CHAPTER XVI 



x 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DAIRY HEIFER 



FEED AND CARE AFTER WEANING. INFLUENCE OF FEED 

 AND AGE OF BREEDING ON SIZE, CONFORMATION, AND 



DAIRY QUALITIES 



\ 



Feed and Care of the Heifer after Weaning. No diffi- 

 culties are encountered in raising calves from the time of 

 weaning until ready to come into milk. If 'the young ani- 

 mals are on pastures, no further attention is necessary, since 

 grass furnishes the best and usually the cheapest growth. ;.. 



The winter ration should consist of all the roughness the 

 animals will consume, and a small amount of grain in addi- 

 tion. The object should be to keep the young animals in a 

 thrifty growing condition without becoming unnecessarily 

 fat. The liberal use of roughness is desirable, since it is 

 usually the cheapest feed at hand, and further it is generally 

 believed by experienced breeders that the consumption of 

 large amounts of roughness when young helps to develop 

 the organs of digestion to the maximum which is desirable 

 when the cow comes into milk. 



The roughness should by all means consist mostly of 

 some legume, as clover, alfalfa, or cowpea hay, on account of 

 the palatability and high protein and ash content of this 

 class. Corn silage is also well adapted for part of the ration, 

 but should always be combined with some leguminous hay 



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