ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 297 



impossible to keep the calves from scouring. The cost per 100 

 pounds of gain in the hay-tea lots is as follows : 



Mixed-hay-tea lot: 



Cost of hay-tea at $0,108 per cwt $1.85 



Cost of grain at 50 cents per cwt 1.48 



Cost of roughness at $4.00 per ton 30 



Total cost per 100 pounds gain $3.63 



Alfa!fa-hay-tea lot: 



Cost of alfalfa-hay-tea at $0,108 per cwt $1.77 



Cost of grain at 50 cents per cwt ] .43 



Cost of roughness at $4.00 per ton 27 



Cost of skim-milk at 15 cents per cwt 24 



Total cost per 100 pounds gain $3.71 



Feeding Grain. 



\Yhen to Feed. Calves will begin to eat grain when 

 from seven to ten days old. The best way to start them is 

 to put a little grain in their mouths immediately after feeding 

 their milk, and in this way their attention is called to the 

 grain instead of sucking each others ears and mouths. This 

 taste will soon lead them to the feed-boxes, where they will 

 eat greedily. 



Mixing Grain with Milk. It is not advisable to mix 

 corn, Kafir-corn or any other starchy feed with milk. While 

 the starch in grain takes the place of fat in milk, its form must be 

 changed to sugar before it is digestible. This change is effected 

 by the alkaline fluids and chiefly by the saliva of the mouth. If 

 the grain is gulped down with the milk, there is no time for the 

 saliva to act, and as the gastric juice of the stomach is acid instead 

 of alkaline, the starch is not acted upon until it reaches the intes- 

 tines. The intestines of the calf are comparatively short, and 

 complete digestion cannot take* place. In this respect the calf 

 differs from the hog, which has a comparatively small stomach 

 and long intestines. The hog may gobble down his starchy food 



