FOOD 137 



the work before her, and further that the fcetus requires 

 nourishment if its life is to be preserved. 



Feeding of Calves. 



There are two distinct methods of rearing calves, viz., 

 the natural and artificial. 



Dealing with the latter, this system is adopted in order 

 to secure the milk, and a variety of methods good and bad 

 are employed by farmers in order to bring up their calves 

 on artificial food. 



Artificial feeding is always a difficult matter, and until 

 within the last few years no serious attempt had been made 

 to give the calf a mixture which in any degree resembled its 

 mother's milk, yet the composition of this would naturally 

 form a guide to the animal's requirements. 



Here is an outline of the system generally adopted. 

 Calves are usually reared by hand ; the custom is to 

 remove them from the mother at once, and they receive 

 her milk until it is fit for use. Their diet is new milk for 

 three or four weeks, of which they require about one quart 

 three times a day ; later they receive skim-milk warmed 

 up and mixed with some easily digestible food. Calf meal, 

 which may be anything, is often given ; unless the com- 

 position of the meal is known, it would be better to trust 

 to oatmeal, linseed gruel, or cake-dust. The cooking of 

 these substances should be carefully observed. Skim-milk 

 being deficient in fat, the food supplied must meet the loss, 

 and this can be effected with boiled linseed. 



The feeding of calves should be regular and not less than 

 four times a day. It neither pays to starve nor neglect 

 them if they are to be made profitable in the future. 



Later on the calf may be tried with a little hay, grated 

 turnips and swedes, grass if obtainable and cake-dust, and 

 this may be attempted at five weeks old. In the meantime 

 the animal should be still receiving either a milk diet or a 

 milk substitute, such as oatmeal and linseed with skim milk, 

 the whole heated to blood-heat for the calf to take from the 

 pail. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



