284 FEEDS AND FEEDING, ABRIDGED 



than the ground grain. When the calves are several months old, they 

 chew their feed less thoroly and grinding oats or corn may then 

 be profitable. Barley and kafir should always be ground. 



The following list by Otis 2 will aid dairymen in selecting feeds for 

 skim-milk calves: 



"1. Corn meal gradually changed in 4 to 6 weeks to shelled corn with or 

 without bran. 



"2. Whole oats and bran. 



"3. Whole oats and corn chop, the latter gradually replaced by shelled corn 

 in 4 to 6 weeks. 



"4. Ground barley with bran or shelled corn. 



"5. Shelled corn and ground kafir or sorghum. 



"6. Whole oats, ground barley, and bran. 



"7. A mixture of 20 lbs. of corn meal, 20 lbs. of oat meal, 20 lbs. of oil meal, 

 10 lbs. of blood meal, and 5 lbs. of bone meal, changed to corn, oats, and bran 

 when calves are 3 months old. 



"8. A mixture of 5 lbs. whole oats, 3 lbs. bran, 1 lb. corn meal, and 1 lb. of 

 linseed meal." 



Ground soybeans are unsatisfactory for calves on account of their 

 laxative action. Cottonseed meal is not a safe feed for young calves, 

 but after they are 6 to 8 months old they may be started on an allow- 

 ance of 0.5 lb. per head daily and this may be gradually increased to 

 2 lbs., when fed with silage and such feeds as shredded corn stover 

 and oat straw. Dried blood is helpful for sickly calves. 



Hay for calves. — Calves begin to eat hay at about the same age as 

 they do grain, consuming nearly the same quantity of each at first. 

 As they grow and the paunch develops, the proportion of roughage to 

 concentrates should be increased until when 6 months old they will be 

 consuming about 3 times as much hay as grain. The majority of 

 dairymen prefer clover or alfalfa hay, but the allowance of these 

 should be restricted when the calves are young, to avoid scouring. 

 Some prefer bluegrass, native, or mixed hay for the first two or three 

 months because with these there is less danger from scours. The 

 growing heifer should be encouraged to eat a goodly amount of hay 

 in order to develop the roomy digestive tract desired in the dairy cow. 

 Uneaten roughage should be removed from the rack or manger before 

 the next feeding time, for calves dislike hay which has been "blown 

 on." 



Succulent feeds. — A small amount of silage from well-matured 

 corn, free from mold, may be fed to calves when 6 to 8 weeks old, only 

 the leaves being offered at first. From a handful twice a day the 

 allowance of silage may be gradually increased until the calves are 

 getting 10 lbs. per head daily when a year old. 



2 Wis. Bui. 192. 



