CALVES FROM BIRTH UNTIL ONE YEAR OLD 5 



the winter. Such food would not produce sufficient milk 

 for the calves, and they would be much injured by the 

 cold. Even where the winters are virtually without frost, 

 calves should not come in the autumn when the dams must 

 feed on pastures that have lost their succulence. 



Economy of rearing on dams or by hand. — The 

 economy of rearing calves by allowing them to suck their 

 dams or by feeding them on skim milk and adjuncts during 

 the milk period is largely determined by the conditions 

 under which they are reared. Under range conditions, it 

 is impracticable to rear calves in any other way than 

 on their dams, for reasons that will be apparent. Under 

 arable farm conditions, it is usually less profitable to 

 rear them on their dams than on skim milk and adjuncts, 

 as is shown below. 



The annual cost of keeping a cow on the arable 

 farm will, of course, vary. It has been estimated on 

 high authority that it will not be less than, say, $25.00 

 when the cow suckles her calf, and $28.00 when milked 

 by hand. The additional cost in the latter case results 

 from the additional concentrates required because of the 

 more prolonged period of milk-giving. 



The only return from the cow that suckles her calf 

 at the end of the year is her calf. The return from the 

 hand-milked cow is her calf reared by hand, and the 

 dair^r product which she has furnished. Her calf will 

 be reared mainly on the skim milk obtained from its 

 dam and certain food adjuncts added. Only a part of 

 the skim milk secured from the dam is required by her 

 calf, and for not more than four months of a lactation 

 period that covers nine to ten months. The skim milk 

 furnished in excess of what is taken by the calf will 

 considerably more than offset the value of the adjuncts 

 given to the calf, in excess of those called for by the calf 

 that takes milk from its dam during the milk period. 

 The weight of the two calves when one year old will 



