Other Phases of Orchard Management 215 



day, and the feeding should begin as soon as the 

 calves are taken from their dams. Before being weaned 

 the calves should be vaccinated to protect against black- 

 leg. 



The foundation of baby beef production is in feeding 

 all the alfalfa hay and roots the calves can be induced to 

 eat, and very little grain. The alfalfa should be cut when 

 the first few blooms appear and cured, to save the leaves, 

 as for this kind of feeding a pound of leaves is worth more 

 than four pounds of stems. The roots may be sugar- 

 beets, stock-beets, mangels, or ruta-bagas, and should be 

 sliced for feeding. Give the calves access to good straw, 

 as a little will overcome the too laxative effect of the early 

 cut alfalfa. Oat, wheat, and barley hays and corn-fodder 

 are good to feed for variety. The calves should have 

 good shelter and free access to pure water. The more 

 they can be induced to lie down, the greater will be the 

 gains; and a dry place on which to lie should always be 

 ready. Every time that a calf stands up after eating 

 because there is snow or mud in the yard, he loses money 

 for the feeder. 



If the calves are to be marketed at 14 months, they 

 should be fed grain from the time of weaning, starting 

 with one pound per head a day and slowly increasing 

 to four to six pounds per head daily, feeding only suffi- 

 cient grain to keep up a daily gain of two pounds per calf. 

 The grain may be either corn, oats, or barley, or a mixture 

 of any two or all three of these feeds, and it should be 

 crushed. Grain should never be fed alone. Either mix 

 it with an equal weight of fine, leafy alfalfa, or else sprinkle 

 it on the sliced roots. With this system well-bred beef 



