CHAPTER I 

 CALVES FROM BIRTH UNTIL ONE YEAR OLD 



The discussion of this question will consider: (i) 

 The season when calves should come in the year; (2) The 

 relative economy of rearing them on the dams or by hand ; 

 (3) Calves for feeding, for breeding, or for milk produc- 

 tion; (4) Calves reared on their dams; (5) Calves when 

 reared on skim milk; (6) Calves when reared on whey; 

 (7) Calves when reared without milk; (8) Management 

 of calves while being weaned; (9) Management subse- 

 quently to the time of weaning; (10) Growing calves for 

 veal; (11) Grazing for calves; and (12) Miscellaneous 

 considerations that relate to the rearing of calves. 



The season when calves should come. — The season of 

 the year at which calves will be born may be regulated iby 

 the owner, but such regulation is not entirely under his 

 control. Some of the females may fail to come in heat 

 at the season when mating is most desirable, but may do 

 so at a later period. In such cases, it would not be profit- 

 able to maintain these cows for many months before breed- 

 ing them, with a view to have them produce only at certain 

 seasons. In other cases, impregnation does not follow 

 mating, hence the females must be bred later, or a period 

 follows when no return is given by the cows for their 

 maintenance. Usually it is possible and practicable to 

 have all or nearly all the calves come at or near the season 

 desired. Where cows must of necessity be housed in win- 

 ter, it is usually considered more desirable to have the 

 calves come in the autumn or early winter, whether reared 

 by hand or on the dams, for the following reasons: (i) 

 The grower has more time to care for them properly dur- 

 ing the milk period, which is the most critical in the life 



