CALVES FROM BIRTH INTIL ONE YEAR OLD 23 



of the corn meal, ground oats, and oil meal, respectivel}^ 

 When the calves are six to eight weeks old, it is not 

 essential that the oats or corn shall be ground. For 

 such feeding the standard ration given above will also 

 answer well, but for highly forced feeding the propor- 

 tion of the corn may be increased with advantage as the 

 feeding progresses. 



Should the feeder be confined to the choice of one 

 grain, it should be oats. Properly fed, satisfactory re- 

 sults should follow feeding oats only during the milk- 

 ing period. Before the calves will take the meal dry, 

 it may be fed as porridge in the milk, later as ground 

 meal, and still later as whole oats. It is one of the 

 safest foods that can be fed, hence it is sometimes fed 

 as a corrective to scours. Oats promote the growth of 

 muscle, maintain enough flesh, and provide sufficient 

 material for bone. The chief obstacle to feeding oats 

 thus freely arises from the high relative value of oats in 

 the market. 



As soon as calves will take fodder, it should be 

 given to them. They will begin to nibble at it when 

 not more than two or three weeks old. No fodder is 

 more suitable for them than clover or alfalfa hay. This 

 will be more relished when fine in character, cut early 

 and cured so as to preserve the bright green color. 

 W'hen many calves are reared, effort should be made to 

 provide them with such fodder. Clover of the second 

 cutting is quite suitable, and the same is true of 

 gcsod cowpea hay. Timothy and millet are less 

 suitable, but may serve the purpose when leafy and 

 of fine growth. Corn fodder and sorghum may also 

 furnish such fodder, but when so used it is impera- 

 tive that both shall be of fine growth. Oat hay 

 and barley hay will also be relished if cut at the proper 

 stage of growth. For a time the fodder furnished 



