Feeding Dairy Cattle 153 
will gorge itself and bring digestive disorders that may prove 
fatal. 
255. Calf on whole milk. — For the first few weeks, the calf 
should be given the milk from its own dam, since changing to another 
cow is likely to throw the digestive system out of balance, and 
result in digestive disorders such as scours, colic, and the like. 
The milk should be fed from a clean pail, directly after milking, 
while still at the body temperature. The amount of milk fed 
should be carefully regulated. A good plan with the average calf is 
to give four pounds (two quarts) of whole milk three times daily. 
256. Calf on skim-milk. — Whole milk, being rather expensive, 
should not be fed longer than is necessary. The change from whole 
milk to skim-milk should begin when the calf is four weeks of age. 
This change should be made gradually, so that the calf may ad- 
just itself to the new feed without trouble. Increase the skim- 
milk one pound each day and decrease the whole milk by the same. 
amount. 
When two or three weeks old, the calf should be taught to eat 
a little grain. This is best accomplished by placing a handful in 
the pail immediately after the calf has finished drinking the milk. 
It is not a good practice to put the grain in the milk, as the calf 
will swallow it with the milk and not learn to masticate it prop- 
erly. After-the calf has learned to eat the grain, a box should 
be provided in which to feed the grain. The grain should be 
fresh and clean. At six weeks of age, the calf should be eating 
one pound daily of the following mixture: 3 parts corn meal, 
3 parts ground oats, 3 parts wheat bran, and 1 part linseed meal. 
257. Removing horns from young calves. — When dairy catile 
are desired without horns, the removal is very easily accomplished 
while the calf is very young. As soon as the horn can be located 
by examining the head with the hand, clip the hair away from 
the budding horn. Wrap a stick of caustic potash in paper to 
protect the hand, dip the end of the stick in water, and rub this 
upon the tip of the horn until the skin or scurf begins to loosen up 
