58 THE CREAMERY PATRON'S HANDBOOK. 



fresh eggs, calf meal, and, as a last resort, dried blood. With the blood the 

 calf commenced to improve, and in a short time was gaining at the rate of 

 nearly fourteen pounds per week, and not infrequently as high as seventeen 

 to eighteen pounds per week. When a year old he weighed 578 pounds 

 a pretty good record for a calf that gained only four pounds for the first 

 seventy-nine days of its existence. The dried blood consumed during parts 

 of three months amounted to seven and one-half pounds. At two cents 

 per pound, the cost was fifteen cents. 



In October, 1900, a heifer belonging to the Agricultural College dropped 

 her first calf. The calf was small and sickly, and for the first few weeks 

 did very poorly, as is shown by the fact that on December 1 it weighed two 

 pounds less than on November 1. For a few weeks its life was in a very 

 critical condition, but when induced to eat a little dried blood with its milk 

 it began to improve and has been making fair gains ever since. 



Dried blood is not only good for a weak calf, but is an excellent remedy 

 for any calf subject to scours. The Kansas Experiment Station purchases 

 many young calves. Frequently these calves arrive at the Station badly 

 affected with the scours; a little dried blood always brings about a cure. Re- 

 cently a test was made with five calves that happened to be scouring at 

 the same time. With two of these calves dried blood was fed after reducing 

 the regular feed of milk. With the other three the dried blood was fed 

 without changing the supply of milk. In the former case the calves re- 

 covered from the scours after two feeds; in the latter after three feeds. With 

 seventy head of young calves under experiment at the Kansas Station dur- 

 ing the past year, there has not been a single case of scours that dried blood 

 has failed to check. 



In feeding dried blood, a teaspoonful at a feed is a great plenty. This 

 should be continued until the scours disappear. In case of a weak calf, the 

 allowance may be gradually increased to a tablespoonful at a feed. To 

 prevent the dried blood from settling to the bottom of the pail, where the 

 calf will be unable to get it, it may be stirred in the milk while the calf is 

 drinking, or the milk and blood may be fed immediately after being thor- 

 oughly mixed. Since dried blood is such a cheap and effective remedy, it 

 will pay any one who raises young calves by hand to have a little available 

 whenever a calf shows signs of disorders in its digestive tract. It can be 

 obtained from any of the large packers. When ordering, state that the 

 blood is wanted for feeding purposes. 



DEHORNING YOUNG CALVES: With the possible exception of pure 

 bloods it is well to dehorn the calves while young, preferably when three or 

 four days old. As soon as the button can be felt beneath the skin clip off 

 the surrounding hair; then take a stick of caustic potash, wrap all but one 

 end with paper, to protect the hand, moisten the exposed end in water and 

 rub gently over the button, until the skin becomes slightly raw and the calf 

 smarts a little under the operation. In a few days a scab will form, soon 

 to disappear, leaving the animal without horns. Usually one application 



