, which gets 

 them into a feverish state. It is utterly impossible for any one to 

 specify exact quantities of food that would be suitable to every calf, as 

 these must be regulated by their strength, their appetite, and their 

 powers of digestion, all which require to be watched and suited." 



In Mr. George Simpson's well-known herd of Jerseys at Wray Park, 

 Beigate, Surrey, the treatment is as follows : The calves when first 

 born are sprinkled with salt, so that the cow may be induced to lick 

 them dry. They are taken from the cow about the third day, and have 

 little cloths of rough flannel tied on them, this of course only in the 

 winter, and the trifling expense and trouble are well repaid by the greatly 

 reduced tendency to scour. They are given three quarts of new milk 

 during the day in three meals, the milk being mixed with equal parts of 

 hot water, so as to bring it up to blood heat. At six weeks old they are 

 gradually shifted on to skim-milk, still mixing with warm water. By 

 the time they are eight to ten weeks old they are on four quarts of skim- 

 milk, and now small quantities of ground linseed cake and coarse bran 

 are given them, and a little sweet hay. The milk and water is gradually 

 weakened and the cake, &c., increased till the calves are eating solid 

 food and aie drinking water. When out at grass they want nothing more 

 after they are four to five months old till they are twelve months, unless 

 they are weakly or the weather is bad. Some calves will drink too much 

 at a time, and get out of shape in consequence ; this must be guarded 

 against. Again, some calves have a tendency to suck others ; they 

 should be watched, and if they do so, try wiping their mouths dry after 

 drinking milk ; if they still do it, separate them. Of course all these 

 remarks apply to average calves ; sickly small ones want extra or 

 different feeding, and much care. Above all, keep the calf sheds clean, 



