CALF FEEDING 225 



for calving of cows in a dairy herd must, however, be distributed 

 over the year to some extent, so as to insure a fairly uniform milk 

 supply throughout the year. 



The Beef Calf. — The method of feeding beef calves differs 

 from that of feeding dairy calves mainly in the fact. that they are 

 fed more heavily so as to make more rapid gains than the latter. 

 The beef calf is left with the dam or fed whole milk for two or 

 three weeks to as many months, if milk does not bring more money 

 used for other purposes. In the latter case, the calf is gradually 

 brought over to skim milk; when older, the calf will eat hay and 

 grain, and is fed increasing amounts of grain from this time on 

 until ready for the market. Suckling beef calves fed whole milk 

 should show a gain of three pounds per day for the first month, 

 two and one-half pounds for the second, &nd two pounds thereafter, 

 according to Henry, and should weigh 400 to 500 pounds at six 

 months old. A calf at this age will eat approximately five pounds 

 whole corn, two pounds whole oats, and one-half pound linseed meal 

 a day ; it should have plenty of good clover or alfalfa hay in" addi- 

 tion. The grain is increased after the calf is able to eat more with 

 a good appetite, since the more he will eat, the faster he will gain, 

 and the sooner he will be ready for market. If the calf is intended 

 for "baby beef" (p. 269) and is to be marketed when sixteen to 

 eighteen months old, the feeding is especially heavy so as to secure 

 as rapid gains as possible. Only beef -bred bulls of a low and com- 

 pact built will produce calves that are suitable for this purpose. 

 Beef calves on whole milk or skim milk are fed chiefly corn; for 

 fattening this is supplemented by oats or wheat 'bran, with a small 

 amount of linseed meal. Other important feeds for beef calves 

 are pasture, corn silage, and roots; the two latter feeds are of the 

 greatest value in enabling steers to stand heavy grain feeding with- 

 out getting " off feed " or being subjected to digestive disorders. 



The Veal Calf. — Bull calves or heifer calves that are deficient 

 in any way and are not wanted for the dairy herd or beef herd are 

 either killed at once, or sold to buyers that make veal of them, or 

 are vealed by the farmer himself. On account of the cost of whole 

 milk, it is, as a rule, diluted with skim milk after the second to 

 fourth week, in feeding veal calves for the general market; or 

 skim milk is gradually substituted for it after the first few weeks, 

 supplementary #ain feeds and hay being fed in as large amounts as 

 the animals will take with a good appetite. 



Veal calves are often allowed to suck a nurse cow, two or more 

 calves being kept with the cow, if she has sufficient milk ; the labor 



