CALF RAISING 189 



cans. Every utensil which comes in contact with milk to be 

 used for feeding should be kept clean and scalded as thor- 

 oughly as though the food were to be used for the owner's 

 family. A good rule is to keep the calf pails as clean as the 

 milk pails. In feeding grain, no more should be fed than will 

 be eaten up clean. If grain is allowed to remain in a trough, 

 it often becomes damp and partly decayed, and may cause 

 sickness, just as dirty pails will often do. 



Clean Pans and Barns a Necessity. Another point to be 

 kept in mind is that the young calf must be kept in a clean, 

 well-bedded stall while in the barn. Experience has taught 

 many men that a calf will not do well in a damp, dirty pen or 

 stall. The calf needs all the sunlight it can get, and the well- 

 lighted stall is always best. In arranging a barn the sunniest 

 part should be reserved for the calf pens. In the summer the 

 calf should have access to a small pasture with plenty of 

 shade. 



Plenty of Water Needed. An abundance of clean water 

 should be accessible at all times or at frequent intervals, as 

 the calf is not satisfied with milk alone as a drink, and wants 

 to drink a little water at a time, quite often during the day. 

 This thirst for water is often overlooked when calves are raised 

 by hand, and as a result the calf is thirsty as well as hungry, 

 and gorges itself with milk when it has a chance. Salt should 

 also be within reach when the calf is old enough to eat grain 

 and hay. 



Fall or Spring Calves. There are a number of advantages 

 in having calves to be raised by hand dropped in the fall. 

 The calf can be kept growing nicely on skim milk until the 

 grass comes, then weaned and turned out to pasture without 

 checking its growth in the least. The disadvantages of winter 



