Calf Rearing. 309 



Norton estimates that the feed consumed by these calves cost 

 $27.59 per head, or $4.87 per 100 lbs. of gain. 



II. Rearing the Calf. 



489. Feeding for beef. — Where prime beef is the sole object the 

 calf should draw its milk direct from the dam, or be fed full milk. 

 Where the calf remains with the dam her udder should, for a time, 

 be stripped night and morning lest neglect bring garget and destroy 

 her usefulness. If the calf is getting too much milk as shown by 

 scouring, cut off part, remembering that the last drawn portion is 

 the richest in fat, and that richness as well as quantity causes diges- 

 tive troubles. (123, 597) Calves should suck three times daily at 

 first, later twice. The greatest danger under this system comes at 

 weaning time, when, if the calf has not been taught to eat solid food, 

 it pines and loses weight. To avoid this, teach it early to eat shelled 

 corn, whole oats, wheat bran, oil meal, hay, etc. The first departure 

 from this simple and primitive method is putting two calves with 

 each cow, which is feasible where the cow yields a good flow of milk. 



The sucking calf should gain 3 lbs. per day for the first month, 

 2.5 lbs. the second, and 2 lbs. subsequently. Hunt's experiments 

 show that pail-fed calves require from 8 to 9 lbs. of whole milk for 

 each lb. of increase, gaining over 1.75 lbs. daily. While in some dis- 

 tricts it is still best to rear the beef calf on whole milk from dam or 

 pail, over large sections of the country it is now more profitable to 

 sell the fat of the milk in butter or cream and rear the calf on skim 

 milk with proper supplements. This method involves increased labor, 

 skill, and watchfulness on the part of the feeder, but its success has 

 been widely demonstrated. The method to be employed is not differ- 

 ent from that detailed in the next article for the rearing of the dairy 

 calf, except that the beef calf should be forced to more rapid gains 

 thru more liberal feeding. 



After weaning the beef calf, growth should be continued by feel- 

 ing whole oats or whole corn and a little oil meal, together with 

 plenty of bright clover or alfalfa hay, fodder corn, etc. Nothing 

 equals grass for flesh building, and to approximate this in winter, 

 silage or roots should be given to keep the bodies of the young things 

 sappy and growing. The stockman should always bear in mind that 

 the "calf fat" must never be lost when beef is the ultimate object. 



Calves that fail to thrive when sucking the cow or when fed on 

 rich milk should have their allowance reduced or should be given 

 part skim milk. Lime water or wood ashes may possibly prove cor- 



