ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 289 



This experiment shows that the feed-cost of raising a good 

 skim-milk calf need not exceed $5.27, in contrast to $19.13 for 

 whole milk and $12 for one raised by the dam. (See figs. 2 to 

 4.) A skim-milk calf becomes accustomed to eating grain and 

 roughness early in life, becomes gentle, and when transferred to 

 the feed-lot is ready to make economical gains. At the close of 

 this experiment, the calves running with the dams were pur- 

 chased by the Experiment Station and placed in the feed-lots 

 in comparison with those raised on skim-milk and whole milk. 

 The results in the feed-lots are shown in table IX. 



Table IX. 



Experiment. 





No. of 

 calves. 



Average Daily 

 Months gain gain 

 fed. per head, per head. 



Skim-milk 





10 



7 440 2.10 



Whole milk .... 

 Running with da 



ms 



10 



22 



7 405 1.93 

 7 422 2.C0 









It will be seen that the skim-milk calves made the best gains. 

 The feed records show that the skim-milk calves produced 100 

 pounds of gain for 439 pounds of grain, while the whole-milk 

 calves required 470 pounds of grain per 100 pounds of gain, and 

 the calves running with the dams required 475 pounds of grain 

 per 100 pounds of gain. 



Up to weaning time the calves running with their dams look- 

 ed slicker and fatter than those raised on either skim-milk or 

 whole milk. The critical period with the calves running with 

 the dams was at weaning time. This is shown in table X. 



