214 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



Its management is simple. It, of course, takes its own 

 food. But it sometimes happens that scours may be 

 induced by some peculiarity in the food of the dam or 

 b_y an excess in the quantity of milk taken. This, how- 

 ever, is much less likely to happen when the calves nurse 

 at will than at stated times, as by the former method 

 they are much less prone to take milk in excess of the 

 capacity of the digestive organs to care for it properly. 

 If trouble of this nature should arise, the calf should not 

 be allowed to take full supplies of milk until the diges- 

 tion has again become normal. Attention should 

 also be given to the food of the cow. 



When the calves are born in the stable it is possible 

 to feed them meal so placed that the dam cannot have 

 access to it. This, however, is seldom or never done 

 except in the case of pure-bred calves of much value. 

 It would be quite practicable to feed calves thus if both 

 cows and calves were kept in a shed, the cows, of course, 

 being dehorned. This method of feeding would be most 

 suitable for young calves, as later they may take too 

 much meal, unless possessed of concentrates not in 

 excess of their needs. The foods suitable for such feed- 

 ing are the same as those given on page 21. One 

 method of giving supplementary food to calves which 

 graze with their dams while nursing is given on page 

 15- 



The management of the cows is simple. It consists 

 in keeping them where they will be comfortable with 

 reference to temperature, well supplied with fresh air 

 and sunlight, and with suitable food, salt, and water. 

 Of course every attention must be given to the removal 

 of surplus milk, as long as this may be necessary, and 

 to the proper drying of the cows when the calves are 

 weaned. Whatever tends to promote thrift in the cow 

 at such a time will tend to promote thrift in the calf. 



Management when the calf is confined. — When 



