CALF RAISING 183 



may be fed in two feeds per day, or better, in three for two or 

 three weeks. As the calf grows older, somewhat more milk 

 can be used, but at no time does it need over sixteen or eight- 

 een pounds or eight or nine quarts per day ; but it is safe and 

 economical to feed as high as twenty pounds to a large calf, 

 if skim milk is plentiful. Overfeeding is undoubtedly one 

 of the most common causes of inferior calves. It is a mistake 

 to think that because the cream has been removed, the calf 

 needs more of the skim milk, or that because the calf is not 

 doing well it is not getting enough milk, and to allow it to 

 gorge itself, which it will readily do, if given an opportunity. 

 A good rule is to alwaj^s keep the calf a little hungry. Some 

 provision must be made for making certain that each animal 

 gets its share and no more. Some drink twice as fast as others ; 

 and if fed together, one will be overfed and the other starved. 

 The plan sometimes used of feeding a bunch of calves together 

 in a long trough is very unsatisfactory for this reason, and 

 should never be followed. 



Temperature of the Milk. Another precaution that must 

 be taken is to have the milk warm and sweet when fed. 

 Nature furnishes the milk to the calf in this condition, and 

 we must carefully imitate her here. The digestion of a calf 

 is quickly upset by feeding warm milk at one feed and cold 

 milk at another. For the first few weeks the calf is especially 

 sensitive to the temperature of its feed. After it is three 

 months or more old, the milk may be fed somewhat cooler, 

 if care be taken to have it at the same temperature all the 

 time. Even then, however, the best results are secured when 

 the milk is fed warm. The temperature of the milk should 

 be that of the blood, or approximately 100 F. In this 

 matter the feeder should exercise great care and not go 



