Part Three — Feeding Calves 



XX. Raising Calves on Whole and Skimmed Milk 



THE raising of dairy young stock is a very important 

 problem for our farmers. The feeding and manage- 

 ment of stock is fully as important as the Ijreeding, 

 although we are likely to say that breeding is more impor- 

 tant. It is in this sense, the animal must have the quality if 

 is going to do the work in the world that is ex])ected of it. 

 First, after being well born, comes the necessit} of being 

 well fed as a calf. This will be the subject of this and the 

 next paper. This paper will consider the growing of young 

 calves on milk. 



There are three possible ways of growing calves on milk : 



1. The use of nurse cows, good producers but of grade 

 breeding. 



2. The growing of the calf on whole milk. 



3. The growing of the calf on skim milk. 



The growing of calves by means of a nurse cow does not 

 need any particular explanation. A good cow costing $50 

 to $75 should be able to care easily for two calves and grow 

 them in the very best possible condition. This method lends 

 itself to practice in those places where there is abundant 

 pasture im cheap land, and it goes without saying that this 

 method would produce the very best calves. But as is shown 

 in a table a little farther on, this is of course a very expensive 

 method. 



The second method is also expensive, but is the method 

 used bv the breeders who are growing the best stock. This 

 method means the feeding of the calf on whole milk after 

 two or three days, while he is left with his mother. This 

 method is also expensive, but there is a bloom and finish put 

 on the calf that cannot be obtained in any other way. The 

 best breeders are not content with feeding in any other man- 

 ner. The details will not be discussed because all details 

 are practicallv the same as when feeding skim milk. This 

 method of feeding is the one on which, by far, the majority 

 of breeders must" depend, and it will be discussed in detail. 

 It seems best to take up the discussion by weeks in order to 

 be definite. 



Paffe Ninety-one 



