CALF RAISING 177 



occasional good cow is not even saved for future usefulness. 

 The only means by which the average quality of dairy herds 

 in the hands cf practical dairymen can be materially improved 

 is by the raising of their own cows by using a pure-bred sire 

 and saving the heifers from the best cows. 



Raising Calves by Hand. The dairy calf is almost always 

 reared by hand, although a small portion of the milk that 

 goes to make the total production of the country is from 

 cows whose calves are allowed to take a portion of the milk 

 from their mothers. As a rule, the milk of the dairy cow is 

 worth so much more than the calf that it receives the first 

 consideration. A discussion of calf raising is naturally 

 divided into two parts. One deals with calf raising where 

 skim milk is available, as is generally the case when cream or 

 butter is sold. The second part is concerned with methods 

 of raising the calf where the whole milk is sold for market 

 purposes or to a condensery or cheese factory. In this case 

 no skim milk is usually on hand, and the calf must be fed 

 whole milk, which makes an expensive ration, or be given 

 some substitute for milk. 



Raising Calves on Skim Milk. It is a well-established 

 fact that a calf can be raised on skim milk that is equally 

 as good as one nursed by its mother. In localities familiar 

 with dairying this is well understood, but in other places is 

 virtually unknown. Some have seen unhealthy and under- 

 sized calves that have been fed skim milk, and have con- 

 sidered them as the necessary result of feeding skim milk. 

 Such calves are the unfortunate victims of their owners' 

 ignorance or carelessness. The skim milk calf raised accord- 

 ing to modern methods differs little, if any, in size, quality, 

 and thrift and value from the same animal when raised by 



